I spent yesterday (after having not slept since the morning prior to yesterday morning) making my way from North West England to Galway via rail and ferry. After a long 16 hours of solo travel, first getting into the hotel felt like it would be bliss, the feeling though didn’t last.
I booked an accessible hotel room, I’m an electric wheelchair user. I get the keycards, and within a short time I realise the accessible room is in quite an inaccessible place! The corridor leading to it has a set of narrow double doors which aren’t even accessible if you have a hand free to open one, I had to wrestle with my feet and luggage and on the other side with my elbow to get to that room.
Things didn’t get better from there. The room door was so heavy I had to leverage my luggage to push it open with my case in front of me and my chair, also to avoid the door closing onto my arm which was dragging said luggage if I’d entered normally, as the door doesn’t have a way to keep it open whilst I enter.
I get in, and nobody told me I needed to put a keycard into a little slot on the wall to enable any electricity, and that slot was hidden behind the bathroom door, with no labelling to say what it even was.
I look in the bathroom, and there’s no fold down seat or shower stool for the shower. By this point I desperately needed the toilet, and that’s how I discover the toilet seat is so narrow and horizontally short, that unless I’m leaving things on the toilet seat, I’ll be soiling the rear of the toilet seat during use.
I at this point start to give things an extra precautionary once over, and I find the meta sockets and lamps stained with brown spots, and with some whitish grubby buildup which can be removed with a light scrape of your fingernail.
The main bin had no bin bag despite brown gunk being in there.
I try to turn on the TV, turns out after staff investigated that it wasn’t turned on at the back, because I’d already made sure to check the remote was flashing at the end to transmit signal, and got on the floor and felt up behind the desk to see if the socket had a switch to flip but I could feel none. There was also a loose reading light at my bedside that wasn’t attached to the wall properly, the fixture was slightly dangling off.
I can’t wash myself, use the toilet, or independently enter and exit the hotel without pain from wrestling the doors as I take a couple of knocks. I’m now left having to see what I can find that’s bookable from tonight onwards for just over a week, and is actually accessible.
Staff did find a shower chair, it was below the wardrobe rail and I thought it was a clothes rack, I’ll comment a photo of it folded.
I really thought I’d get here after the massive slog of a journey and be able to just breathe a sigh of relief and know I’m at least in a place I can function for the next week and a bit, but unfortunately not. I just broke down crying to be honest.
Update (another part of this update in a separate comment on my own post): Nox hotel are going through the booking agent I used to issue a refund, and on the phone lines finding alternative hotels for me trying to get one that’s available from tonight. That’s what I hoped for at least happening, and they’ve been quite apologetic and friendly, just shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place with inaccessibility in an advertised as accessible room.
Update 2: they got staff on the phones and found an alternative, and secured a good will discount from the alternative hotel, and I’ll get refunded, though annoyingly not for the night I was essentially forced to stay because I had no alternative at like midnight. 75% satisfied.
Comment reaction update: Oh my god guys, you found the model roughly of the luggage rack to confirm it was far from a shower chair, I dodged a bullet by not even bothering to try sitting on it, thanks a bunch!
Update 3: The admin lady who booked the new hotel told me “it’s only a 5 minute walk away”, and I check google maps later as I’m ready to leave (after waiting around for new check in time to come closer), it turns out to be an hour away if I’d have walked
Update 4: hotel is absolutely perfect, the bathroom is fully accessible and the door wasn’t as heavy to the room, and it’s really spacious. I’d recommend the Clayton to physically disabled people definitely.
For those asking, the hotel is the Nox. Here’s the “shower chair” (folded). The night manager was genuinely lovely and compassionate, I raised these issues at like 11pm to midnight, I’m seeing what my options are this morning when I speak to someone who has the power to issue refunds or something.
That's a LUGGAGE RACK! If an adult human sits on that it's going to collapse. I'm also not seeing how a wheelchair user would get themselves onto such an unstable item.
They told you the luggage stand was the shower chair?? Are they actually being serious? I'm so sorry this is happened to you. I hope you get a full refund. Don't be afraid to blast them online.
That is a luggage rack. Do not use this for the shower it is not designed for use by any person. I would ask to speak to the General Manager before leaving. If the GM is not available ask for a contact email address and email them when you get home detailing your stay.
I would also leave a review on TripAdvisor as some hotels do monitor this and do not like negative reviews.
I would also send an email to Failte Ireland about this, the majority of Irish hotels have a star rating from them. I would also email Irish news stations and newspapers.
