The Resort at Seaside by WorldMark, Seaside, OR
March, 2016
We recently stayed in a two-bedroom unit at this beautiful oceanfront resort. WorldMark does everything possible to please guests from the moment you enter the lobby. After using the easy to reach automatic door to enter the lobby, the first thing you notice is the welcoming atmosphere and a fireplace roaring in the center of the lobby. The waves crashing on the beach can be seen as well, as the accessible pool available for guests is in the foreground.
During a recent stay we were in Room 2214, a two-bedroom accessible unit which was advertised as having a roll-in shower. The living area is large and provides plenty of space for my powered wheelchair. The Master bedroom, had a King size bed but the room was very small. The bed fills most of the room. This is normally not a problem unless you use a wheelchair. There was not enough space to park my chair next to the bed. I could not enter the Master bathroom as the space between the bed and dresser was too narrow to allow access by my wheelchair.
It appeared that the unit was designed to have the disabled guest sleep in the Guest bedroom, which has a Queen bed. Since mobility in the Master bedroom was limited, I utilized the Guest bedroom during our stay. There was ample space to park a wheelchair and even turn around to exit the bedroom. I was very impressed and felt that the design was good.
A separate bathroom in the unit is ADA accessible and has a roll-in shower. As mentioned earlier on WorldMark's website, the unit was advertised as being accessible with a "roll-in shower." By definition this means that the shower area should be flat with the rest of the floor. Upon arrival, this was not the case. The shower pan itself was raised about 1 inch. Since I have limited balance it was impossible for me to transfer onto the seat in the shower. Shortly after arrival, we went to the front desk to communicate our concern. One gentleman was sincere but was unsure what to recommend. The other gentleman felt we should "use the second bathroom" and we felt our complaint was ignored. The next morning we showed the Manager the situation. It came to our attention that no rooms at this resort have true "roll-in showers" and all have a raised shower pan. This resort does have a shower bench. We were able to place the shower bench somewhat outside the shower and the lip was not a problem when doing a pivot transfer. In the end everything was done to try to accommodate our concerns. The toilet in the ADA bathroom is raised and there are ample grab bars. There is plenty of counter space and a wheelchair can roll under for easy access. There is also a full kitchen, washer and dryer and Murphy bed in the living area. Despite the issue with the shower, there were no other negative issues we experienced.
While I did not go swimming, this resort does have a lift that can assist disabled guests getting into and out of the heated pool.
Another notable attraction to mention is the Seaside Promenade. This 8,000-foot long promenade allows for people to enjoy walks, biking and great views of the Pacific Ocean. WorldMark guests can access the promenade with ease. For disabled guests this is an easy and safe way to access various restaurants and activities. WorldMark is now remodeling units and efforts are underway to provide true roll-in showers and larger shower stalls.
Boardwalk at Seaside, Oregon. Photo by Jake Fitzpatrick