The transformation of an historic Bournemouth hotel, making seaside holidays accessible to all.

Marsham Court Hotel in Bournemouth has invested upwards of £170k and counting to become a truly accessible destination after the owning family was inspired by their own experience with a loved one.

This historic hotel with stunning views across the bay from Old Harry Rocks to the West, and the Needles and Isle of Wight to the East, has been welcoming holidaymakers to Bournemouth’s East Cliff for more than a century.

But after the owning family nursed their mum Jennie through the later stages of her battle with cancer, they saw first-hand the true impact of limited mobility and embarked on a massive transformation project to make their hotel accessible.

Heralded as ‘trailblazing’ by judges at the Annual ‘Cateys’ Hospitality Awards in July where the hotel won the Accessibility Award 2022, Marsham Court has already made more than £170,000 of improvements, both adaptations and additions, and is working on more.

As well as installing a wheelchair lift and creating level access across the ground floor, the hotel now offers four accessible rooms, two of which have profiling beds and removable ceiling hoists, and one has a connecting room for a carer or family members.

Marsham Court is also the first hotel in the UK to have installed a ‘Changing Places’ toilet and shower, which is part of a national network of registered facilities with enough space and the right equipment to allow people who are limited in their mobility to use the toilet in safety and comfort.

The hotel’s facility is a large ground floor room equipped with a toilet and privacy screen, a ceiling hoist and height adjustable changing bench with shower, and a height adjustable sink. It’s not only open to hotel guests but also bookable for external visitors.

Another new addition is a sensory room with soft furnishings, an illuminated bubble tube, colour changing lights, and music, providing a safe, calm space where people with a wide variety of different requirements, including neurodiverse individuals and those with mental health needs, can relax and wind down.

A ramp down to the swimming pool and a new i-swim pool hoist and transfer board make this area fully accessible, and work is ongoing to continue level access across the final section of the broad sea-facing terraces.

Rosie Radwell, whose family have owned the Marsham Court Hotel for over 30 years, said:

“This has been a passion project for our family. After decades welcoming guests and always trying to meet the needs of people with disabilities, it was only when we saw first hand just how challenging life can be when you have limited mobility that we recognised how much more we could do to improve accessibility and open up the possibility of a seaside holiday to many more families.

“We are incredibly proud of our new facilities which are already making a difference to guests and the many local people who visit the hotel for work. We have actually been quite overwhelmed by the interest and the high demand, which goes to show just how vital these changes are and the level of unmet need out there.”

Great care has been put not only into providing the very best facilities to support people with additional needs, but also in thinking about guests’ experience of moving about the hotel. Detail included in the hotel's accessibility statement, published on its website, includes precise measurements of doors, transfer spaces and walkways, as well as details on flooring types, colour schemes and lighting.

Additionally trained staff are ready to field inquiries and anticipate the needs of disabled guests ahead of and during their stay.

Adds Rosie:

“There are so many families and individuals who want to be able to enjoy a holiday and make precious memories with their loved ones – but so few hotels are able to accommodate them properly.

“We are determined that when they come to Marsham Court Hotel they can really relax, knowing that we have thought about their comfort and needs across every area of the hotel, and in every aspect of their stay.”

The hotel was awarded a £70,000 match-funded, Bounce Bank grant by the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Borough Council, which it has more than doubled and is continuing to invest in improvements, including the creation of further accessible bedrooms.