I stayed in this Hotel during Easter 2006 holiday, from the 14th to the 18th of April.I booked this hotel because of it was listed as equipped to host for disabe people.Because of i was travelling with my cousin that is heavily disabled,i decided to go there.Before booking i even phoned the reception to make sure the place it was suitable for us, a group of 7 people including one person on wheelchair.I was reassured there was no problem.And here comes the tragedy.
We arrived at the reception at 15.30 on the Easter friday.There was a queue of people complanining already.Two girls from Australia were not happy with the accomodation, an old couple was complaining that they didn't get the room they booked....
We booked one triple room with special needs( for my cousing and family)and 2 double room.First surprise:the only room for people with special needs was OVERBOOKED.There was someone in!!! and here starts the drama. no other room was at entrance level and the lift for floors was TOO SMALL to fit wheelchairs!not even removing the big wheels and leaving the 4 small ones the wheelchair would fit through the door of the lift!
the double rooms were not available as well!! around 17.00 my cousing had to use the toilet. not a chanche. no toilet on ground floor, no lift to upper floor and in the whole hotel, toilets are not fit for wheelchairs!!The receptionist asked one of the attendant to empty the luggage room so we could try to use the toilet in that room...around 18.000 we did manage to have a toilet available.We had to carry in 4 people my cousing( 70kg)though the doors to the toilet.I was raging and phoning all hotels around , to move away,but there was no room available.Around 18.30 we were offere a 3 beds room and a 4 beds room , on the first floor, that for us ment to carry 70kg +30kg of wheelchair up 6 steps, turn 90 degrees up three steps ,corridor,down 3 steps corridor , down 3 steps to the room ( that , by the way was not equipped ) we accepted because we could not find any other accomodation.For the rest of us , me and my wife had to share a room with my dad and mum...no comment.The next morning, new surprise!!! the restaurant , for breakfast, was in the BASEMENT!! of course no lift...we had to move my cousin through a narrow corridor and down other 6 steps from ground floor.
The 4 bed room we were given , had NO wardrobe!! we had to leave everithing in the bags.It was like a bad dream.
During the night, the fire alarm went off.Suddenly we realized, if the alarm was real, how could we move my cousing out of the hotel? the fire exit of the first floor where we were, had 8 steps in front!can you inmagine to have to rush through the panic a wheelchair that way?Thank god the alarm was a fake one....
The holiday was off and everyone moved back home, just to realize that by mistake, both the credit card we used to pay ( one for the three bed room and one for the four bed room) were charged the full amount of the stay!! I immediately rised a complain to the Best Western Hotel chain, just to be told that actually, Best Western does not run the Hotel!!! all the hotel are run by different owners , and basically Best Western is just a name on the door.My complain was eventually forwarded to the rigth people . My complain was very exaustive and detailed , and i threaten them to appeal to court, accoding to the 1994 Discrimination Act and to contact BBC Watchdog.They offered to refund me the double charge, and one day of our stay. They did refund the double charge, but not one day of stay.In the 5 days i was there , the hotel lost at least 6 couple that i saw departing,and a lot of credibility.