the 5-foot turning radius required for a wheelchair. Built in 1902, the hotel’s elevator is just barely wide enough for a manual wheelchair.
We’re always scouting for properties that are wheelchair friendly and are delighted when we find the rare hotel that indulges our passion for the past and meets Barbara’s physical needs. Hotels that have undergone renovations in the last decade often have incorporated accessible design.
If you love history and are willing to make some compromises, there are many wonderful hotels that will transport you (and your wheelchair) to another era.
Here are three that we found to have good accessibility.
St. Louis, Mo. Union Station Marriott (314) 621-5262 www.marriott.com
Formerly a railroad terminal and looking like a castle, the Union Station Marriott is an accessible landmark hotel in St. Louis.
by Barbara & Jim Twardowski
Driving into downtown St. Louis, it’s easy to spot the St. Louis Union Station Marriott (formerly the Hyatt Regency St. Louis). What was once the world’s largest and busiest railroad terminal looks like a castle. One of the most popular attractions in the city, Union Station has barrel-vaulted ceilings that soar 65 feet with Tiffany stained glass accents. The lobby originally was the passenger wait-
Our love affair with historic hotels began on our honeymoon.
We spent four wonderful days walking through the New Orleans French Quarter where we admired the architecture, listened to jazz, and dined in world-famous restaurants. Each night, we returned to the Bienville House Hotel with its tropical courtyard, wrought iron balconies and Southern charm.
Over the years, our attraction to properties with character has never waned. But, as Barbara’s neuromuscular disease
has progressed and she has come to rely on a power chair, staying in a historic hotel has become a challenge — many of them do not have accessible rooms. Often, it is impossible for a property to accommodate wheelchairs and doing so would destroy their historic integrity. For example, at the landmark Algonquin Hotel in New York City, the guest bathrooms are small and cannot provide
Arched stained glass windows grace the Marriott’s interior.
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