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10 Isle of Wight Wheelchair Accessible And Disabled Friendly Holidays 2024
There’s a good choice of wheelchair accessible and adapted accommodation on the Isle of Wight, including hotels, self-catering cottages and holiday parks.
If you’re reading this, you’ll be well aware that everyone’s disability is slightly different and that there are variations in what support each person needs on holiday. These are properties that advertise themselves as being ‘wheelchair friendly’ or ‘adapted’ or something similar.
I’d like to make clear that I have not been out to visit each property to take a shower in their wet rooms, measure doorways etc. I would strongly recommend taking a good look at the photos or contacting the owners before booking.
Anyway, with that disclaimer out the way, here are 10 Isle of Wight accommodations offering wheelchair access for people with a disability:
If you’re reading this, you’ll be well aware that everyone’s disability is slightly different and that there are variations in what support each person needs on holiday. These are properties that advertise themselves as being ‘wheelchair friendly’ or ‘adapted’ or something similar.
I’d like to make clear that I have not been out to visit each property to take a shower in their wet rooms, measure doorways etc. I would strongly recommend taking a good look at the photos or contacting the owners before booking.
Anyway, with that disclaimer out the way, here are 10 Isle of Wight accommodations offering wheelchair access for people with a disability:
1. The Island Riding Centre, Newport (self catering, sleeps 6-10)
Horsey fans might like to consider The Island Riding Centre, which has three rental properties that are advertised as offering wheelchair access and wet rooms.
Options include Wild Horse Retreat (sleeps 5), Gift Horse House (sleeps 7) and Hold Your Horses (sleeps 8). According to the website, Hold Your Horses is 'M3i rated' which means it is 'Typically suitable for a person who depends on the use of a wheelchair and transfers unaided to and from the wheelchair in a seated position'.
Large groups might like to consider renting more than one so that they can run for cover when Aunt Maude and Aunt Ethel fall out after the third day on holiday.
Newport is the Island’s County town. It’s a fairly ordinary market town with a good choice of shops. The riding centre is on the outskirts of the town in a more rural location.
Obviously this one isn’t by the sea, but the advantage of being near the middle is that you can reach anywhere in under half an hour so you can see several of the Isle of Wight’s most popular attractions and beaches within a week.
The attached riding school also offers 'accessible horse riding'.
You can get a 20% discount on the Isle of Wight ferry when you book at the Isle of Wight Riding Centre. That's not bad, but you can get a more generous discount with some of the others on this top 10. For example, the Away Resorts sites at Whitecliff Bay, The Lakes Rookley, The Bay Colwell and St Helens often offer a discount of more than 50% off the standard ferry fares.
Options include Wild Horse Retreat (sleeps 5), Gift Horse House (sleeps 7) and Hold Your Horses (sleeps 8). According to the website, Hold Your Horses is 'M3i rated' which means it is 'Typically suitable for a person who depends on the use of a wheelchair and transfers unaided to and from the wheelchair in a seated position'.
Large groups might like to consider renting more than one so that they can run for cover when Aunt Maude and Aunt Ethel fall out after the third day on holiday.
Newport is the Island’s County town. It’s a fairly ordinary market town with a good choice of shops. The riding centre is on the outskirts of the town in a more rural location.
Obviously this one isn’t by the sea, but the advantage of being near the middle is that you can reach anywhere in under half an hour so you can see several of the Isle of Wight’s most popular attractions and beaches within a week.
The attached riding school also offers 'accessible horse riding'.
You can get a 20% discount on the Isle of Wight ferry when you book at the Isle of Wight Riding Centre. That's not bad, but you can get a more generous discount with some of the others on this top 10. For example, the Away Resorts sites at Whitecliff Bay, The Lakes Rookley, The Bay Colwell and St Helens often offer a discount of more than 50% off the standard ferry fares.
These modern holiday homes are based at a horse riding centre...
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...and they've been designed with accessibility in mind
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2. Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park, Bembridge
**Whitecliff Bay Discount Code: Save up to 7% via this link with discount code AWRAF7 + cheap ferry travel**
Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park has some ‘adapted’ caravans with ramped access and lower surfaces. The park itself is on the east side of the Isle of Wight, quite near to Bembridge. Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park has won some awards in the last few years including Best Holiday Park at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2022.
It’s a busy, family friendly park that is near to a lovely sandy beach called (you guessed it) Whitecliff Bay.
It’s worth noting that the slope down to the beach at Whitecliff Bay is very, very (very) steep but there are beaches not too far away with long promenades that would be easier to visit with a wheelchair, such as Appley, St Helens or Shanklin.
