Actress Cherylee Houston, who plays Izzy Armstrong in Coronation Street, was left in tears after hotel staff asked if she ‘minded’ being lifted up flight of steps to her room which was advertised as ‘wheelchair accessible’ online.
The actress, who has degenerative disorder Elhers-Danlos syndrome, hit out at the online booking service Booking.com.
So again I booked a hotel on @bookingcom and again the hotel phoned up and said “is your wheelchair modern or old fashioned as there’s steps to the accessible room.” Me “Erm that’s not an accessible room “. The hotel “Yes it is once you get in and we have another accessible-
— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 12, 2019
Room without steps”. Me “We’ll have that one then”
On hour later the phone rings, hotel again. “We have two steps into the hotel, would you and your friend mind being lifted every time you enter or leave the hotel?”
No, no I wouldn’t. I booked this using your search boxes— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 12, 2019
For disabled access. Help!
— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 12, 2019
On Twitter she wrote how she used the service to book a hotel but she soon received a phone call to ask if her wheelchair was modern or old fashioned as the hotel had steps to the accessible room.
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She then said the hotel explained they had another accessible room without any steps which she agreed to use.
But the hotel rang her again later and asked if she would mind being lifted every time she entered or exited the hotel as they had two steps leading up to it.
— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 12, 2019
The actress then gave an update saying she was on hold with the booking company.
She said: “I’ve been on hold for 20 minutes now @bookingcom whilst they try and sort out another booking which isn’t wheelchair accessible when it booked saying it was.
“It’s really frustrating to keep having to give your time to sort other people’s mistakes – that is the bane of disability.”
I’ve been on hold for 20 mins now @bookingcom whilst they try and sort out another booking which isn’t wheelchair accessible when it booked saying it was. It’s really frustrating to keep having to give your time to sort other people’s mistakes – that is the bane of disability
— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 12, 2019
She was then told by the company that they couldn’t do anything for her for 24 hours.
She tweeted: “You can’t do anything for 24 hours? @bookingcom I’m going in just over that. I was on hold for an hour just to be told you can’t do anything for a day… Please will someone call me. This is terrible service for wheelchair users.”
You can’t do anything for 24hrs? @bookingcom I’m going in just over that. I was on hold for half an hr just to be told you can’t do anything for a day… Please will someone call me. This is terrible service for wheelchair users.
— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 12, 2019
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Cherylee then told her fans she was sitting there “in tears of frustration” as access has made it difficult for her to get on with her life.
I am sat here in tears if frustration as again access has made things really difficult for me just to get on with my life.
I am sat here in tears of frustration as again access has made things really difficult for me just to get on with my life. Everyone knows being on hold to call centres is frustrating but when it’s not your fault and they say they can’t help
— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 12, 2019
She later showed her fans the response she got from Booking.com over the issue.
The company wrote: “Hi Cherylee, the property has informed us they already contacted you regarding the room access, and that they did give you their accessible room already, but there is two steps to the entry of the hotel and they do not have any kind of ramp to access it, but it access the room will not be an issue.
“If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact us.”
So @bookingcom response to the fact that an accessible room in a hotel with 2 steps and no ramp is to tell me that access to the room won’t be a problem! I would laugh at this irony if it wasn’t the constant reality of my life… pic.twitter.com/Pb0xbf5BNC
— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 12, 2019
Cherylee’s Corrie co-stars were among those quick to support her.
Lisa George, who plays Beth Sutherland wrote: “Oh darling, I’m so sorry you have to deal with this… yet again! So you can’t get in the accessible room because the hotel isn’t accessible – right! Makes me so cross.”
Georgia Taylor, who plays Toyah Battersby, said: “Absolutely unacceptable @bookingcom Chez I’m so sorry you have to put up with this xxx.”
Actress Melissa Johns, who played Imogen Pascoe in the ITV soap on and off since 2017 and was born without her right forearm and hand, also commented.
She wrote: “@bookingcom This has to stop happening. Be honest about your access! Wrongly advertised access can lead to so much unnecessary stress! And please sort this out ASAP!”
She later said: “An ‘accessible hotel’. This stuff is tiring. And heartbreaking.”
Earlier today, Cherylee revealed Booking.com has sorted out a new accessible hotel room.
Very kindly @bookingcom have sorted out my hotel problem, I’m aware that without my job and a twitter campaign this might not have been the case. I’ve offered them training, this is a problem for many disabled people across many companies. This shouldn’t be the norm re access.☹️
— Cherylee Houston (@cheryleehouston) November 13, 2019
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