When “Accessible” Isn’t Accessible: Our Experience at Center Parcs

We recently took our boys to Center Parcs for a three-night break. It’s somewhere we’ve visited a few times over the years, largely because of how wheelchair-friendly it’s always been. The lodges have always worked well for me, and our boys love the activities — it’s usually a win for all of us.

This time, though, was different.

When we arrived, I discovered that the toilet in our accessible bathroom wasn’t working. As we were heading out for dinner that evening, I decided to report it first thing the next morning. There was a smaller toilet in the lodge, but I couldn’t get my wheelchair in — and it had no grab rails. It felt unsafe and inaccessible.

Reporting the Issue – and Being Ignored

So, first thing the next morning, I went to Guest Services. I explained the situation and was assured that an engineer would come out to fix it. We spent the day enjoying activities, and I used the public accessible toilets while we were out.

When we returned around 4 p.m., nothing had changed. The toilet still didn’t work. I went back to Guest Services to report it again.

This time, I was taken into a back office to speak to a supervisor. As I explained how unacceptable it was to leave me without an accessible toilet, they barely looked at me — just wrote down my words while I spoke. There was no eye contact, no empathy, and then came the question: “What do you want us to do?”

By 7 p.m., still no one had arrived. My husband went to Guest Services himself, frustrated that my concerns had been ignored and my safety was being compromised. Again, there was no apology. Our concerns were minimised.

That evening, the toilet was finally fixed — more than 27 hours after our arrival. For over 40% of our stay, I was without an essential facility. We lost time, comfort, and dignity trying to get it resolved.

When we got home, my husband submitted a formal complaint, outlining how Center Parcs had failed to provide essential accessible facilities and how this breached their obligations under the Equality Act 2010. Their response? An offer of a £150 discount on a future stay.

We declined. Why should we return somewhere that made me feel ignored and unsafe?

Center Parcs later refunded £150 directly to our account without our agreement and stated the matter was now closed. But for me, it isn’t.

Accessibility is a Right, Not a Perk

This Center Parcs accessibility failure, compromised my safety and dignity. They ignored multiple reports of a serious issue. That’s not a minor inconvenience — it’s discrimination.

We’re still awaiting a formal response, but if Center Parcs continues to dismiss the seriousness of this failure, we’re prepared to escalate the matter through the Equality Advisory and Support Service and, if necessary, the small claims procedure.

As a disability trainer and guest speaker, I often talk about why accessibility isn’t optional. It’s a right — and it should never depend on how many times you’re willing to ask to be heard