Hotel's credit card requirement discriminatory to Travellers, WRC finds

The Workplace Relations Commission has found that a Co Cork hotel discriminated against three Traveller women by enforcing a credit card requirement to secure accommodation. Annalise Power, Ann Stokes, and Bridget Power, who travelled from Longford to attend a birthday celebration in September 2019, were refused rooms at the Charleville Park Hotel and Leisure Club despite offering alternative payment methods. The hotel maintained the policy applied uniformly to all guests following incidents of room damage and unpaid bills. Adjudication officer Janet Hughes ruled the requirement had a disproportionate impact on the Travelling community, citing Census 2016 data showing approximately eighty percent unemployment in that demographic, making credit card access substantially less available than for the general population. Ms Hughes ordered the hotel to pay €3,500 to Annalise Power, €8,000 to Ann Stokes, and €4,500 to Bridget Power. The officer noted the awards reflected the discriminatory nature of the policy, though Ms Power's conduct during the incident reduced her individual compensation.