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A COUPLE were left in shock after allegedly being told by Travelodge staff that they could not access their room unless they could “prove” that wheelchair-bound wife Carrie could walk.
Carrie and Joel Redhead were travelling home from London on Monday when they stopped halfway at a pre-booked Travelodge in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.
The couple claim to have informed the hotel of Carrie’s disability and that they would need an accessible double room – a request that had allegedly not been recorded by the hotel.
Carrie and Joel claim that they were subsequently informed by a member of staff that that they would not be allowed access to the room unless Carrie could “prove” she could stand and walk to the room.
In a final blow, the couple alleged that the member of staff had advised that the pair call customer service but could not guarantee a refund for being turned away.
Video shows Joel and Carrie sitting in their car as an enraged Joel begins to explain the situation whilst Carrie is seen in fits of giggles in the passenger seat.
Joel says: “So, we’ve been in London today and we thought to ourselves, ‘Carrie struggles with fatigue and she gets tired in the car on long journeys’.
“So, last week we said that rather than driving home for four hours, we’ll stay halfway home in Peterborough Central Travelodge, by the way.”
Carrie can be heard giggling as Joel continues animatedly: “I walk in with Carrie in the chair, and she gets looked at like she’s a piece of f***ing dog food. I’ve no idea why, at this point.
“When I walk up, the first thing he says is, ‘Oh. Did you tell anybody you were coming in with someone in a chair?’”
Joel looks at the camera in bewilderment as he claims that “of course” he made it clear in his booking form.
He alleges that the man then checked the booking but could not see any information regarding the disability access before he remarks: “Alright then, clever b*d. I’ll get my phone out, shall I?
“So, I got my phone out. What does that say? Accessible double room. That tells you somebody who requires help with accessibility and is disabled is coming, i.e. Carrie.”
Joel recalls the conversation as he claims that the member of staff remained undeterred, allegedly saying: “I can’t let her in.”
Joel remarks: “Hang on, excuse me? It’s not a nightclub mate. What do you mean we’re not coming in?”
Joel then alleges that the member of staff suggested: “‘If she can prove that she can walk in front the cameras, then she might be alright.’”
Carrie laughs harder as Joel yells into the camera: “Stand up? F***ing stand up? What do you mean stand up?”
He looks at Carrie and jokes: “Alright, Carrie. You know that chair you sit in that you don’t need? How about you get up and do a bleep test for us down the corridors, why don’t you?”
Carrie is left howling and struggles to catch her breath as she wheezes with laughter, repeating: “Bleep test.”
The pair took to social media to share the shocking story on Monday, writing: “You’ve heard nothing yet.”
The video received over 106,000 likes and more than 1,500 comments from users left stunned by the story.
One person wrote: “Erm, is that discrimination? Travelodge is disgusting.”
Another said: “I work for Travelodge, and I certainly wouldn’t have treated you like this. Unfortunately, at Travelodge, we’re lone workers […]”
A third commented: “Well done for keeping a sense of humour. However, this is disgusting behaviour [by] Travelodge.”
A fourth added: “I love the way you protect Carrie with such passion.”
A spokesperson for Travelodge said: “We would like to sincerely apologise to Mr and Mrs Redhead for their recent experience with us.
“On this occasion, we fell short of our usual high standards of customer care.
“The welfare and safety of our colleagues and guests is of paramount importance to us, which includes ensuring that we have adequate staffing to support our guests.
“As soon as this issue was brought to our attention, Mr and Mrs Redhead’s booking was moved to one of our nearby hotels that could better facilitate their stay.
“We have reached out to Mr and Mrs Redhead and we will be refunding their booking in full and offering them an e-voucher for a future stay.
“We hope that we can welcome back Mr and Mrs Redhead and reinstate their faith in our brand.
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