Appley is particularly good for wheelchairs, as Ryde Town Council has invested in a boardwalk and beach wheelchairs. That means you can get onto the beach rather than just watching everyone having more fun than you.
As mentioned earlier, you can get a whopping great discount on the Isle of Wight ferry if you stay at Whitecliff Bay.
It’s a busy, family friendly park that is near to a lovely sandy beach called (you guessed it) Whitecliff Bay.
It’s worth noting that the slope down to the beach at Whitecliff Bay is very, very (very) steep but there are beaches not too far away with long promenades that would be easier to visit with a wheelchair, such as Appley, St Helens or Shanklin.
Appley is particularly good for wheelchairs, as Ryde Town Council has invested in a boardwalk and beach wheelchairs. That means you can get onto the beach rather than just watching everyone having more fun than you.
As mentioned earlier, you can get a whopping great discount on the Isle of Wight ferry if you stay at Whitecliff Bay.
If you want an adapted caravan, Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park is worth a look...
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...and it's in a coastal location
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3. Nodes Point, Landguard, Thorness Bay and Lower Hyde Holiday Parks
**Parkdean Resorts offers: Caravans from £99 + discount Isle of Wight ferry travel**
**Parkdean Resorts Sale: up to 50% off for Black Friday** (expires 02/12/24)
Parkdean Resorts has four busy, family-friendly holiday parks on the Isle of Wight, and they all offer some accessible caravans. The parks were previously run by Park Resorts before the companies merged a few years ago.
Landguard and Lower Hyde are sister parks, which are both in busy Shanklin. Neither are by the beach, but it’s only a short drive. The seafront has a pleasant promenade that is flat and suitable for wheelchairs. Shanklin’s olde village is rather twee with thatched cottages and fairy-themed tea rooms. There are enough sticks of rock sold in Shanklin to give nightmares to a dentist.
Nodes Point is in the East Wight, within walking distance of St Helen’s beach, which is good for a paddle and has a sea wall that is flat. It usually gets the best customer reviews of the four Parkdean Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight thanks to things like pony rides on the beach at certain times of year. Read about our visit to Nodes Point.
Thorness Bay is in a very quiet part of the Isle of Wight on the North West coast. It’s got its own beach, which is a scrubbly, shingly sort of place that is popular with anglers. It usually gets slightly lower scores from customer reviews but is usually the cheapest of the four Parkdean holiday parks on the Isle of Wight.
One other thing worth mentioning...Nodes Point, Lower Hyde and Landguard are all within 15 minutes' drive of Sandown, which has some beach wheelchairs which are available to borrow for free.
Parkdean Resorts is another company that can blag you a big discount on the Isle of Wight ferry. The exact price varies but in the tests we did it was 50-70% off the standard prices.
Landguard and Lower Hyde are sister parks, which are both in busy Shanklin. Neither are by the beach, but it’s only a short drive. The seafront has a pleasant promenade that is flat and suitable for wheelchairs. Shanklin’s olde village is rather twee with thatched cottages and fairy-themed tea rooms. There are enough sticks of rock sold in Shanklin to give nightmares to a dentist.
Nodes Point is in the East Wight, within walking distance of St Helen’s beach, which is good for a paddle and has a sea wall that is flat. It usually gets the best customer reviews of the four Parkdean Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight thanks to things like pony rides on the beach at certain times of year. Read about our visit to Nodes Point.
Thorness Bay is in a very quiet part of the Isle of Wight on the North West coast. It’s got its own beach, which is a scrubbly, shingly sort of place that is popular with anglers. It usually gets slightly lower scores from customer reviews but is usually the cheapest of the four Parkdean holiday parks on the Isle of Wight.
One other thing worth mentioning...Nodes Point, Lower Hyde and Landguard are all within 15 minutes' drive of Sandown, which has some beach wheelchairs which are available to borrow for free.
Parkdean Resorts is another company that can blag you a big discount on the Isle of Wight ferry. The exact price varies but in the tests we did it was 50-70% off the standard prices.
Parkdean Resorts has four holiday parks on the Isle of Wight...
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...and they've all got some adapted caravans for wheelchair users
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4. The Lakes, Rookley
**The Lakes Rookley Discount Code: Save up to 7% via this link with code AWRAF7**
The Lakes is another holiday/lodge park with ‘accessible caravans’. It was taken over by a company called Away Resorts in 2022. In the last few years it has changed from Rookley Country Park and has seen a few upgrades to the facilities. There's somewhere to eat onsite, as well as watersports and a modern playground.
