A woman has shared her experience at a hotel “catering for plus size people” with features including “super wide” sunbeds and chairs, reinforced beds, and larger showers.
Kirsty Leanne, 29, from Shropshire, regularly shares travel tips for larger-bodied people and has built up a following of 114,900 people on TikTok (@kirstyleannetravels).
Now, she has shared an inside look at the Catamaran Hotel in Antigua, which she says made for a “mostly stress-free” trip thanks to the special features.
The travel buff shared footage from the trip on TikTok which went viral with over 413,000 views and 44,600 likes – and the hotel proved a hit with viewers commending it for its “inclusivity”.
“Usually when I go to a hotel, I spend time worrying about a variety of different things – the strength of the beds, whether or not the chairs will have arms, if there will be any plastic furniture and how big the showers are,” Kirsty, who shares tips on her blog, Plus Size Travel Too, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“I research all of these things beforehand but most of the time, you don’t know what you’re going to get until you arrive.
“With the Catamaran, I didn’t have any of those worries as I know they were putting the needs of plus size travellers first.
“For the most part, it was a stress-free trip where I didn’t have to worry about my size being an issue.
“From reinforced beds to wide chairs, I felt incredibly welcomed while staying there.
“I really loved the sun beds — not only were they super wide, but they were also made with wood.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat on a sunbed and been worried it’s going to break, so not having that worry was so, so refreshing.
“I also really liked that the showers were large. There was plenty of space, which is not something you find often in hotels.
“I do think there are areas they need to improve on – for example, the overall size of the bathroom is small and the towels would only fit up to a size 24 – but overall, I think it’s a great example of how hotels can make guests of all sizes feel welcome.”
TikTokers lauded the hotel’s efforts, with many appearing thrilled that they had made an effort to accommodate plus-size visitors.
One user commented: “This almost makes me tear up. Imagine feeling welcome and accommodated!”
“This makes me want to go, biggest anxiety going somewhere not knowing if u can participate or be included especially a beach place,” another viewer said. [sic]
Someone else added: “This is incredible, immediately adding it to my bucket list.”
“This is everything!!!! I love how this would be a stress free vaca!” another person agreed. [sic]
“I am not even plus size and I would consider going here because they clearly care about their guest’s comfort and safety and that’s a good sign,” said another fan.
Someone else added: “That is amazing. Totally agree every place should be accommodating.”
“This is so great! Inclusivity!” another viewer agreed.
