Mandarin Oriental Boston
776 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199
Phone: 617-535-8888
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/boston/
My mom, friends and I were in Boston so we stopped at the new Mandarin Oriental to see if it is wheelchair accessible. Mandarin Oriental, a Luxury Hotel and Residence is located right next to the Prudential Center and Copley Place. Valet Parking is available at the main entry door of the Manadarin Oriental. The main entry has a revolving door and two side doors that are not automatic but there is always a Doorman who will open the door for you. The side entry door is wide enough to fit my wheelchair through.
The lobby is beautifully decorated with marble floors that are very easy to maneuver my wheelchair on. To the left is a comfortable sitting area with plush carpeting that is easy to wheel on and couches, chairs and tables right in front of a beautiful fireplace. The tables here are a perfect height for my wheelchair too. Many employees are standing around in the lobby waiting to assist you with all of your needs.
We approached the Front Desk, which I found too high for my wheelchair and explained to a nice employee who told us that he was an Assistant Manager that we were here to do a wheelchair accessibility review. We gave him our Traveling Wheelchair business card and asked if the hotel had any wheelchair accessible rooms. He told us that the hotel has EIGHT wheelchair accessible rooms. We then asked if we could see one of these rooms and were told ‘No - none are available for us to see’.
We then asked if he knew what accessible features the rooms have and asked if all eight wheelchair accessible rooms have roll-in-showers without lips. He told us that he wasn’t exactly sure of all the accessible features but he would ask his Manager.
The Assistant Manager was very courteous and asked us to sit in the side sitting area while he spoke with his manager. The Manager came out to speak with the Assisttant Manager but never came to speak to us. The Assistant Manager then asked us to write our name, email and telephone number and told us that Wayne, the Manager would call or email us with specific information regarding the wheelchair accessible rooms.
Before we left we did check out the restrooms that are located to the left of the service desk. They are luxurious! There is a large handicap stall with the ADA required safety bars located on the wall behind and on the side of the toilet. A beautiful accessible sink is located right inside the handicap stall and it is a perfect height for my wheelchair. The pipes under the accessible sink are not covered as is now ADA required so we addressed this with the Assistant Manager of the hotel and he assured us that they would be covered soon.
We never received a phone call or an email from Wayne, the Manager so we called the hotel the following day and asked to speak with a Manager. A woman came on the phone and told us that all EIGHT wheelchair accessible rooms are fully wheelchair accessible. She told us that all have roll-in-showers (with no lips) and wider doors and a lower wardrobe. We were also told that the hotel will install adaptive equipment that a visually or hearing impaired person needs!
I give the Mandarin Oriental in Boston FOUR STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the Fifth Star they would simply need to cover the exposed pipes under the accessible sink in the handicap stall and lower a section of the Front Desk so persons in wheelchairs can check in.
I surely can’t afford to stay in this luxurious hotel but I’m sure that some wheelchair bound persons in the world can.
January 14th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Kenny & Co readers,
Being out in the communities of the Commonwealth as volunteer Access Advocates occassionally you see something that has a positive affect on the segment of the population that we work so hard to validate & dignify. Kenny & Co has been doing this for quite sometime as is apparent by the many facility evaluations he has posted on his web site.
Today I received an email that shows how hard and without compromise four US Attorneys have been working for 3 years to enforce the cause and purpose of the ADA which dignifies and create inclusion for millions of individuals with disabilities that call America home. The following link can be found on The Dept. of Justice ADA home page;
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/January09/hoteladacivilcomplaintspr.pdf
Providing accessible parking, an accessible entrance, an accessible area for individuals with disabilities to book an accessible room are basic features that all Architects, contractors and planners need to have on thier minds as they plan for these multimillion dollar facilities.
Kudos to our US Attorneys office and the advocates that are out there pounding the pavement every day!
January 15th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Hi Scott, Thanks for sharing the story http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/January09/hoteladacivilcomplaintspr.pdf - It is very reassuring to know that the US Attorneys are fully enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act :) Kenny