It’s in the middle(ish) of the Isle of Wight, so don’t expect a sea view but it does have lakes, as you may have guessed from the name. However, it’s only 15 minutes' drive to Ventnor or Shanklin, which are both popular seaside resorts. We've found Ventnor is good for a day out at the seaside with a wheelchair. The esplanade is long and flat and there's a slope leading onto the beach.
As with other Away Resorts accommodation, you can get a hefty discount on the ferry with your booking.
It’s in the middle(ish) of the Isle of Wight, so don’t expect a sea view but it does have lakes, as you may have guessed from the name. However, it’s only 15 minutes' drive to Ventnor or Shanklin, which are both popular seaside resorts. We've found Ventnor is good for a day out at the seaside with a wheelchair. The esplanade is long and flat and there's a slope leading onto the beach.
As with other Away Resorts accommodation, you can get a hefty discount on the ferry with your booking.
The Lakes in Rookley is in a central location on the Island...
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...and it's had a number of upgrades since being taken over
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5. Marine Villa/Charleston House, Shanklin (self catering, sleeps 18)
This grand Art Deco house sleeps up to 19 people...
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...and has a useful accessibility statement on its website
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Marine Villa is a grand Art Deco house that is ideal if you’re attempting a family holiday with a rabble of uncles, aunts, children and grandparents. According to its website it has ‘wheelchair access and an accessible bedroom with wetroom’. Their website has a helpful access statement that explains more detail.
In total, there are six bedrooms with space for up to 18 people. It’s also known as Charleston House and the Art Deco House.
It’s got large grounds and sea views over Shanklin. If you don’t know Shanklin, it’s one of the Island’s busiest seaside resorts with a long promenade and an amusement arcade which gobbles up our loose change on every visit.
In total, there are six bedrooms with space for up to 18 people. It’s also known as Charleston House and the Art Deco House.
It’s got large grounds and sea views over Shanklin. If you don’t know Shanklin, it’s one of the Island’s busiest seaside resorts with a long promenade and an amusement arcade which gobbles up our loose change on every visit.
6. Atherfield Green Farm Cottages, West Wight (self catering, sleeps 4-8)
Atherfield Green Farm Cottages is in the West Wight, and has four properties that are advertised as offering wheelchair access. They’ve all got flowery names, including Rose Cottage (sleeps 8), Lavender Cottage (sleeps 4) and Honeysuckle (sleeps 8). Some have hot tubs, whilst others are a bit simpler.
The West Wight is my favourite part of the Isle of Wight. Cattle seem to outnumber people and most of the beaches have zero facilities apart from the occasional ice cream van. The cliffs are crumbly and full of dinosaur bones and there’s barely any light pollution at night.
It’s about 25 minutes' drive if you want to visit one of the busier resorts like Shanklin and Sandown but there's quite a bit to do in the West Wight.
The West Wight is my favourite part of the Isle of Wight. Cattle seem to outnumber people and most of the beaches have zero facilities apart from the occasional ice cream van. The cliffs are crumbly and full of dinosaur bones and there’s barely any light pollution at night.
It’s about 25 minutes' drive if you want to visit one of the busier resorts like Shanklin and Sandown but there's quite a bit to do in the West Wight.
These holiday cottages are in the sleepy West Wight...
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...and they have wetrooms and other accessible facilities
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7. Westport Cottage, Yarmouth (Self catering, sleep 7)
Westport Cottage stands out as one of the more luxurious Isle of Wight holiday cottages that is designed for wheelchair users.
Even the hot tub comes with a hoist, which isn’t a feature I’ve seen offered elsewhere.
The ground floor bedroom has ‘an electrically adjustable small double bed’ that comes with ‘ceiling track hoisting from the bed to the en-suite wet-room’. There is also a fold out bed that can go alongside the adjustable bed.
There are five bedrooms in total and it can sleep up to seven people. Westport Cottage is also a dog friendly property.
The cottage is in Yarmouth, which is a posh little seaside town with its own pier, castle and ferry port to Lymington. It’s not known for its beaches, but you are only 10 minutes from Freshwater Bay, Compton Bay, Totland Bay and Colwell Bay (see our West Wight guide). They are all rather lovely on the right day.
You can get 20% off the Isle of Wight ferry with this holiday cottage.
Even the hot tub comes with a hoist, which isn’t a feature I’ve seen offered elsewhere.
The ground floor bedroom has ‘an electrically adjustable small double bed’ that comes with ‘ceiling track hoisting from the bed to the en-suite wet-room’. There is also a fold out bed that can go alongside the adjustable bed.
There are five bedrooms in total and it can sleep up to seven people. Westport Cottage is also a dog friendly property.
