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Last updated: 06/04/20

Introduction:

House of Fisher welcomes people with disabilities and has developed this Accessibility Guide to address some of the more common issues whilst staying in a serviced apartment.

Due to the nature of the UK fire evacuation process, we only recommend our aparthotel at 100 Kings Road in Reading with a dedicated 24hrs Reception, as disabled friendly. Please note we can only accept bookings of individuals needing assistance down sets of stairs if they are accompanied by a companion who is able to assist with an Evacuation Chair (provided by HOF).

100 Kings Road is a 2013 office conversion of a 1960s office block that is now an aparthotel. The development offers 50 serviced apartments over five floors, comprising of 3x 3beds, 12x 2beds, 22x 1beds (with one accessible unit) and 13x studio apartments, furnished to the highest specification. The property is one building with two lifts. Note in the event of an evacuation only stairs can be used (Evacuation Chair available).

All apartments have their own fully-fitted kitchen, with seating/lounge areas offering around 30% more space than a standard hotel room. All apartments are equipped with air-conditioning.

We aim to provide the highest standards of service to all our guests and encourage this through our company culture and detailed staff training.

We look forward to welcoming you to 100 Kings Road and making your stay an enjoyable one.

Pre- arrival:

  • For assistance prior to your arrival please contact the Reservations team on: Email: reservations@houseoffisher.com / Tel: 01189 51 41 51 / www.houseoffisher.com
  • For 24hrs assistance at the property, please call our Guest Services team on Tel: 0118 402 5940
  • We have access to information regarding local equipment hirers, which are available on request.
  • On request we are able to offer our welcome / confirmation letters and other documents in a larger font.

Transport & Car park facilities:

  • Parking is available on site, subject to availability and charge. Parking is reserved at the time of making the booking, but all spaces are unallocated, though one is marked for accessible use. There are 13 spaces in total. It is a short walk from the parking area to the front entrance, all paved.
  • Reading train station is one mile from 100 Kings Road. There is step-free access from the station out to the road. A large number of busses run between the station and Kings Road, taking approximately 10 minutes
  • Local public transport numbers: Reading buses Tel: 0118 959 4000 / www.reading-buses.co.uk Train: National Rail Tel: 0845 7 48 49 50 / www.nationalrail.co.uk
  • Local accessible taxi number: Berkshire cars Tel: 01189 500 400

Main entrance & Reception:

  • The building has one main entrance, which has electric doors activated by an access card or the front desk. There is a buzzer on the front door to alert the staff.
  • If you need assistance with luggage/equipment or guidance, or any other requirements, then contact our 24hrs Guest Services team.
  • There are stairs or a ramp up to the front door, all paved, with handrails. The entire area is well lit 24hrs a day.
  • The Reception area is very spacious with a tiled floor with no steps, and equipped with an accessible toilet.
  • The Reception desk is at the highest level 124cm high and 73cm at the lowest. We have clipboards available for any paperwork, however most of our paperwork is communicated via email.
  • Upon arrival we will go through a PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) questionnaire and evacuation process.
  • The two lifts are right inside the main entrance, only one goes all the way to the 5th floor.
  • There is a good mobile/Wifi network coverage from all network providers in the building

Getting from Reception to your apartment:

  • Lift: The lifts are 2m from the reception desk. The lift doors are 90cm wide and the interior is 138cm by 1110cm. The lift has visual and audio floor indicators and a call switch plus an alarm button for emergencies (with direct voice contact to the lift company).
  • Stairs: There is a central staircase from the ground to the 1st floor. And there are two staircases from the 1st to the 4th/5th floors on either side of the building. There is an additional fire escape staircase at the back of the building. Note in the event of a fire, the evacuation is via these staircases.
  • The staircase is 110cm wide and the steps 110cm wide. The lights are continuously on.
  • Apartment numbers starting with a 1 are located on the 1st floor, 2 for the 2nd floor, etc. Each apartment is in numerical order and accessed by an electronic key card.
  • The corridors are 131cm wide and the apartment doors 91cm wide. The lights are activated by sensor.

