After arriving at a Travelodge hotel with my partner Alice who is a wheelchair user, we were faced with an issue. According to the staff at Travelodge, all accessible Travelodge rooms across the country are only fitted with single beds. After explaining that we were partners who booked a double room, they replied that Travelodge don't offer this as to quote 'disabled people mainly travel with their carers so need single beds'. 

Myself and my partner were horrified that Travelodge don't think or believe that disabled people could possibly have a partner they would want to sleep in a bed with. We were also stumped how staff could possibly know who a disabled person was traveling with. It's fairly obvious that the staff are making assumptions that if you're disabled and traveling, it must be with a carer. That disabled people couldn't possibly be in relationships and want to share a bed with them. 

When talking to staff members at Travelodge, we were also upset and disgusted in the manner my partner was treated. The staff would only speak to myself (an able bodied person) and would not ask questions about my partner, to my partner. Making another assumption that my partner was incapable of speaking for themself.

I want Travelodge to hold accountability as a huge UK chain hotel company that offers accessible rooms to offer rooms with double AND single beds to cater for disabled people traveling with partners. This is the bare minimum expected at a hotel that offer a variety of double and single rooms for people not requiring an accessible room. I would also like Travelodge to commit to taking accessibility and disability awareness more seriously within their staff members and take the relevant, regular training for staff working at Travelodge hotels.