The cottage is in Yarmouth, which is a posh little seaside town with its own pier, castle and ferry port to Lymington. It’s not known for its beaches, but you are only 10 minutes from Freshwater Bay, Compton Bay, Totland Bay and Colwell Bay (see our West Wight guide). They are all rather lovely on the right day.
You can get 20% off the Isle of Wight ferry with this holiday cottage.
Westport Cottage has an adjustable bed with a hoist...
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...which connect to the wet room
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Even the hot tub has a hoist, to make it more accessible
8. Premier Inn Hotel, Newport, Sandown or Lake
There are three Premier Inns on the Isle of Wight.
The Newport Premier Inn is centrally located and has easy parking. Newport isn't particularly pretty and it's 20 minutes in the car to the nearest beach but it's alongside a river.
The Sandown (Seafront) Premier Inn has terrific views of the beach but it doesn't have its own car park. If you're lucky, you'll get on street parking nearby. If not, you have to use a council car park and walk for a few minutes. As mentioned earlier, there are beach wheelchairs with inflatable tyres that you can borrow on Sandown beach.
The Sandown (Merrie Gardens) Premier Inn isn't actually in Sandown. It's in Lake, near to an Aldi and KFC. The location is the least interesting of the three, but it's got easy parking and it's only a five-minute drive to the beach.
According to the Premier Inn website they have ‘specially adapted rooms’ as well as a detailed disabled access guide.
I have always found Premier Inn to be a good choice if you want a consistent and reliable chain hotel. It’s obviously not the best choice if you want something quirky or unique to the Isle of Wight, but there’s a lot to be said for knowing what to expect before you arrive.
Read our comparison of the Premier Inn hotels on the Isle of Wight.
The Newport Premier Inn is centrally located and has easy parking. Newport isn't particularly pretty and it's 20 minutes in the car to the nearest beach but it's alongside a river.
The Sandown (Seafront) Premier Inn has terrific views of the beach but it doesn't have its own car park. If you're lucky, you'll get on street parking nearby. If not, you have to use a council car park and walk for a few minutes. As mentioned earlier, there are beach wheelchairs with inflatable tyres that you can borrow on Sandown beach.
The Sandown (Merrie Gardens) Premier Inn isn't actually in Sandown. It's in Lake, near to an Aldi and KFC. The location is the least interesting of the three, but it's got easy parking and it's only a five-minute drive to the beach.
According to the Premier Inn website they have ‘specially adapted rooms’ as well as a detailed disabled access guide.
I have always found Premier Inn to be a good choice if you want a consistent and reliable chain hotel. It’s obviously not the best choice if you want something quirky or unique to the Isle of Wight, but there’s a lot to be said for knowing what to expect before you arrive.
Read our comparison of the Premier Inn hotels on the Isle of Wight.
Sandown (Seafront) Premier Inn is over the road from the beach
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Newport's Premier Inn is on the Isle of Wight Festival site
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9. Red Squirrel Lodge, Grange Farm Holidays, Wootton (self catering, sleeps 6)
There are a couple of accommodation providers on the Isle of Wight called Grange Farm - one in the East Wight and one in the West Wight. This is a cunning ploy to confuse visitors, forcing them to stay for longer and buy more ice creams and containers filled with multicoloured sand to keep the local economy going.
The Red Squirrel Lodge at Grange Farm Holidays has disabled friendly self-catering accommodation with a wet room. It's between Newport and Wootton, so not right by the beach but it's near to the Fishbourne ferry. Nowhere is too far by car on the Isle of Wight.
The Red Squirrel Lodge at Grange Farm Holidays has disabled friendly self-catering accommodation with a wet room. It's between Newport and Wootton, so not right by the beach but it's near to the Fishbourne ferry. Nowhere is too far by car on the Isle of Wight.
Red Squirrel Lodge is quite near to the ferry which leaves from Portsmouth...
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...and it comes with a good sized wet room
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10. Travelodge hotels in Newport and Ryde
Much like Premier Inn, Travelodge offers the advantage of being part of a big chain. Their official advice is to contact the hotel before booking to see what accessible rooms they have, but I found a lot of useful reviews on TripAdvisor for Travelodge Ryde and Travelodge Newport. Search for the word ‘wheelchair’ within the reviews and you’ll find lots of details on what ‘accessible’ looks like.
Several people mentioned that the entrance to Travelodge Ryde is very steep. Hopefully the prices aren't.
Several people mentioned that the entrance to Travelodge Ryde is very steep. Hopefully the prices aren't.
There are two Travelodges on the Isle of Wight, including this one in Newport
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