An honest access guide to The Fig Tree: wet rooms, the lift, and assistance dogs in Shanklin

By Wendy Sneddon

If you have ever searched for accessible hotels, or disabled friendly hotels, you know how it goes. A listing says accessible. You ring up. It turns out to mean a ramp at the front door and nothing behind it. Plenty of people give up on accessible holidays in the UK for exactly that reason, and that is a poor reason to stay at home.

So this is the opposite kind of page. My sister Karen and I run The Fig Tree, a 23-room hotel on Queen’s Road in Shanklin, and what follows is a plain account of what we can offer a disabled guest, what we do not know yet, and what to ask before you part with any money. Our line is “Arrive as guests, leave as friends”, and friends get told the truth first.

Every room has an en-suite wet room

This is the fact we lead with, because it is the one that changes a stay.

Every room type at The Fig Tree has an en-suite wet room with a heated towel rail. Not a select few, and not the ones at the end of a corridor with a view of the bins. The Bijou Double, the Standard, the Executive, the Suites with Balcony and the Honeymoon Suite all have one. A wet room means the shower drains through the floor rather than sitting in a tray with a lip to climb over, which for many people is the difference between washing independently and not.

We are careful with our words here. We will not quote door widths, turning circles, rail positions or shower seat provision on a web page, because those numbers matter far too much to guess at. If one of them decides your trip, telephone 01983 241 010. You can see the full range on our rooms page first.

What does step-free access mean at The Fig Tree?

Two specific things, which we will name rather than hide behind the word. There is step-free access from the front door, so you are not being lifted, bumped or apologised at on the way in. And there is a lift to all floors, so no part of the hotel is fenced off by a staircase. We also have dedicated accessible rooms.

What we will not print here is how many of those rooms there are, or which floor they sit on, because we would rather confirm it for your actual dates than publish a number that is unavailable the week you want to come.

Are assistance dogs welcome at The Fig Tree?

Yes. Throughout, always, and without a conversation about it.

Under the Equality Act 2010 an assistance dog is not a pet, and we treat it that way. Your assistance dog is welcome anywhere in the hotel that you are welcome. You do not need to prove anything, produce paperwork or ask our permission before you book. There is no fee, and there is never going to be one.

We would like you to tell us in advance, but only so we can have a bowl of water and a quiet corner ready and the person on reception greets you properly rather than blinking at you. That is a courtesy, not a condition. Turn up with no warning at all and you and your dog still come in.

Why an assistance dog is not a pet dog

We keep the two policies separate, because guests who rely on an assistance dog are tired of being quoted a pet rate.

We do also welcome pet dogs. Small, well-behaved dogs stay in selected rooms at £30 per pet per stay, and there is a whole piece about bringing your dog to Shanklin if that is you. None of it applies to an assistance dog. Different rule, different rooms, and no charge. If anyone on our team ever gets that wrong, tell us and we will put it right on the spot.

Travelling with a partner, a friend or a carer

Our suites have a super king bed which can be split into a twin if required, worth knowing if you travel with someone who supports you and would rather not share a bed. Tell us when you book and it will be made up that way. The suites also have double doors onto a balcony with seating and sea views, a real pleasure if getting out takes more effort for you than for other people. Larger rooms and balcony suites sleep up to three.

Every room has tea and coffee making facilities, a smart TV, free high-speed Wi-Fi, a hairdryer, an iron and ironing board, a safe, USB sockets and complimentary toiletries.

What we cannot promise you yet

An access statement that claims everything is worth nothing. So here is the frank part.

We are not going to publish a list of equipment we can lay on, because we would rather answer that properly for your dates than in general. If you need a hoist, a mobility scooter, a shower seat or anything else brought in, tell us what you need when you enquire and we will tell you plainly what we can arrange, what an island hire firm would need to bring, and what will and will not fit in the room you are looking at.

We are not publishing measurements. Door widths, turning circles, grab rail positions, shower seat provision, bed heights, hearing loops and parking bay dimensions are all things we would rather confirm by telephone than approximate in public.

