Watergate Bay Hotel Joins Accessible Hospitality Alliance

Watergate Bay Hotel Joins Accessibility Alliance

Watergate Bay Hotel has joined the Accessible Hospitality Alliance (aha), becoming part of a growing network of hospitality operators working to make guest experiences more accessible and inclusive.

The hotel, which sits above the sweeping shoreline of Watergate Bay in Cornwall, is part of a wider hospitality group that also includes Another Place and SeaSpace. Its membership reflects a broader shift across the hospitality sector, where accessibility is increasingly recognised as an essential part of modern hospitality rather than a specialist add-on.

Accessibility Built Into the Guest Experience

Watergate Bay Hotel has long been known for its contemporary coastal experience centred on outdoor living, food and time by the sea. According to the alliance, that same approach naturally extends to accessibility, with the aim of ensuring that hospitality experiences such as dining, leisure and time spent by the water are available to as many people as possible.

Across the property, accessibility has been considered through both design and day to day operation. The hotel offers wheelchair adapted accommodation including accessible double and family rooms with step free layouts and wet room bathrooms.

Public areas, restaurants and leisure spaces are connected through lifts and step free routes, while accessible parking and facilities help ensure guests can move easily around the hotel during their stay.

Access Extends Beyond the Building

The hotel’s location beside a two mile stretch of sand has also shaped how accessibility is approached beyond the building itself.

A sloping boardwalk links the hotel to the beach, and during warmer months a sand wheelchair is available so wheelchair users can experience the shoreline.

Watergate Bay Hotel also supports The Wave Project, which runs accessible surf sessions from Watergate Bay. The hotel stores specialist equipment including seated surf boards, a beach wheelchair and an adult changing table, while also providing a changing space and outdoor shower facility for participants.

This means accessibility forms part of the wider coastal experience rather than being limited to indoor spaces.

Joining a Growing Hospitality Network

By joining Accessible Hospitality Alliance membership, Watergate Bay Hotel becomes part of a community of hospitality operators exploring how accessible guest experiences and inclusive employment can be built into everyday hospitality practice.

The alliance offers forums, shared learning and collaboration between members, allowing operators to exchange practical ideas and approaches that work in real hospitality environments.

Helen Bishop, Group head of sustainability & engagement at Watergate Bay Hotel | Another Place | SeaSpace, said:

“Accessibility and inclusivity are a real focus for us and having completed both an accessibility and neurodiversity audit, we’ve got a clear plan of short-, mid- and long-term improvements in place. Being able to be part of a forum that shares best practice, learnings and ideas is something we see as really valuable and are looking forward to the year ahead with aha.”

Charlotte Evans, Group Partnerships Director at Accessible Hospitality Alliance, added:

“We’re thrilled to welcome Watergate Bay Hotel (Another Place and SeaSpace) into the Accessible Hospitality Alliance. Their proactive focus on accessibility and neurodiversity shows real leadership and a commitment to removing barriers for guests. By sharing their insights and experiences with the alliance, they’ll help strengthen our collective understanding of what truly accessible hospitality looks like in practice.”

Watergate Bay Hotel’s membership adds to the alliance’s growing operator network across the hospitality and catering sector, with each new member helping shape the understanding of what accessible hospitality looks like in practice.

📷SeaSpace accessible studio, credit Matt Jessop