ACCESSIBILITY GUIDE
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We would like to make The 25 a pleasurable and comfortable place to stay for as many people as possible regardless of their individual needs. The following information on our facilities should help you book The 25 with confidence but we welcome any questions you might have.
We are much more able to help you if we know in advance of booking / arrival anything you might need. If The 25 is unsuitable for you, this also gives us the opportunity to help you find somewhere more suitable with our extensive knowledge and links with other accommodation providers in the area.
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We have attended a Welcome All training course to help assist us with our knowledge.
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If you're viewing this document on an iPhone. you can press AA in the top left corner which gives you the option to show the reader view and will make the text larger and clearer for you.
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Pre-arrival:
On a PC, our website can be viewed in larger text by pressing "Ctrl" and "+" together. To return to regular size, press "Ctrl" and "-". ("Cmd" button on a Mac computer).
Our website has the "tab" function to take you through our menu, highlighting each of the pages in turn which we are advised is helpful to the partially sighted.
Please note that should you wish to walk into town, although the walk is fairly flat, there are many larger hills once exploring the rest of Torbay. It is approximately a twenty minute walk to the very centre of Torquay. There are benches on route.
Two train stations are close by – Torre and Torquay stations are around half a mile from The 25. Taxis are in plentiful supply.
Torbay Taxis - 01803 211 611 Torbay Cab Company - 01803 292 292
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Public transport is very good in the area and it's easy to get about using a taxi, bus, ferry, land train or regular train.
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Our nearest bus stop is about a twelve minute walk away (half a mile). Ferries can be caught in Torquay harbour a mile away. The land train (when running) can be caught at Torre Abbey less than ten minute walk from The 25.
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It is possible to hire an electric mobility scooter locally and have delivered to us ahead of your arrival. We can store this indoors for you. Please let us know if you plan to hire one. www.easyscoot.org.uk
Please let us know when you book if you have any special or dietary requirements. We are much more able to help if we know in advance. If The 25 is unsuitable for you, this also gives us the opportunity to help you find somewhere more suitable. As standard we can provide gluten free, vegetarian and vegan alternatives to most items but a little notice is always appreciated.
Please note that the building can only be accessed via steps, as we have no lift or ramp, therefore The 25 is unsuitable for those fully dependent on a wheelchair. There is a handrail alongside the steps and they are well lit at night. The rail does vary slightly in height from step to step as the steps were amended at some point since the rail was installed. Should you rely on a wheelchair, we are happy to recommend Haytor Hotel in Torquay who also offer high quality accommodation, is fully wheelchair accessible and has a specially adapted bedroom on the ground floor. Alternately, there is also Seabreeze B&B in Babbacombe who also have a ground floor bedroom with wet room and wide doorways.
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Our building is laid out on three floors - level with the car park is the breakfast room (known as the lower ground floor), up one flight of internal stairs or the external stairs is the ground floor housing reception, the drawing room and Shoalstone Suite. Up another flight of stairs is the first floor containing the other four bedrooms.
Only one bedroom (Shoalstone Suite) is located on the ground floor (same floor as reception) (though this is up 14 steps of 19cm high to the front door). All other bedrooms are up one flight of stairs (16 steps each 17cm high) on the first floor, plus an extra two steps on the corridor. We do not have a lift. There is a handrail alongside the stairs.
Breakfast is served on the lower ground floor which is down a flight of stairs (15 steps each 17cm high) (from the reception level to the car park / lower ground floor level). This also has a handrail.
Arriving:
Our tarmacked car park is right outside the front of the building, however, there are fourteen steps up from the car park to the reception entrance door. There is a hand rail alongside the steps.
If we have not noticed you arriving, please feel free to leave your bags in the car and we will come out to help you with these on request. Help is always pro-actively offered to carry your luggage to your room. Just ask and we'll help you back to the car with your luggage when you check out. As you can see from the photo above, none of the spaces on the car park are very far from the bottom of the steps so you are welcome to park in any space.
Check in / Reception:
We are happy to accept service or working dogs by prior arrangement.
Our reception is both well lit and has good natural lighting. There is a leather sofa (45cm high) and two chairs with arms (43cm high) in the reception area. Check in itself is usually a quick process (though we often get chatting!). There is usually no further paperwork on check in as long as you have booked on line on our own website.