We have no carer policy in print. If you want to know how we would handle a second person or a second room, ask, and we will tell you what we can do for your dates.

Please ring before you book if any of this is load-bearing for your trip: 01983 241 010, or [email protected]. We would rather tell someone the truth before they book than disappoint them at the front desk.

How easy is Shanklin for a wheelchair user?

Here is the honest geography, which is the detail this reader actually needs.

We are on Queen’s Road, about five minutes on foot from the Esplanade and the beach. That five minutes is downhill on the way there, so it is uphill on the way back, and no amount of cheerful copywriting changes that. If you are self-propelling, pushing someone, or managing a powered chair on a low battery, plan the return leg before you set off.

We will not list which shops, cafes or seafront attractions are wheelchair friendly on the Isle of Wight, because we have not surveyed them and will not send you somewhere we have not checked. We will tell you what we know on the day and ring ahead where it helps.

Which crossing works best if you are travelling with equipment?

Three routes serve the island, and the right one depends on how much you are bringing and how far you want to drive at each end. This is where a lot of disabled holidays in the UK come unstuck, so it is worth planning.

• Red Funnel, Southampton to East Cowes: 60 minutes on the car ferry, or 23 minutes on the Red Jet as a foot passenger, then about 35 minutes to Shanklin.
• Wightlink, Portsmouth to Fishbourne: 45 minutes, with about 22 sailings daily, then about 25 minutes to us.
• Wightlink, Lymington to Yarmouth: 40 minutes, then about 40 minutes across the island.

Each operator sets its own arrangements for assistance and boarding, so book with them directly and say what you need. We can arrange discounted crossings for guests booking direct, so ask before you buy a ticket.

There is free onsite parking here, and the nearest public EV charging point is on Queen’s Road. Check-in is from 3pm, check-out by 11am, and we can store luggage either side. Bring photo ID and a payment card. Our frequently asked questions cover the rest, including flexible rates that cancel free up to 48 hours before arrival.

Breakfast, the bar and the rest of the day

Breakfast is included in every room rate. We do not serve dinner, and we say so early because it matters more to some guests than others: if going out in the evening takes planning for you, you need to know now that the evening meal is in Shanklin Old Village or along the seafront. We have a lounge bar, and afternoon tea with 24 hours notice, which for many guests is the easier way to have something lovely without going anywhere: there is more in our piece on afternoon tea on the Isle of Wight.

What should you ask us before you book?

Ring us and ask anything on this list, and anything of your own we have not thought of.

• What is genuinely available in an accessible room for your dates
• Any measurement that matters to you, from door widths to bed height
• How the wet room is laid out in the room type you are considering
• What we can and cannot do for a companion or a carer
• Whether the route from the car to your room will suit you

When you are ready, book direct and add a note about your access needs, or telephone 01983 241 010. Booking direct gets you the best rate and the ferry discount, and it means the note about your room reaches the person who makes the bed rather than a third-party inbox.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have accessible rooms? Yes, we have dedicated accessible rooms, and every room type has an en-suite wet room with a heated towel rail. We confirm what is available for your dates by telephone rather than publishing a room count.

Is there a lift, and is the entrance step-free? Yes to both. There is a lift to all floors and step-free access from the front door.

Are assistance dogs welcome, and do you charge for them? Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the hotel and are never charged. An assistance dog is not a pet under the Equality Act 2010, so the pet fee does not apply and you need neither our permission nor any paperwork.

Can I arrange a mobility scooter or a hoist for my stay? Tell us what you need when you enquire. We will tell you honestly what we can arrange, what would have to come from an island hire firm, and whether it will fit the room you are considering. We would rather work that out with you before you book than leave you to guess.

Do you serve dinner? No. Breakfast is included in all room rates and we have a lounge bar, but the evening meal is in Shanklin Old Village or along the seafront.

How far is the beach, and is the walk flat? About five minutes on foot to the Esplanade, downhill on the way there and uphill on the way back. Please plan the return leg.