We are lucky enough to live within day-tripping distance of the Central Coast of New South Wales. In fact, in under an hour we can leave Sydney’s hustle and bustle behind and be enjoying the coast’s glorious beaches, level walkways with water views and fabulous dining options. While it’s lovely to day trip, it’s even better when we have the opportunity to stay on the Central Coast.
Recently, over four days, we immersed ourselves in the region and found a plethora of accessible activities to keep the whole family happy. Of course, the success of any trip starts with the discovery of excellent accessible accommodation and we think we’ve found the jewel in the Central Coast’s crown at Encore by Mingara. The property offers two styles of accessible accommodation and access to the Mingara Recreation Club too.
Encore by Mingara – Central Coast hotel review
Encore by Mingara is located in Tumbi Umbi, a suburb of the Central Coast. The four-star hotel, which includes 86 rooms and suites, has an impressive range of facilities on its doorstep with the Mingara Recreation Club just a few steps away. Offering a gym, aquatic centre, dining and entertainment there’s plenty to keep guests busy without even needing to get in the car.
We dined at Hadley’s restaurant in Mingara Club on our first night, enjoying a 10% discount on our bill as guests of Encore by Mingara. It was pizza’s all round for the family. It was particularly relaxing not having to go out in search of a restaurant on our first night.
Duet Deluxe – Accessible accommodation
As a family of four we were extremely comfortable staying in two interconnecting rooms at Encore by Mingara. The accessible Duet Deluxe and the interconnecting Duet Classic room offer stylish accommodation with excellent accessibility. Having the two rooms allowed our family to enjoy time together but also have time out from each other when needed.
We were wowed by the spacious light-filled accessible Duet Deluxe with its floor to ceiling windows and contemporary design. We prefer a king bedded room but the bed can be split to provide two single beds if that better suits a guest’s needs.
Braeden is always happy when he can stream his favourite TV shows and with fast and free wi-fi and a large screen television he was kept entertained when he was awake early in the morning.
We appreciated the additional seating in the room which included table and chairs, meaning we had somewhere to sit other than the bed. It’s all too easy to relax a little too much and nod off before you mean to if the only option is to relax on the bed.
Bedroom facts – entry door 87cm, bed height 55cm and clearance under the bed 10cm.
A stylish and spacious bathroom offers plenty of circulation space for transferring to the shower bench or the toilet. Grab rails, lever taps, lowered light switches and amenities provide ease of access throughout.
Braeden loved having the option of using a shower chair instead of the bench seat which made shower time much more relaxing for him and for us as we assisted him.
If you would prefer a shower chair during your stay make sure to request this at the time of booking.
Two hoists are also available for guest use on request.
Bathroom facts – entry door 83cm, shower bench height 45cm, toilet height to pan 42cm and height to toilet seat 45cm.
A kitchenette is a welcome inclusion for any hotel stay and having a microwave, crockery and a washing up facilities in our room was handy when we returned on one occasion with a delicious pasta takeaway (we highly recommend pasta from Il Toscano Pasta Bar which has two restaurants, one in Terrigal and another in Long Jetty but please note the Long Jetty restaurant has a step at the entrance)
Hanging space in the wardrobe has been designed to offer two levels of accessibility depending on guest need.
Take a video tour with me below to see all the little details that impressed me so much.
Interconnecting Duet Classic accommodation
We can’t emphasise enough to accommodation providers what a difference it makes to have the option of an interconnecting room with accessible accommodation. It’s a game-changer for our family to be able to have the space and the connection an open door between the two room offers.
The Duet Classic, which connects to the accessible accommodation, was also a comfortable room offering a king bed, which can be split to be two singles if desired, large screen television and mini-fridge.
The Duet Classic also offers a stylish bathroom with a step-free shower.
Space is more limited in the non-accessible bathroom but it was all we needed as Braeden is the only family member needing an accessible bathroom and he had a fab one in his room.
Encore by Mingara – Duet Classic accessible accommodation
We always welcome the chance to take a peek at all the accessible accommodation options when we stay in a hotel so I was pleased to inspect a Duet Classic accessible room.
This is the perfect pick for guests who don’t need a kitchenette or the exceptional space of the Duet Deluxe accessible accommodation. In saying that, the Duet Classic rooms are generously sized and look to offer an equally comfortable stay.
The room’s design and facilities are just as accessible as the deluxe accommodation I’ve shared earlier in this review and guests can choose to have a king bed or twin beds depending on need.
An interconnecting room is also an option if you are travelling in a larger group, with support, or as a family.
The bathroom is spacious with lowered amenities and a roll-in shower with shower bench.
Encore by Mingara is a fantastic hotel option for families or groups with multiple members with access needs as the hotel has four accessible hotel rooms and one accessible suite. All the accessible accommodation has the option of an interconnecting room.
Take a tour with me of the Duet Classic accessible accommodation below.
Encore by Mingara facilities
I took a break from washing on this trip seeing we were only staying on the Central Coast for three nights but I am always happy to see a hotel offering guest laundry facilities. I was exceptionally pleased to see a microwave also available for guests staying in a room without a kitchenette.
The Aquatics Centre right next door offers a heated, 50m Olympic Pool, leisure pools and hydrotherapy pool. For our Goldilocks, the temperature of the hydro pool was “just right” and with a pool wheelchair and ramp entry into the pool it was an easy experience for Braeden to access the pool.
For those keen to swim laps in the Olympic pool there is a pool seat for ease of access into the water.
Unisex accessible bathrooms are provided in the Aquatic Centre but with our room so close we just went back to the room to change.
When it comes to parking, guests have two options. Paid undercover parking at the rear of Encore by Mingara (two accessible parking spaces) or free open air parking in front of the property. The open air car parking area is huge and offers many accessible parking bays. Entry to the hotel from the outdoor parking is via automatic doors but from the undercover parking area there is a heavy manual opening door. It’s something to consider if either option makes a difference for your personal access needs.
The undercover parking has a height clearance of 2.7m.
We were hosted for our stay at Encore by Mingara but we hope the photos and video will show that this is an exceptional property.
We have been provided with a discount code for our readers for spring if you book direct with the hotel.
Promo Code for Spring – ENCORE15
The code is valid for use from now until 30 November – applies only to stays until 30 November. The discount is valid for their Duet Classic and Accessible Rooms and Duet Deluxe and Duet Deluxe Accessible Rooms.
Book accommodation at Encore by Mingara here.