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The floor in reception is laminate, with a fixed carpet doormat at the entrance. All other corridors, stairs, reception rooms and bedrooms have short pile carpets.
A pen and paper are available at reception should you or we need to write anything down if guests have any hearing difficulties. A pen and paper are provided in every bedroom. Andy has a basic understanding of the deaf alphabet / sign language.
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We have one public toilet which is on the lower ground floor and accessed from the breakfast room.
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All corridors and stairs have artificial light with little natural light. Overhead lighting is switched off between 10pm and 7am when only lamps and strip mood lighting light the corridors.
Bathrooms:
All bedrooms are en-suite with a shower apart from two – which have a separate bath as well as a shower. Please let us know if you have a preference.
One shower has a step of 12cm from the floor into the shower tray (Oddicombe), four are 4cm (Shoalstone, Watcombe, Torre & Broadsands). Full descriptions and photos of each room and bathroom are available on the "Fabulous Rooms" page. You'll also find a useful comparison chart (not available if viewing our website via a mobile). If you prefer, give us a call and we can talk through the most suitable bedroom for you.
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Every bathroom has an anti-slip vinyl floor covering which is warm and comfortable underfoot.
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Grab rails are not fitted as standard but we have a suction grab handle which can be fitted in some of the bathrooms dependent on tile type. Please ask us for advice before booking a specific room.
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A rubber bath/shower mat is provided in each bathroom.
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All sink taps are lever operated. Shower controls are easy to operate. Watcombe has a touch button digital shower rather than manual knobs. Three have easy to hold square knobs (Shoalstone, Torre and Broadsands). Oddicombe is also fitted with easy turn knobs.
Bedrooms:
Four rooms have super king (6' / 180cm wide) beds. Oddicombe has a king size (5' / 150cm).
Each television has a remote control and digital subtitles. An audio description and subtitles in alternate languages are often also available, particularly on Netflix programs. Televisions range from 43" to 50" screens.
All bedrooms are non-smoking.
Allergy free bedding and pillows are supplied as standard in all rooms, though we have feather pillows available on request. Should you prefer a firmer or alternate pillow, we have several other options including memory foam and are happy to swap them for you. Beds can be made up with sheets and blankets on request.
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The air conditioning units in the Watcombe and Shoalstone Suites have an air purification system which reduces pollen to help hay fever and allergy sufferers.
All corridors and bedrooms are well lit and bedrooms have a range of adjustable task lighting in all areas. Each bedroom contains a 5x magnifying mirror and luggage rack.
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All bedrooms have a fridge suitable for storing medication.
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For multi-generational groups, we have two suites with their own separate lounge ideal for congregating.
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We may be able to move some furniture to improve accessibility.
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Sockets and light switches are set at convenient heights.
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All bedrooms have light switches next to the bed for convenience. All bedrooms also have an Amazon Echo so that if you wish, you can also control the lighting, TV and air conditioning by voice control.
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Every bedroom has lighting which can be dimmed for those with light sensitivity issues Three bathrooms have dimmable lighting too (Oddicombe, Watcombe and Shoalstone). Oddicombe and Torre have natural lighting from windows aswell. All rooms have black out curtains. Most also have pelmets to reduce light seepage.
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Guest Information Folders are available in larger print on request.
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Please note that there are no bedrooms are on the lower ground floor (car park and dining room level) and bedrooms can only be accessed via two sets of stairs (one set to the front door and one internal staircase). Breakfast is down an additional flight of stairs. The Shoalstone Suite is the only bedroom on the same level as reception (via front steps and down one set of stairs to breakfast).
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Dogs:
Dogs are not allowed (except service dogs). We no longer have any pets on site, our little dog Patsy (below) died in 2022. Service dogs can be provided with bowls for food and water along with a towel to dry muddy paws. There is a grass verge immediately outside our car park entrance, and a nearby park 1/4 of a mile away.
Miscellaneous:
Complimentary ultra-fast Wi-fi is available in all rooms and reception areas.
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The mobile signal is generally good for all major networks, but better at the front of the building, such as in the Drawing Room.
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Although as a leading boutique B&B we have various pieces of technology, each item has been thought about carefully before purchase to ensure it is easy to use and operate. Remote controls are clear, showers are easy to use, lighting is simple to operate. In addition, clear instructions are included in our Guest Information folder, given on check in, and we're usually about to answer any questions you might have.
