“booked this 2 night break in March to stay on 8th/9th of May at £200'a night. As I have severe mobility problems and am registered disabled I notified the hotel and asked if they had suitable accommodation, I explained that I had to use a rollator to enable me to walk. They informed me that room 9 on the ground floor was ideal for people with mobility problems and it does in fact state this on their website. I also inquired that they had disabled parking and they said yes.
When we arrived the only disabled parking was on a steep incline which made it very difficult to exit my car as it pushed you into the A pillar and when we saw the hotel enterance I was astounded to see several steps but no handrail or ramp. I had to lean on the wall and push myself up while being supported by my wife, I cut my arm on the sandstone wall.
On entering room 9 it became obvious that it wasn't for disabled people, the bathroom door opening wasn't wide enough for my rollator which got stuck and fell over, the walk in shower had no handrail or chair to sit on when showering. It was now 4.30pm and I had driven 160 miles so I was quite tired. We asked the manager to come to the room so that I could convey my dissatisfaction with the accommodation and that the member of staff that we had booked with had been made fully aware of my disability in detail.
The manager returned after 6pm to say that she was uncomfortable with me staying because she was concerned that if I hurt myself the hotel would be responsible so she wanted to print a document for me to sign to say if I was hurt the hotel was not responsible in any way. I told her I wasn't comfortable with that. We had booked the evening meal for 7.30pm so we went to the dining room. I was told to leave my rollator outside the dining room as other guests might fall over it.
After the meal we were stopped by the manager and asked to sign the disclaimer, I read it and refused as I said that it was discriminatory to disabled people. She said I had to sign or leave. We entered our room and the manager returned with the owner, he repeated the same thing "Sign or leave" I informed him that I had had alcohol in the dining room and would be over the drink drive limit, I carn't walk so where was I supposed to go, he was overbearing and intimidating and as a 67 year old disabled person I felt very frightened. I told him I would inform the general public about his treatment though Tripadvisor and he told me he would get it taken off.
I called the police and informed them of what had happened, they spoke to him and he said we could stop the night.
We left first thing next morning with a final insult when the manager wouldn't help me down the steps because of Heath and Safety Regulations, our fist break in 12 months was shattered by this hotel, I was treated as a second class citizen and made to feel worthless, Wrea Head Hall is not for the disabled please beware.
J B L (Stoke on Trent)”