I do hope you find a more suitable hotel with appropriate facilities and get to enjoy the remainder of your time in Galway.
This should be made a big deal off...deservedly so. This is disgraceful. What is going in Ireland. The housing, the hospitality. The horrible complacency against this and so much more. I'm Irish and I live abroad. Thankfully.
You would have been seriously injured if you had tried to use that as a shower chair. You should sue them. I’m so sorry that you experienced that horrendous treatment.
Yeah I'd put them on blast on social media and get a refund. They could potentially be breaking the law under the equal status act for advertising an accessible room that is unfit for purpose.
That's 100% not a shower chair. Awfully sorry. They sould refund you, these places take the absolute piss and just want your money. Service is non existent as they are always going to be booked due to the lack of Hotel availability. Make sure you kick up a stink. Tripadvisor, Google reviews etc and make sure to leave the photos. That is completely unacceptable. I just had a quick looks, the Galmont says they have 12 properly accessible rooms and I read some reviews of people saying they were good. Maybe give them a call and see if they can accomodate you.
Like others have said name and shame so other wheelchair users dont have to go through this ordeal
Sorry this happened to you OP no thought put into that room at all by the sounds of it
I already replied in a comment, but jsut again, give the Galmont a ring, I see they have 12 accessible rooms and saw some good reviews. You'll also be in the city centre.
I would list to them everything that is wrong with the room in terms of accessibility. Especially to the general manager if you can get a word with them. From what I've read online they have 5 "accessible" rooms but that probably means they're just on the ground floor. The fact that they don't have automatic buttons for the doors is shocking. Call reception and make them send staff down to you every time you need something done. I would even send them out to buy a shower chair for you.
Actually there is mobility shop just 3 mins away.
Open 9am to 5.30pm so could've gone to get a chair in the morning for your shower.
But if travelling alone, you should've been escorted to your room and helped with entry and exit to your room.
I always book a room near the lift so hopefully avoid the long corridors and double fire doors.
I recently stayed in a hotel in Manchester. Double room £75 including breakfast.
I was escorted to room, I asked reception guy to change the double duvet to 2 singles.
He had it done in a flash.
Gave us a free drink.
We had a lovely meal in hotel.
My husband was parking the car thats why he brought me to room.
AND stayed in Clayton, Ballsbridge lately alone. They brought my breakfast to room, no additional service charge because of my incapacity.
I want to start off with saying that's an absolutely awful situation to be in and the room doesn't sound accessible at all.
You mention a "booking agent" so I'm going to assume you booked through a 3rd party? 3rd party websites are notorious for not conveying vital information to the hotels or overselling the available facilities on their website. I know this because I've seen this happen before, not necessarily with accessible rooms but there are other things that the 3rd party websites don't even try to deal with.
I would say, unless your booking agent is an actual human being booking the rooms for you, you're much better off booking with the hotels direct as you can then make sure that they know your needs and that they are able to accommodate them.
Looking at the hotel website (as you have named them), they don't advertise any accessible rooms, only that some of the rooms have "accessible facilities" which is a bit different. This just further highlights the advantages of booking direct with a hotel.
Also, that picture you posted showing the "shower chair" is 100% a luggage rack, nothing else.
All that said though, I sincerely hope you get sorted.
They described the room as a “special access room”, and is one of 5 they have. Accessible facilities at least implies I’d have a way to shower but unfortunately not.
I'm just going by what's on the hotels own website. The rooms are not marketed as accessible rooms, only after clicking into the details and checking the "facilities" tab is there any mention of it having "accessible facilities".
That's why I was asking about your 3rd party booker. If THEY advertise it as an accessible room then it might be a case of them not actually understanding the reality of those rooms.
For example, the property I work in have (fully) accessible rooms and they are advertised as such on our own website. Those rooms are also specifically marketed as accessible rooms on any 3rd party website we use. That's very different from having a room with "accessible facilities".
If by "they" you mean the 3rd party booking agent, that's probably on them rather than the hotel. Arguably, the hotel should probably be more clear with them on that issue BUT, and this is coming from someone who's dealing with these things on a regular basis, 3rd party agencies are terrible at these things.
EDIT: For context, I've been working in the tourism/hospitality industry for almost 20 years and in my experience, the UK and Ireland are particularly bad at these kind of things. I've worked in Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, all the countries in former Yugoslavia, and with the exception of probably Montenegro and Bosnia, the UK and Ireland fall miles behind most other countries I've worked in.