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The drawing room has an easy chair and two sofas all with arms and a seat height of 45cm.
The entire building has central heating and each radiator is thermostatically controlled with clear numbers for ease of use. Additional heaters and fans or air conditioning are available in each room, as are sheets and blankets so you can always be the perfect temperature. Each bathroom also has independent, thermostatically controlled heating. Thinner, thicker, or feather bedding is also available. Every bedroom has at least one opening window.
​Breakfast:
As mentioned, breakfast is served down on the lower ground floor. Our 46cm high dining chairs do not have arms but a chair with arms can be provided on request. The room has good natural day light and a carpeted floor including the stairs.
The breakfast menu can be verbally presented or printed in larger font if required. The breakfast room lighting is good with both overhead and wall lighting.
A public toilet is available on this floor.
The breakfast is a self-service cold buffet (for which we can provide assistance), and waiter service for hot drinks and other food items from the menu.
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Various gluten free, vegan and vegetarian buffet and hot options are available as standard. GF bread is toasted separately. A list of allergens is available. We are happy to discuss your specific requirements. If we know ahead of time, we are also able to offer GF options for our daily bedroom treats which will be clearly labelled. Soya and skimmed milk is usually available in addition to semi-skimmed. Various healthy options are included in our breakfast menu too. Our regular sausages are GF so every item on our full breakfast is now GF. If you join our VIP Guest List for a complimentary minibar, we can supply GF beer too.
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Flowers:
As a five star establishment, our official grading status means we're expected to provide fresh flowers though out the house. These generally include a vase in the Drawing Room, a small vase of flowers in each bedroom, perhaps a vase or two along the corridors or in reception, and a vase on each breakfast table. Whilst we are unable to remove every flower from the building as this would affect everyone else's stay, we are happy to remove any flowers from your bedroom on request. We are happy to serve your welcome drinks to your bedroom rather than our Drawing Room or sun terrace if you prefer. We have stopped using lilys in our displays.
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Noise:
The front of the building is located on a fairly busy main road. The Broadsands Room, and the lounges of the Shoalstone and Watcombe Suites face the road, as does the Drawing Room. However, there's double glazing throughout. The Drawing Room may have peaceful piano background music playing, and it's usually a quiet space to relax in. We only have five bedrooms so the maximum number of guests in the building will be ten. We have unobtrusive background music in the dining room to avoid a "doctor's waiting room" feel. Torre and Oddicombe both face the side of the building, with Oddicombe being the furthest from the road. The road is generally very quiet overnight. We are located in a town so some associated noises may be present at times such as an ambulance or a lorry going past. Bins are emptied early on a Monday morning. Ear plugs are supplied if required. Shoalstone has Watcombe Suite situated directly above it but sound proofing is installed between them.
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Outside:
A smoking area and ashtray are provided outside on the terrace area which is a combination of slabs and AstroTurf and has garden furniture with arms.
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Emergency:
In the event of an emergency, we have a monitored fire alarm, and an emergency lighting system throughout the building.
We are available in an emergency 24 hours a day via a bell in reception or our mobile phone numbers and live on site, however, we are not always on site 24 hours a day.
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Should you require assistance to advise you in the unlikely event of an emergency taking place, or to help you evacuate the building, please discuss this with us prior to, or on arrival, and we can discuss the options available.
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Details of a local dentist, doctor, chemist etc are available from us, and our hospital and A&E are only a mile away. A Boots Chemist is located 1.5 miles away and open until midnight 7 days a week. Should you forget to pack your medication, a prescription can be organised out of hours by calling 111.
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General:
Blue badge and disabled parking spaces are available across the English Riviera. You are advised to contact Torbay Council at www.torbay.gov.uk for further information. Parking Services telephone number is 01803 207695. The iPad in each room includes details of local public transport which is very good in our area.
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Once checked in, you will be given access to both the front door and your bedroom via an electronic key fob which is very easy to use and avoids the use of awkward keys or codes.
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Welcoming:
We have created a B&B where everyone is welcome, feels safe and has a great stay. As a gay couple ourselves, we have experienced hostility and not feeling welcome in someone's home or business. We extend our warm welcome to as many people as possible.
Questions:
Should you have any questions, need any further information, or have any special requests, please do not hesitate to give Andy or Julian a call on 01803 297517 or email stay@the25.uk
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