In December of 2020 and in April of 2021, we stayed at the Staybridge Inn on the east side of Madison. The suite had a separate living area, bedroom and bathroom.
The living area was similar to the picture shown below from the hotel’s website. It was a comfortable and practical space we especially appreciated when family came to visit us there. It had a very homey feel.
The kitchen area had a stove, oven, dishwasher, and a full-sized refrigerator, plus plates, bowls, silverware and pots and pans – everything you might need. A burner on the stove wasn’t working.
The bedroom looked similar to this website picture:
The heavy chair on the side of the bed had to be moved by Mr Legs so my wheelchair could fit next to the bed. The nightstands and lampshades posed a challenge for getting my chair back far enough to transfer in and out of the bed. The space from the foot of the bed to the bathroom was a tight fit for my wheelchair to maneuver through; but I managed it. The big windows in the rooms were appreciated.
The pocket door (instead of a traditional door that gets in the way) was a great feature that gets a thumbs up from us. This one happened to be off it’s track when we arrived, but Mr. Legs fixed it.
This is the picture of the bathroom that I took.
The sink was pretty but not practical. Surprisingly, it didn’t provide much more access to the sink than a traditional inset sink on a vanity. The base made it difficult to roll up to it. The little shelf next to the sink was not sufficient for both of our toiletry bags. The mirror above the sink was placed too high for me to easily use. There was a full-length mirror in the bedroom, but it’s placement in the room meant it was blocked if the door to the living area was open.
I’ve seen many of these hotel showers where the shower seat is too far away from shower controls to allow for independent showering. However, the sliding bar and long hose did reach the seat, making showering with help possible. The box for towels was trendy, but my wheelchair hit it more than once when I backed away from the sink.
See that nice soap dispenser below (added later)? It prevents the shower seat from being lifted up. When the seats are down, water splashes off of them which can be unpleasant for those who shower in a standing position.
The two long grab bars at the toilet were more than sufficient and there was plenty of room on the side of the toilet to maneuver a wheelchair. The toilet seat itself is one that slopes inward, which makes balancing on it difficult for someone without full body control.
At one point during our stay, the hotel elevator was stuck and inoperable, so my wheelchair and I weren’t able to get to our room on the second floor before going out. When we notified the front desk, staff called for maintenance right away. The desk clerk said there was a ramp at the end of the building, but our time was limited. By the time we returned, the elevator had been repaired.
The hotel’s variety of breakfast options was impressive and the design of the area allowed free flowing traffic. The comfortable breakfast/gathering area and the exceptional large outdoor courtyard were features we enjoyed a great deal. The décor at this hotel was very pleasing. There were some minor inconveniences, but we had a great stay at this wonderful place. We did return, and will stay there again whenever we are in the area.
Climbing Downhill 