Hotel Artos Interlaken
When planning this trip, every hotel in Interlaken I emailed regarding wheelchair accessibility replied with, “Artos is what you need.” Who am I to argue?
The hotel is located at “Artos Zentrum” – a complex with a wellness center, care and day meeting center for the elderly, and assistive living accommodations. The entire complex is wheelchair-accessible. The rooms are simple but accessible and comfortable.
One accessibility failure was the mounted shower bench that was too small for any adult, let alone someone with poor balance like me. Here’s where being close to the assistive living center came in handy. As soon as I told the receptionist about it, she arranged for a plastic shower chair instead. Another accessibility inconvenience was the balcony exit which wasn’t flat—such a shame not to be able to enjoy the spectacular mountain views.
The location is convenient, 10 min walk to Interlaken-Ost train station, the Harder Kulm funicular, and Lake Brienz boat docks and 15 min walk to Interlaken-West train station, city center, and Lake Thun boat docks. If you can’t or don’t feel like walking, there’s a bus stop right in front of the hotel to both train stations.
Considering that the hotel prices in Interlaken are very high and barrier-free rooms aren’t easy to find, this was a good, middle-range option for us.
To the hotel’s website.
Ibis budget, Luzern City
This one was a bit disappointing.
It’s functional but basic and lacks charm, coziness, or character. The room was clean but dated, and the rest of the hotel was poorly maintained.
Regarding wheelchair accessibility, it’s manageable but far from perfect. I’ll explain: the ramp at the entrance is very steep, and I am not sure if manual wheelchair users will find it easy to ascend. The wheelchair-accessible room is spacious (ours was for four people), the height of the bed is good, and the space under the bed allows the use of a hoist. The bathroom is spacious, equipped with grab bars in the shower and next to the toilet and roll-under sink. The shower chair was old and unstable, the door was too heavy for me, and there was a small step when entering. Also, it’s made of plastic (walls, floor, ceiling) which is very weird; the entire space looks old and worn out
The reception counter isn’t wheelchair-accessible, and the breakfast area is hard to maneuver when crowded. The breakfast buffet was good for the price, but if you’re lactose intolerant, bring your milk alternatives with you.
The best things about this hotel are the price and location—only a ten-minute walk from Old Town Lucerne and the train station. If you are traveling on a budget, it’s a decent choice. If you can afford a more expensive hotel, go for it.
To the hotel website.
Hotel St. Josef, Zurich
This charming boutique hotel in Zurich Old Town was a massive upgrade from Lucern, but not without accessibility failures.
Here, the design is gorgeous, with clean and cozy rooms and lovely staff. The accessibility, however, needs improvement.
The main hotel entrance has steps, so we rolled on cobblestones to a restaurant side entrance. Here, the entrance wasn’t barrier-free either, with a small step I needed help with. The reception desk isn’t lowered, and the elevator is small but manageable.
The room was spacious but a little tight at the bedsides. We moved the bed to one side to allow easier access. The bathroom was very well equipped with everything accessibility-related but small.
The breakfast area was great, with many breakfast choices and welcoming staff.
What left the biggest positive impression was the genuine care of the hotel staff. At check-out, the manager asked for my accessibility impressions and explained that the hotel is undergoing renovation and they want to improve accessibility as much as possible.
The hotel location is perfect, although you have to roll up a steep ramp to get there. A 7-minute walk from the train station and the Limmat, at the center of the Old Town and close to the main tourist attractions.
If you are a manual/lightweight wheelchair user, it’s a good choice. For electric wheelchair-users, that entrance step might be a problem.
To the hotel website.