Hotel turns away Paralympian because of wheelchair

A Paralympic fencer said he was not allowed to use a hotel room he had booked and paid for when staff saw he was using a wheelchair.

Tokyo gold medallist Piers Gilliver, from Wiltshire, was told he could not stay on the upper floors of the Ibis Rotherham East on Saturday.

Staff said it was hotel policy, Mr Gilliver said, adding he did not need an accessible room or help, and the way he was treated was "not acceptable".

An Ibis spokesperson has apologised and said the chain was taking "immediate corrective action" and staff were being retrained.

Mr Gilliver said he told the hotel's staff: "I'm not asking anything of you, I want to get to the room I paid for."

His partner, who also uses a wheelchair, was with him at the time of the incident.

The staff member went to speak to a manager, Mr Gilliver added, but came back with the same answer.

"They wouldn't budge," he said.

The couple were told that because they were wheelchair users, they could not stay on the upper floors as it may cause issues with insurance or in case of fire.

But Mr Gilliver, from Trowbridge, said he could see there was a lift and an evacuation chair, and the couple's wheelchairs were narrow enough to fit through standard doors.

Despite explaining he travels a lot and often stays in multi-storey hotels, sometimes with hundreds of other athletes with disabilities, Mr Gilliver says the couple were still asked to leave.

A spokesperson for the hotel said: "We sincerely apologise for the experience this guest had at our hotel, which is in no way reflective of our core values and expectations."

The spokesperson added staff "regrettably" did not follow procedure or "clearly communicate" that there was an alternative option at a nearby hotel.

"We are taking immediate corrective action. The entire hotel team is being fully retrained on the correct procedures and expected levels of service in such circumstances, to avoid any future miscommunication."

While Mr Gilliver said this hotel experience was unusual, he said he and his partner come across other issues in daily life due to being wheelchair users.

"For example a couple of weeks ago three taxis pull up, saw me in a wheelchair and drove off," he said.

"I've always kind of kept quiet about this kind of stuff. We just want no more, no less than the average person.

"It is really encouraging how society has knocked down so many barriers in recent years but I feel like the area around disability is one that's hugely left behind."

He added: "To be honest, you get tired for feeling like a second-class citizen where your basic needs really aren't being catered for."

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