Booking.com leaves disabled Corrie star 'in tears' over accessibility
- Published
Houston said dealing with this sort of issue was "the bane of disability"
Travel site Booking.com left Coronation Street actor Cherylee Houston in "tears of frustration" after allowing her to book a room in an inaccessible hotel.
Houston, who uses a wheelchair, said she booked an accessible room on the travel site but was then called by the hotel and asked if she minded "being lifted" on to the premises.
She tweeted that dealing with this sort of issue was "the bane of disability".
Expressing "regret", Booking.com said it had "offered a full refund".
In a Twitter thread, Houston, who plays Izzy Armstrong in the Manchester-based soap, said she used the site's search boxes for disabled access, but after making a booking was called by the hotel to be told it could only be accessed via two steps.
The hotel, which she did not want to name, then asked if she would "mind being lifted" every time she entered or left the building.
She said the situation left her "in tears of frustration, as again access has made things really difficult for me just to get on with my life".
"It's really frustrating to keep having to give your time to sort other people's mistakes - that is the bane of disability."
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She went on to tweet messages from Booking.com, which stated that though there was no ramp into the hotel, "access to the room will not be an issue".
She said the site eventually fixed the issue, adding: "I'm aware that without my job and a twitter campaign, this might not have been the case."
She added: "I've offered them training - this is a problem for many disabled people across many companies. This shouldn't be the norm."
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A Booking.com spokeswoman said the actress "did not receive accurate information about the property's accessibility features, which we deeply regret".
"We have since offered a full refund, and worked to relocate [her], covering all associated costs," she added.
She added that properties were "responsible for the information they list" and when there are inaccuracies "we will work quickly to correct or remove [it] from our site".
- Published7 June 2018
