A wheelchair user said she was left waiting for hours in a Travelodge café because staff failed to book her into an accessible hotel room.

Bethany Handley, 24, said staff told her “it doesn’t matter” when she explained she could not access the toilet in a regular room.

After becoming unwell she was forced to rest on the cafe’s sofa at the hotel in Farringdon, London, before her mum found her somewhere else to stay.

  • jetA
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    There’s a reason the article only quotes those two words and not the full context of the conversation.

    Yes it’d be awful if somebody said it doesn’t matter that you’re disabled. But my guess, is that the hotel worker was speaking to the hotel’s resources, in the context of not being able to help the people with their room requirements.

    But let’s roleplay, you’re the hotel worker, you’re accessible rooms are already booked and people are already in them. Another person needing an accessible room comes, but they’ve been booked into a regular room for whatever reason. What do you do?

    • Navarian@lemm.eeOPM
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      This may blow your mind, but my first thought as someone who works in the hospitality industry and presumably works closely with many members of the public on an almost daily basis isn’t to let them know that I think their inability to use the bathroom in the room we have given them “doesn’t matter”.

      I would probably extend an apology from the company and attempt to offer whatever help I could to rectify the situation. It’s not rocket science – If you’re in a customer facing job, and you’re rude and abrasive, you won’t get very far.

      • jetA
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        That’s fair. You’re mindfulness will take you very far.

        I’ve traveled extensively in my life, and I can tell you from personal experience, the people who work front desk, at travel lodge type chains, are not the most empathetic people in the world. They’re good people, but really " salt of the Earth " types, not diplomatic at all.

        • Navarian@lemm.eeOPM
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          That’s understandable. I’ve only stayed at hotels like this a handful of times, but I’ve had good enough experiences, though that’s purely anecdotal.

          Want to apologise, no need for me to write shit like “This may blow your mind” or “It’s not rocket science” to accurately portray my point. Appreciate the discourse.

          • dave@feddit.uk
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            Geez, this is not like Reddit at all. Where’s Godwin when you need him?

            [ /s, just in case it wasn’t clear ]