HM Alma Beach

This review is primarily aimd at other physically disabled people to help them make a choice about whether this hotel will meet their needs - there are plenty of other reviews which cover other aspects of the hotel and its services. So, in chronological order - ARRIVAL No dropped kerb directly outside the hotel but there is one a short distance up the street. There are a few steps up to the hotel's main entrance and there is a "dog leg" ramp as an alternative. The first metre or so of this is very steep. After that the gradient is shallower - but it is still a significant pull so only solo travellers with good upper body strength/ those with carers or those in electric w/chairs should tackle it.

There are two pair of automatic doors at the entrance. Has there been a better invention in the history of mankind?! There is a stiff bristle doormat between the two - and I defy anyone to keep going on the same trajectory through it - but it's not a problem.

From here, it is completely flat (and only a short distance) into reception, flat to the bar or restaurant and flat along to whatever room you are in. There are 2 lifts to take you there. Both will easily accommodate a manual chair or a small electric one. If you have a big bruiser, do ask the hotel about dimensions.

Those who are on sticks with limited mobility will be delighted to know that this is no spacious four star Spanish "block" hotel - the building is extremely compact (but perfectly formed)..... so distances between facilities are short.

ROOMS I was on the third floor this time. The hotel has 3 accessible rooms on 3 floors - each directly underneath the other. The rooms are quite compact for disabled rooms but they were more than adequate for me in my manual chair. (I got Reception to send up a chap from Maintenance to remove an armchair. He willingly did this - and absolutely refused to take a tip!)

Without it, I was able to move the desk chair to where the armchair had been and that made manoeuvring inside the room a lot easier. There is room on both sides of the bed for a manual chair to approach but it is quite tight on the RHS (as you face the bed) so if you have a big yoke of a chair do ask the hotel about the width on this side of the bed.

The bed is actually two singles pushed together and there is piping on the edge of the mattresses which I found handy to grab on to. There is also a proper wooden headboard and, in days gone by when I could stand up, that would have been useful when I was getting dressed. Now I transfer sideways and found the bed a good height for this.

The sliding door to the balcony is easily pushed open from a sitting position and the terrace is furnished with 2 stylist chair and a cube table. There is no step - apart from the lip of the sliding door. I've now stayed in all 3 accessible rooms and none of them get the sun on the balcony at any point of the day which I found very disappointing but I know others will find it a boon.

BATHROOM Roll in shower. The glass door needed to be pushed in to enable my chair to enter (because the wash hand basin partiallyblocks the entrance unles you push the door inwards). If you then put the door back to the "closed" position you can approach the shower seat. However the depth of the shower enclosure is insufficent to allow a sideways transfer onto the sturdy shower seat which folds down from the wall. So unfortunately, unless you can manage a head-on transfer, you will be like me - not able to have a proper shower but still able to lean forward and wash your hair and lower limbs under running water. A wash at the sink is then the only alternative for the rest of your body. There is a folding grab rail in the shower on one side and, I think another fixed to the wall on the opposite side of the shower stool.

The very low table under the sink which contains towels and the hair dryer is easily pushed to the opposite wall - so allowing w/chair users to get their legs right under the sink.

At the raised toilet, there is a fixed grab rail on one wall and a fold down one at the RHS (as you face the loo). I found the toilet very easy to use. When I've stayed in the room on the second floor on previous visits, the fold down rail would NOT stay up so it made transferring off the toilet very difficult. I reported the problem each time I stayed but it was never fixed - I think something got lost in the translation.

SUN TERRACES There is an under used small area on the 5th floor which has a few sun loungers and several pairs of low slung comfy sun seats. But there is no cafe or bar here. For that, you must go to the 8th floor where there is qute a large but crowded area with a swimming pool and bar. Wheelchair users will find accessing this area challenging. There is little room between sun loungers and in fact to get to the pool bar, there is a narrow "corridor" between the end of a series of loungers. Plus the position of another sun lounger in a different row blocks access to even that corridor - unless you fancy disturbing someone's snooze in the sun?!

RESORT It is fairly flat and the hills that there are, are easily avoided. The hotel is in a brilliant location - half way between the beach and the town's main street and square. There are dropped kerbs along the length of the main street but many are shockingly tricky to use. In general, I found using the ones along the RHS of the street (as you stand with your back to the sea) had a much better (and safer) standard.

Of the roads that go between the main steeet and the sea, I think I'm right in saying the street on which the Alma Beach is situated is the only one where a wheelchair user can go the whole way on the pavement - all the others have lamp posts plonked in the middle of narrow pavements. Once at the seafront, the area is largely pedestrianised and then there is a pretty flat very lengthy promenade all the way to Arenal - or in the opposite direction towards Palma. However BEWARE there are very few dropped kerbs along its length - so you may find yourself re-tracing your route for hundreds of yards. Its camber in some parts also makes the push quite tough.

We did a day trip from the uk. Used the hotel facilities and weee extremely happy from start to finish. Hotel staff were amazing as was the food and lunch on the rooftop bar. We will definitely go back again.