Today, I tried, with great difficulty to book a hotel room.  My first option was travelodge, who, are the cheapest at £40 per room including breakfast fully flexible.  The website showed a picture of a shower with handrails, admittidly not a wet room.  They also stated that to ensure wet room availability to ring.  

I did, the premium rate number.  

First person, yes we have wet rooms, on further questioning as to what that meant I was put through to the hotel. 

Yes we have wet rooms.  I then asked if these had walk in / roll in showers or were they a bath with a shower over.  (I have had this before and now know this is a question to ask as apparently putting handrails over a bath makes it an accessible room).  No its a bath, its a wet room. 

This confusing conversation continued and eventually having gone and checked their accessible room, it was stated it was a bath.  When I explained that wasn't accessible to a wheelchair user, I was asked if someone would be with me to lift me in and out!. 

So, to Premier Inn, better website, photos and they have both wet rooms and baths with handrails. You can even request which you need on the website.  But no wetroom availability only rooms with baths. That would bave been slightly more expensive at £62.50 fully flex with breakfast.

Holiday Inn express next.  After a phonecall to check, full wetroom, and availability so booked online, with membership, and paid 64.46 for advanced saver (fully flex rate was 75.84).

Considerably more than the travelodge. And several phonecalls, some with premium rate numbers. 

Really frustrating, not only for the 1.2 million wheelchair users, but anyone needing accessible rooms.  They are either not many or not appropriate. 

I appreciate some people can use baths, but lots of us can't, and why do they think we can. When I explain I can't or ask how they look at me blankly or say, oh yes, not thought of that. 

So, email to Travelodge to complain about phone number and bad website / customer service and to MP to raise this as a wider issue.  Not only on hotels but booking to go to theatre, concerts etc where we have to pay to ring up. 

I await their response.