WWYD - Butlins - no accommodation for disabled parents so they had to come home

She's already blaming them for something that isn't their fault

AI assessment -

Concerns with Visibility:

Placement: The link is small and placed above the accommodation listings, with minimal spacing. On a mobile screen, it's easy to overlook, especially when scrolling through vivid images and colorful pricing blocks.

Contrast and Emphasis: The text is black on a white background (which technically passes contrast), but competes for attention with more visually prominent elements like large red price tags and colorful apartment images.

Lack of Visual Hierarchy: It’s not grouped or highlighted as part of accessibility navigation—no icon, no bolding, and no visual cue that it's particularly important or helpful for disabled users.

WCAG 2.1 AA Perspective: (International Guidelines)

This partially meets the letter of the guidelines but may fall short of the spirit, especially:

2.4.1 Bypass Blocks: Users should be able to easily skip to relevant content, like accessible options.

2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context): The link is clear, but the surrounding context could do more to draw attention.

3.2.3 Consistent Navigation: If this link only appears here and not consistently across similar pages, that weakens its discoverability.

Recommendations:

Reposition or Repeat the Link: Consider placing a more prominent button or banner link within the main accommodation listing, perhaps after the first or second property.

Add an Icon or Styling Cue: A wheelchair icon, bold font, or colored background could help it stand out as important.

Include in Filters: Add "Accessible" as a visible filter alongside “Price per unit” and “Price per person.”

Conclusion:

While technically visible and labeled, the "Accessible Accommodation" link could be easily missed by users who would benefit from it most. Enhancing its visual prominence and positioning would better align with accessibility best practices and the inclusive intent of WCAG guidelines.

Travelling with someone with a disability takes an extra level (or 6!) of planning. That includes ensuring the place your going is aware and accommodation is suitable.

When you go into book. It offers you the choice of ground floor room

I've just discovered that my parents have arrived home after setting off at 12pm to go to Butlins for the week.

On arrival, they were given keys to a third floor apartment. My Mum uses a mobility scooter and absolutely cannot do stairs. She was told if she wanted ground floor she needed to have paid for it. No ground floor apartments were available and so my parents returned home, a very long 9 hour round trip in the car in total.

They have said they would refund but were very blasè.

I dont agree that they should have paid more for ground floor accommodation as thats discrimination as its a need so yhe person who said that is likely ill-informed.

I've looked online to go through the booking process as my Mum and Dad have gone for years without issue and never had this. The website has a small link for accessibility accommodation but at 73 my Mum wouldn't have seen that when booking amongst such a busy page and trying to navigate the tech. My Dad is in his eighties.

AIBU to think they could have done more? But what? I don't want to be unrealistic but how can they just allow people who have travelled so far to have to leave?!

Is this tiny link on such a visually busy page really sufficient?! Its not at all inclusive or user friendly for older generations trying to live in a modern world, surely a page as part of the booking process to register any needs would make more sense and be a catch-all?!

I've just discovered that my parents have arrived home after setting off at 12pm to go to Butlins for the week.

On arrival, they were given keys to a third floor apartment. My Mum uses a mobility scooter and absolutely cannot do stairs. She was told if she wanted ground floor she needed to have paid for it. No ground floor apartments were available and so my parents returned home, a very long 9 hour round trip in the car in total.

They have said they would refund but were very blasè.

I dont agree that they should have paid more for ground floor accommodation as thats discrimination as its a need so yhe person who said that is likely ill-informed.

I've looked online to go through the booking process as my Mum and Dad have gone for years without issue and never had this. The website has a small link for accessibility accommodation but at 73 my Mum wouldn't have seen that when booking amongst such a busy page and trying to navigate the tech. My Dad is in his eighties.

AIBU to think they could have done more? But what? I don't want to be unrealistic but how can they just allow people who have travelled so far to have to leave?!

Is this tiny link on such a visually busy page really sufficient?! Its not at all inclusive or user friendly for older generations trying to live in a modern world, surely a page as part of the booking process to register any needs would make more sense and be a catch-all?!

The only place I would expect to get a printed list of accommodations these days would be a tourist office.
As for going into tripadvisor and printing out lists when pretty much everyone has a smart phone these days , well why would the receptionist have to do that ?

I agree she could have expressed disappointment and concern for the DPs but who knows how they were expressing themselves, possibly shouting about being Gold customers and expecting Butlins to know their requirements without stating them.

Well, yes... but surely even the OP wouldn't blame Butlins if they gave her parents a list of local hotels and they picked one and had a bad experience?

Giving them a list of hotels printed off of Trip Advisor constitutes "recommending" a hotel?

Well, yes... but surely even the OP wouldn't blame Butlins if they gave her parents a list of local hotels and they picked one and had a bad experience?

You obviously haven’t worked with the general public, the entitlement can be off the scale!

No-one would seriously think that if Butlins refunded them their money, and they then booked at a hotel that turned out to be problematic, they would have any cause to complain to Butlins about the hotel.

Or if they did, then the general public is stupider than I think they are.

OP is blaming Butlins for not booking her parents an accessible room despite her parents not booking an accessible room and actively ignoring all the chances to BOOK an accessible room....

But of there was a problem it could come back on the employee/Butlins
"You recommended this place so you are responsible for the fact we got robbed/they ripped us off/we got injured"

This elderly couple are compos mentis. If they aren't, they shouldn't be out on their own. So one assumes they are equally capable of finding a local hotel if that is what they wanted to do.

No-one would seriously think that if Butlins refunded them their money, and they then booked at a hotel that turned out to be problematic, they would have any cause to complain to Butlins about the hotel.

Or if they did, then the general public is stupider than I think they are.

I’ve been bitten too many times to go ‘above and beyond’ for people now, you can guarantee if they’d given them details of a hotel then some people would say ‘and are Butlin’s paying for my hotel bill for the week then?’ Or something would go wrong at the hotel and that would be Butlin’s fault, Butlin’s is a budget, high volume holiday destination, not The Ritz.

No, there's no requirement for them to go to those lengths. But faced with an elderly couple who had travelled a long way, I would say the decent thing to do would have been to at least give them a list of local hotels - they didn't need to recommend one. There's a Premier Inn in Skegness and most people would think that's likely to be fine.

No, there's no requirement for them to go to those lengths. But faced with an elderly couple who had travelled a long way, I would say the decent thing to do would have been to at least give them a list of local hotels - they didn't need to recommend one. There's a Premier Inn in Skegness and most people would think that's likely to be fine.

They have no requirement to go to such lengths and may even not be allowed to recommend other local places