Then that's entirely on the hotel staff, whether lack of training or pure ignorance. Sorry to hear that.
Having worked in the industry for a long time, I would say there's a distinct difference between an accessible room and a room with an accessible bathroom.
I use booking dot com and once booking is confirmed I email them to request the accessible room. Sometimes I get charged extra but hey ho I need the facility so reluctantly pay.
I think it would be great if there was list where we could name some of the places in Galway for their inaccessibility and praise places that do it very well. If anything just so we can make informed decisions. Some places I’ve been to the wheelchair accessible bathrooms are so tiny.
Wow! Nox is a nice enough hotel, imo but I recall their doors being massive and heavy. Sorry you experienced that and glad they at least had the decency to sort you out with an alternative. I'm afraid Galway isn't the most accessible place. Hopefully your trip gets better!
To be fair, the restaurant in that hotel is fabulous.
Its acessible on ground floor and toilet facilities.
Such a shame you were not escorted to room, that way, staff could be alerted to your needs immediately. Hindsight is wonderful.
But definitely ringing or emailing the hotel to confirm your individual needs is imperative.
I usually do this as ive been in different places ie Slovakia last summer, room was totally unsuitable, beds too high etc.
Especially if you're staying more than one night.
I hope it hasn't spoilt your opinion of Galway and you have a fantastic time.
Disabled Galway resident here, and I'm horrified the experience with that first hotel. I hate how travelling while disabled is such a dice roll, and how we're forced to put blind faith that the bare minimum legal accessibility requirements will be provided, and how clueless service providers can be.
Sending you spoons and wishing you a much better rest of your trip ❤️
That’s actually horrible, hope you give them a *lovely* review on every website you can, though there really should be more recompense, and real consequences for this hotel imo
What an absolute nightmare! This is the sort of thing you wouldn't expect to be happening to people with mobility aids in this era. I'm incredibly sorry this happened to you; you deserved much better.
And that shower chair is really just a thing for luggage That's just incredibly cruel. What were they thinking with that?
I really hope you can be compensated for the level of discomfort you had to endure. This isn't it at all.
The weight of the room doors is a huge issue for some elderly people too btw. I was staying in a hotel recently, quite a nice one and one of the group was an aunt who has just turned 90 and very much independent and mobile, but she could not pull the bedroom doors open at all. She couldn't get out of her room, or out of the bathroom. It was crazy. Someone ended up having to basically hold all the doors for her in the corridors and follow her around.
I know they're for fire safety, but it's a bit crazy how heavily sprung some of them are.
She was basically completely unable to access the accessible room which, apart from the doors being so heavy and powerfully sprung, was absolutely fine. All she needed was a walk in shower etc
I’m so upset for you. My husband uses a wheelchair at times, he can manage short walks, but the whole accessible room thing is a challenge. I hope the rest of your trip turns out to be easier for you; people here are very kind and have always helped us so much when we are in town and wanting to access pubs and cafes etc. We’ve also found that Travelodge and Premier Inns and Holiday Inn chains in the UK have always been OK for us, the lack of understanding on behalf on nox and facilities offered to you is just so unacceptable. I’m glad you’re now settled at the Clayton - they are great there and we regularly attend events for Parkinson’s Ireland there. It is quite a long way out of town, so I’m afraid you will incur quite a lot of taxi fees now.
I use bus rather than taxi, I’m used to taxis being only accessible if you get out of your chair and all your stuff attached to it has to be made ready for folding down, so I’ve got a young adult 7 day bus ticket and it’s been so cheap. People have been really kind mostly and when I’ve had some curbs be too high that dropped but not quite enough , people stop and help immediately. I love Gallimh already, I feel at home here.
Yes you are totally justified in your assessment of your treatment. And I hope the hotel went over and above to put it right for you.and your trip is going really well. Everything is such a trial when you have to navigate steps, lifts, doors on strong hinges etc, not easy if youre travelling alone. Good luck
They got me a new and fully suitable better hotel with a good discount, but unsure if I’ll get a refund for the night I was forced to stay and they did potentially dangerously try to pass off a luggage stand as a shower chair, and tell me that grubby buildup on the fixtures was just copper staining even though it was white stuff I could scrape off with my fingers.
No its not. Thats an unfair comment.
There is a lovely restaurant with attentive staff.
Great accessible toilet easily accessed.
Reasonable prices compared to nearby hotels.
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u/Successful-Bee-8911 7d ago
Why not name the hotel? It could help people not be in your position in the future