Review: Hilton London Wembley Hotel – Wheelchair Access

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is a luxurious 4-star accommodation, located across the street from Wembley Stadium. I stayed at this property from December 24-28, 2015, while visiting a friend in the London area for the Christmas holiday. The staff were extremely helpful, and I found the hotel to be one of the most accessible properties I have reviewed to date.

361 individual rooms are spread across 9 floors in a hotel that is modern, stylish and very clean. It is a very “smart” hotel, and one of the better values in the London Metropolitan Area. Room rates during my time there were roughly £95 (~$140) per night. There are few other 4-star hotels in the area that can compete with the Hilton Wembley on price. The location is not bad either: With only a 20-minute tube ride separating me from Central London, the hotel was a great choice, and put me closer to my friend who lives in a nearby suburb. In addition to Wembley Stadium, the hotel is also bordered by shopping outlets and restaurants, including the American chains of T.G.I. Fridays and McDonald’s.

I traveled by wheelchair accessible taxi from London’s Heathrow Airport to the hotel. The cab fare was £60 inclusive of tip, and the 12-mile trip took about 45 minutes.

My Room Reservation and Check-in

I had reserved a standard wheelchair accessible room with a queen-sized bed and roll-in shower. Given that I have Diamond status in the Hilton HHonors loyalty/rewards program, the hotel upgraded me to the executive level, located on the 8th floor. The executive-level rooms cost a bit more and include access to the 9th floor executive lounge, but offer little else.

Check-in went smoothly, but something out of the ordinary (for me) did happen. The check-in agent handed me a form, which asked questions about my needs for the purposes of emergency evacuation (in case of fire). No hotel, Hilton or otherwise, has ever presented me with such a form or question. While I’m not certain that my request for assistance down from my room on the 8th floor would have been honored, it was at least comforting to know the property had thought of it. It’s honestly something I had never thought about. After filling out the form, I was handed my keys, and made my way to my room, number 887.

Hotel Room & Its Accessibility

Room number 887 featured a queen-size bed. The standard, non-accessible rooms in the hotel feature a king-size bed, but this smaller bed type is used to create more space in the room for wheelchairs. My wheelchair was able to fit alongside the bed on either side, but there was more space to its right. The chair and table in the picture above were not in the way, but can be moved to create additional space on that side.

The bed itself was comfortable, even if a bit on the firmer side.

Power outlets were available next to the bed, and lighting could be controlled from power switches in that same area.

The room featured a 37-inch flat screen television, which was connected to the local cable channels. Given that I’m a news and politics wonk, I kept it tuned to the BBC or CNN at most times.

The desk space beneath the TV could accommodate my wheelchair. A phone, as well as wine and ball glasses were located on the desk, in addition to a coffeemaker and mugs. A minibar was located beneath the television.

I borrowed a power transformer from the hotel, which allowed me to

and charge my wheelchair. I set up the transformer on the desk, and was able to stretch my wheelchair charging cord over to the bed.

In the hallway leading into the room from the main door is a closet with an iron/ironing board, bathrobes, slippers and a secure safe. My MacBook Air was able to fit into the safe, with space left over. That said, I felt very safe and secure in the hotel, and left many of my electronics out in the open.

The room featured a bathroom that was very well designed for the wheelchair user. I was able to roll beneath the sink, pictured above. The towels were found on a lowered rack, next to the sink, and were easily within reach.

The toilet sat at an even height with the seat of my wheelchair. The toilet featured a backrest, a fixed series of grab bars on the wall, and a fold-up/down grab bar on the side opposite the wall. In the photograph above, you’ll notice a red emergency alert cord, which guests could pull in case of an accident in the bathroom. Pulling the cord notifies the hotel staff that you require immediate assistance.

The room’s roll-in shower is perhaps the best example of universal and accessible shower design that I have ever seen. The seat is large, has a seatback, and is affixed directly to the wall. The shower seat was sturdy and remarkably comfortable. The water controls and nozzle were located within reach. As you’ll see in the photo, the handheld shower head was set up at a high level, but this is true at most hotels with roll-in showers. The height of the shower head nozzle could be adjusted and lowered, with staff who are able to assist in this – if you cannot adjust it yourself.

A grab bar was affixed to the wall, with another fold down bar on the opposite side of the shower seat. That grab bar is hidden by the shower curtain in the photograph above. Two shower curtains exist, and can be pulled together to close off the entirety of the shower area from the spaces beyond. You won’t have to run the risk of accidentally drowning your power wheelchair in water!

Executive Lounge

The hotel features an executive lounge on the 9th floor. Since I had received an upgrade to an executive floor room, access to the lounge was complimentary.

The lounge offers a free buffet breakfast each morning, which offers a range of breakfast staples: eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, cheese, breads, cereals, etc. The breakfast was quite good.

Snacks and drinks are available throughout the day, including a period of afternoon tea. A happy hour with free alcohol (beer and wine) is offered nightly from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., along with a variety of hors d’oeuvres. Meatballs seemed to be a mainstay, at least on the nights I was in residence. Each night, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options were available.

A single computer terminal was available for use by guests of the lounge. It was connected to a printer. High-speed wi-fi was also available, and a good connection was possible in all areas of the lounge, except for the outdoor deck.

The men and women staffing the lounge were extremely helpful and friendly. They were more than happy to assist me with any reasonable request.

A wheelchair accessible restroom is available in the lounge, so you won’t need to go back to your room to use the facilities.

Location

The Hilton London Wembley Hotel is located across the street from Wembley Stadium, the national football stadium. If you have executive lounge access, you’ll be able to take in the view of the stadium (pictured above) from the outdoor viewing deck. The hotel concierge can set up a wheelchair accessible tour of the stadium if you are interested.

The hotel is located within 10 minutes walk of the Wembley Park tube station, which offers connections to the city on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines of the metro. The station and trains are wheelchair accessible.

Shopping and dining options are within walking distance. While the hotel is not near to the city’s most popular attractions, a tube ride will put you within walking distance of many such sights, including Buckingham Palace, the Tower and London Bridges, and Big Ben. Accepting the commute will allow you to save money while staying at a nice hotel.

Wheelchair accessible taxis are available, but you should allow at least 20 minutes. The concierge is happy to call one for you.

Conclusion

It’s not often that I can recommend a hotel without pointing out an area where it might improve. If I were to assign a letter grade to the quality of my stay, inclusive of my room’s accessibility accommodations, I would grant it an unquestionable ‘A.’ Should you require accommodations that are wheelchair accessible, with easy-to-use public transportation connections to the city, I would recommend that you give the

a serious look. I can’t imagine that you would be disappointed.