A transgender woman has slammed hotel staff in England for “assuming” she wanted to use a unisex facility, instead of a female locker room.

Anne Coombes, 65, from the UK, was looking to use the swimming pool at the Mercure Hotel in Sheffield – a city in South Yorkshire – when the alleged incident unfolded.

In a tweet on Sunday, that has since gone viral with 4.3 million views, Anne, who goes by the pronouns she/her, explained a staffer “assumed” she wanted to use the unisex locker room and gave her a key for it, instead of the female facility.

“I am so f–king angry,” she wrote.

“I’m at the Mercure Hotel in Sheffield and I fancied using the swimming pool. I couldn’t get my locker key to work on the ladies. Turns out the assistant had ‘assumed’ I wanted the unisex changing room. With me dressed like this.”

Anne shared a photo of her outfit – a long blue top and skirt.

She insisted the worker be sent for “gender sensitivity training”, adding the experience “spoiled” her day.

“I have calmed down now and I’ve asked that the lady in question is sent on a DIE course but is not punished,” she told followers.

“She thought she was doing the right thing. I’d rather that beneficial lessons are learned rather than the only legacy being memories of a grumpy old trans woman.”

She also said it’s the first time anyone (in person) has treated her “as if I am not a woman”.

“I know I don’t pass, you know I don’t pass but decent people accept the rule of self-identity,” she said.

“If in doubt then find a polite way to ask, don’t assume.”

Anne’s tweets have attracted thousands of comments, in defense and against her stance.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through this. Sending love,” one person wrote.

“I’m so sorry you delt with that. You are a woman and I support you,” another added, while a third wrote: “Sorry to hear this has happened to you Anne and also sorry for the abuse you have had to put up with. Standing with you.”

Anne has since responded to the mixed reactions.

“I tried to find all the positive and supportive tweets in amongst the nastiness but the sheer quantity of posts means I may have missed some. If you did post something supportive and I haven’t liked it or responded then I am sorry.”

She said she has been overwhelmed by the number of people who have gone out of their way to state their concern and offer their support whether virtual or real.

“Thank you to each and every one of you, I value your standing up as an ally. And to all those people who weren’t on my side, I’m sorry but I will continue to exist, I am not going away.

“It doesn’t matter how much you lie about me I will still be here when you have run out of things to say.”

News.com.au has reached out to Accor, the company which owns Mercure, for comment.