Disabled woman forced to sleep in Travelodge dining room

A disabled woman told her room was not available and offered a sofa in Travelodge dining area.

Kat Watkins, a wheelchair user who requires a ventilator at night, was forced to sleep on a sofa in a dining area of a Travelodge after being told her room was ‘unavailable’ after it had not been cleaned.

Travelling to London to attend a concert, Watkins had booked an accessible room for her and her PA. Upon arriving she was informed the room was unavailable and offered a family room in its place. 

Watkins, who suffers from brittle bone disease and sleep apnoea accepted the family room and left to attend a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. When she returned from the concert she was told the family room she was in was no longer available.

Travelodge offered to move Watkins to an alternative Travelodge in Twickenham but despite repeated attempts to find a taxi that could accommodate Watkins, her wheelchair and her PA, none could be found.

This left Watkins with only one option – bed down on a sofa in the dining area for the night.

Watkins said: I’ve been in agony with my back since that night. I’ve told Travelodge I won’t be using their hotels again.”

A Travelodge spokesperson said: “We would like to sincerely apologise to Ms Kat Watkins and her PA for their recent experience with us. On this rare occasion, we failed to meet our normal high standard of service”