After a collision with her large dog in February left Amanda Cable with a badly broken knee and shattered leg, her holiday plans—and her body—were sent flying. Confined to a sofa in a leg brace for three months, her daily steps plummeted from 10,000 to a hobbling 10 paces with crutches. As Deputy Features Editor of a national newspaper, selecting destinations and reviews for award-winning travel content, she could only dream of going anywhere herself.
Discovering Accessible Travel
Her criteria changed dramatically: no long-haul, no busy city breaks. Then she called TUI's accessibility line. The quiet resort of Puerto Pollensa in northern Majorca fitted the bill perfectly. Until then, she had no idea that a team of 100 experts tackle accessible travel daily. They handle medical baggage, oxygen, medications, and safe food. TUI also offers a freephone number for assisted travel and a video service with staff trained in British Sign Language.
Ten years ago, families with a disabled relative could rarely contemplate air travel. Now, TUI regularly vets hotels for accessibility. Four TUI Blue hotels in destinations like Cyprus and Spain have sensory rooms, with plans to expand. They provide sensory bags with tactile visual and auditory items in kids' clubs, visualisation cards for younger guests, and staff trained in neurodiversity. As Amanda admits, it's an area of travel she didn't know existed.
Airport Experience
At her 4am check-in at Gatwick, she presented herself at the accessibility desk. Despite the hour, passengers with extra needs were placed in a large holding area with seats, a coffee machine, and pagers. Wheelchairs with oxygen tanks, grandparents on mobility scooters, and children with headphones filled the room. Everyone nodded, smiled, and said hello. It was the friendliest airport lounge she had ever been in—and the most humbling. When it was time to board, a cheerful young university student whisked her through security. The student had woken up for her shift at 3am and said, 'This is travel with a difference. Everyone’s grateful.'
Arrival and Hotel
At Palma airport, she was taken off the plane by an ambulator (a cherry picker), avoiding stairs. Spanish assistants were cheerful and efficient. A scenic one-hour drive through mountains and villages brought her to Puerto Pollensa. TUI suggested the historic Hotel Illa d’Or, overlooking the bay. The calm white walls, trendy furniture, and immaculately uniformed staff created a beautiful atmosphere. The double room had a balcony with a sea view. A lift and ramps earned full marks for accessibility.
The hotel has an indoor pool, a wellness spa with Turkish baths, an ice fountain, water jets, sauna, and hydromassage beds. The waterfront terrace restaurant, patio for drinks, daily boat trips from the jetty, sun loungers overlooking the ocean, and evening singers all contributed to a perfect stay. An adults-only sea-facing pool has shallow steps and two handrails for easy access. Families have access to another pool across the road, set in lawn and gardens with sun loungers and double Cabana daybeds.
Exploring Puerto Pollensa
The famous Pinewalk—an accessible path along the seafront, lined with pine trees and scented by local flowers—leads to the town, with restaurants and bars ten minutes away. The Bahia hotel restaurant serves famous paella overlooking the beach. For budgeting, the Alfresco Deli offers huge sandwiches, and small mini markets make fresh baguettes for picnics. A meal with beer can start at £15, with no service charge and cheaper alcohol than the UK.
Fellow guests reported that the hotel's vintage boat, The Isabel Maria, leaves daily from the private jetty for tours around the bay, with opportunities to jump into crystal-clear water to see fish. Options include full day, half day, sunset tours, or private hire. The Soller train, a historic 1912 wooden train, carries passengers from Palma to Soller in an hour. Buses go to Palma, with its cathedral, cobbled streets, pavement cafes, and vintage shops. The Drach Caves in Porto Cristo have one of the largest underground lakes in the world, offering an hour-long tour and a live classical music concert.
Twice a week, the local market sells linen-like dresses, trousers, and shirts from £10, along with leather handbags and jewellery. The Hotel Illa d’Or's own seafront restaurant, La Terrassa, serves sea bass, vegetarian pasta, and carpaccio that could rival any famous London eaterie.
Impact and Reflection
Amanda, stuck by the pool and unable to explore, felt the charm of the hotel overcame her. She relaxed like never before. Support at airports made return easy. She reflects, 'I’ll never walk (eventually) through Gatwick without thinking of the room without a view filled with passengers and families who may never once have been able to travel. They’re able to do so because of an army of experts and airport workers who team up to make holiday dreams come true—and I am truly humbled by the TUI accessibility team.' She concludes, 'Did my holiday change me? It shaped every future trip I’ll ever make.'
TUI offers 7-night bed and breakfast stays at Hotel Illa d’Or in Puerto Pollensa from £1,206 per person travelling from London Gatwick on 1 August 2026, based on two adults sharing, including overseas airport transfers and 20kg luggage per person.
