Introduction / Description
GreyFriars is a luxury hotel and restaurant destination, designed and created from a magnificent range of Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings at the top of East Hill, the beginning of the High Street, in the centre of historic Colchester.
The buildings are historic and on a sloping site, but we hope that we have succeeded, through careful research and attention to detail, to make this beautiful location accessible, inclusive and welcoming to all.
The management and staff are at your service, to assist and ensure that your visit to GreyFriars is enjoyable.
Arrival & Car Parking
There is free parking for hotel guests in the hotel grounds for 22 vehicles and parking bays for motorbikes and bicycles. There are three large designated disabled parking bays located a few metres away from the North Entrance of the hotel and the dropping off point. The ground has a slight gradient upwards at this point towards the automatic glass sliding doors to the North Entrance and the drive has a coated tarmac surface.
Alternatively, if you park in the main public GreyFriars car park (charged by the half day), you will find two further designated disabled parking bays at the top of the car park, from which wheelchair access to the North Entrance is offered through a wide pedestrian gateway clearly visible in this area.
On reaching the automatic sliding glass doors at the North Entrance, you will find a call button for assistance if needed on the wall to the left of the doors. Reception is at a higher level approached by four limestone stairs here. A retracting staircase lift is provided here for wheelchair users and anyone with mobility difficulties who is unable to negotiate the stairs comfortably.
Entrance & Reception
The 24 hour Reception Desk has higher and lower level reception desk points. Registration can be completed whilst seated and an enlarged registration card can be provided on request. Reception has a pale coloured marble floor and a comfortable seating area.
A familiarisation tour is available upon request.
Accessible Rooms & Bathrooms / Accessibility
We have one fully accessible bedroom designed for wheelchair users. This is Room 23, a beautiful room on the ground floor of All Saints House, one of the three buildings which together comprise GreyFriars. Room 23 has a marble floor in the bedroom, with a Super King size sleigh bed. There is ample transfer space to the more accessible side of the bed, which is 500 mm (19.75”) high. Level access is provided through to the luxurious bathroom, with marble floor, marble bath with transfer seat and level access shower with seat.
This bedroom and bathroom are designed and fitted to comply with the latest Regulations and Recommendations for wheelchair users.
Also worth noting, Room 23 has its own spacious courtyard garden with level access directly from the bedroom. A sun trap in the summer months, the courtyard provides a large elegant space with terrace, seating and planting.
On the second floor of the main GreyFriars building, accessed via the lift or stairs, Room 15 is designed to suit use by those with ambulatory challenges. The bathroom is fitted with twin showers, one with a marble mosaic seat with vertical and horizontal assistance rails and one standard shower.
Public Areas / Dining / Room Service
Our dining rooms, restaurants, bars, private dining/meeting rooms and cloakrooms are all located on the ground floor of the building and have level access. A variety of seating arrangements is provided which are designed to accommodate as many requirements as possible. The print size on our Menus can be provided in enlarged format upon request.
The main arterial flooring on the ground floor is marble. There is a mixture of hardwood flooring and short pile carpeting in the restaurant and bar areas.
The cloakrooms are accessed across a small carpeted lobby, to the cloakroom corridor and cloakrooms which have marble and porcelain flooring. There is a separate wheelchair accessible w.c. in this area.
Additional Information
Our aim is for GreyFriars, in all its magnificence and beauty, to be seamlessly enjoyable and inclusive to all, whether you are joining us as a hotel guest, for afternoon tea, a cocktail in the bar, lunch, dinner, a party or a business meeting. Our staff undergo regular awareness training and we welcome your feedback so that we can continue constantly to improve upon our high standard of service.