The apartments:

  • The doors to the apartments are solid wood, therefore quite heavy.
  • The lock is electric and operated by a key card. This key card also operates the lights via a key card holder right beside the door.
  • All internal doors have a minimum width of 91cm. The apartment is fitted with smoke and heat detectors. The fire alarms will sound but do not have any visual indication (except for our special accessible unit). On request, we can issue vibrating pillows. The apartment doors will withstand a fire for up to 30 minutes. In case of a fire you should evacuate as per instructions.
  • The kitchen is modern in design with open plan to the lounge, containing microwave, oven, toaster, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and washing machine (all standard sizes). The kitchen worktops are 91cm high. All the equipment is electric. The flooring is wood laminate and contrasts well to the white kitchen units. Kitchen is well lit with various lights and bright windows.
  • Lounge/Dining Area is open plan (with the kitchen). All the furniture is moveable. The flooring is wood laminate with a loose rug under the coffee table. The windows are fully glazed, with a handle to open and manually operated blinds.
  • A standard bedroom has moveable furniture – one king size bed. The floor is wood laminate.
  • A standard bathroom has either a shower cubicle or a shower above a bathtub, along with toilet and sink.

Accessible Apartment:

  • We have one unit that is adapted for wheelchair users; it has wide doorways and an adapted bathroom.
  • Located on the 2nd floor
  • Wide entrance door: 91cm
  • Low level switches
  • Height of the bed: 60cm
  • Emergency cord is fitted in the bathroom and telephone next to the bed
  • Visual fire alarm
  • Wet room with roll-in shower with grab rails throughout. Fixed shower stool and non-slip flooring
  • Grab rails on both sides of the toilet.
  • Height of the sink is 65cm
  • The shower room connects the entrance hall and the bedroom on the right of the apartment. There is a hinged door which is 91cm wide. There is a shower unit with fixed head. The manual tap is at 98cm high. Free space in bathroom (free of doors and furniture) is 223cm x 240cm. Toilet seat height is 47cm. There is 35cm space to the right of the toilet and 17cm to the left of the toilet as you look at it. The flooring is solid and non-slip in a dark colour. Good colour contrast between floor (grey) and walls (white). The space under the washbasin is free (no pipes or vanity unit)
  • All the furniture is moveable.
  • TV can be set up with subtitles

Laundry service:

  • Each apartment has a washing machine/dryer
  • External Laundry and dry cleaning service can be organised by our Guest Services team, please allow 48hrs notice (note this is chargeable)

Public areas:

  • Guest Lounge: Located on the 1st floor, right by lift and stairs. We offer comfortable seating (sofas and armchairs), coffee tables, kitchenette, large TV and library of books. Lights continuously on and air conditioning or heating available. Area is carpeted.
  • Terrace: Our public terrace is located on the 3rd floor, a short walk from the lift. There is a step up and down from the door, which is accessed by a keypad lock and turn handle. There are two large wooden picnic tables with attached benches.
  • Buzz gym: Not part of House of Fisher but located on the ground floor. Fully equipped gym (membership is chargeable), visit www.buzzgym.co.uk for more information.
  • Toilets: One located by the Guest Lounge on the 1st floor and one on the ground floor by the Reception. Both are adapted for accessible use with handrails and non-slip flooring, and installed with an emergency alarm (pull cord).
  • •The main refuse area is located in the under-croft by the car park, but further assistance can be provided by our Housekeeping team if needed.

Shops/restaurants, etc:

  • Not available on site, however there are numerous shops, restaurants and food outlets along Kings Road and throughout central Reading. We offer a few welcome amenities in the apartment but can also organise groceries prior to arrival (note 48hrs notice to be given, and this is chargeable).

Additional Information:

  • The apartment comes with a detailed information folder.
  • The building is non-smoking throughout.
  • No pets, we are afraid this includes service dogs due to our building lease agreement. We accept pets at our Stanshawe Court property in Central Reading.
  • Vibrating pillows available on request
  • Local equipment hire: Mobility Equipment Hire Direct Ltd / Email: sales@mobilityequipmenthiredirect.com
  • Local care: Berkshire Carers Service Tel: 0118 960 7030

Evacuation procedure:

  • We have a set evacuation procedure. In the event of a fire or emergency, the alarm will sound continuously. Everyone must make their own way out to the fire assembly point, out the front door to the left of the building. Note the lift will stop working when the alarm sounds and the escape route is via the stairs..

Contact us:

Email: guestservices@houseoffisher.com
Phone: 0118 402 5940
Web: www.houseoffisher.com
Opening hours: 24hrs

We’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible in our Accessibility Guide however if we have overlooked something, please do let us know – we welcome any feedback and aim to continuously improve our services.