The Cabo de Gata Plaza Suites Hotel in El Toyo is in hot water with the courts after a Judge accepted a discrimination case over a refusal by the hotel to allow a group of children suffering from Downs Syndrome to stay at the hotel.
Asociación Almeriense para Personas con Síndrome de Down (Asalsido) was trying to find a hotel for a school trip last year and contacted several hotels in the area for prices. The hotel in question replied saying that their policy was not to allow mentally handicapped people to stay as it could cause other guest discomfort, as had happened in the past.
Asalsido, incensed as you can imagine by the response, filed a criminal complaint against the hotel under Article 512 of the Penal code. The Junta de Andalucia’s Ministry of Equality accepted the case and the matter went to court.
A Judge has now cited the director of the hotel, the commercial director and the receptionist who wrote the email to declare in the case, and has given the hotel 10 days to formulate any allegations.
The hotel says it was a “misunderstanding” by a member of staff and has apologised.