Elite Athlete Hotel

We covered this amazing hotel last year (TAKE A LOOK)

Since then the hotel has been visited by lots of different sports individuals (see videos below) and teams – most recently the England women’s cricket team who stayed ahead of the T20 Women’s World Cup in Australia.

 
Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel
 

This photo is of the Astroturf sofa in the players’ lounge that looks straight out over the Paula Radcliffe Stadium.

As we covered in our last article, this hotel is an incredible option for athletes who want to compete at the highest level...to sleep as if at Everest basecamp which is a very high level! The hotel was part funded by Sport England and athletes were consulted. There are 44 bedrooms. 20 can be set at altitude and 8 are accessible. The altitude can be set in the morning as you leave to train so that it’s all ready for your return.

To help you keep fit, if you are stuck at home at the moment, the EAH has been involved in devising a hotel room workout. No equipment is needed so why not give it a try whilst at home this Easter?

 
 

The hotel has also been assisting with a sleep study for people with spinal cord injuries.

 
 
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Accessibility

The Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel is proud to be fully accessible to all para-athlete guests. Para sport is a huge part of Loughborough University and every area of this hotel is designed to be fully accessible and all bedrooms have large door frames to accommodate wheelchairs.

Below, the hotel has listed their facilities. It’s a positive, forward thinking environment to spend time in for all guests and the food is delicious!

Reception

  • Our reception desk has a lowered section at wheelchair height

  • We have a seating area in the main reception

  • The reception area has a hard, slip-resistant floor

Bedrooms

  • We have 8 accessible bedrooms out of a total of 44

  • All of which have level entry showers and wet room - no baths

  • All of our accessible rooms have adjoining doors to another bedroom for guests who need to have their carer nearby

  • All 8 rooms have alarms/pull cords for use in case of emergency.

  • All 8 rooms have 'big button' hands-free phones. These phones have speech amplification and are hearing aid compatible

  • On request, we can provide a list of hire services for hoists/bed blocks

  • All bedrooms have TVs with subtitles/Teletext

Emergency Evacuation Procedures

  • The accessible bedrooms are located close to escape stairs, each with a Refuge point.

  • We have two fire-rated lifts that can still be used in the event of a fire

  • All exits on ground floor have level thresholds

Public areas

  • We have a unisex accessible toilet on the ground floor in the Reception lobby

  • All signage meets the appropriate requirements with regard to visibility and legibility

Restaurant

  • The restaurant is located on the ground floor

  • Our chefs are able to meet any dietary requirement

  • We have a choice of seating areas away from noise or congestion

Other

  • Assistance dogs are very welcome.

  • Our website is W3C/WAI compatible.

  • Our staff have attended training and have a good understanding of the Disability Discrimination Act and the National Accessible Scheme.

So, let’s now take a look at some of the famous people who have stayed at the hotel since our last visit and why they chose it as well as the wider facilities they benefitted from at Loughborough University.

England rugby player Anthony Watson

 
 

Author and adventurist Ross Edgley 

 
 

Mo Farah

 
 

With thanks to Loughborough University for the use of videos and images in this article.

AdvertisersLisa KingApril 2020