Two homeless men were turned away from a Holiday Inn Express and sent back out onto the street in subfreezing temperatures despite a Good Samaritan having already paid for their rooms.
Amanda Thompson, from outreach group Two Brews, bought two rooms with breakfast included at the Holiday Inn Express in Manchester city centre for Monday night.
She made the booking out of her own pocket and using donations to make sure the two men were safe and warm as temperatures across the city plummeted to below -6C.
But when the men, accompanied by a chaperon, arrived at the budget hotel they were promptly told by staff that their £201 booking could not be honoured and they were asked to leave.
Some Holiday Inn Express locations across Britain are used by governments for housing migrants.
A spokesperson for the Manchester Oxford Road Holiday Inn Express said: ‘We sincerely apologise to the guests affected and are taking steps internally to strengthen our training.’
The footage, shared on the Instagram account Madd Manneh, a member of staff on reception told the men he knew they were ‘from the street’ and the hotel ‘doesn’t allow’ them to stay.
He said: ‘Guys, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m not going to be able to check you in. Full truth and transparency, I know that you’re from the street and the hotel doesn’t allow it.
‘It’s not a personal thing. We know people, I’ve been doing the door for a long while. It’s the company’s policy. It’s not mine personally, it’s the company’s.’
Thankfully, a nearby Travelodge accepted the booking saving the men from a night on the street just days after homeless father Anthony Horn, 47, was tragically found dead on a nearby canal path.
Once the video was shared online, comments flooded in, with one reading: ‘Everyone deserves a chance in these conditions, terrible attitude.’ Another responded: ‘Cannot believe they wouldn’t let them stay’.
Ms Thompson described the decision taken by the Holiday Inn as ‘visual discrimination’ and ‘inhumane’.
She said: ‘I couldn’t get enough rooms at Travelodge, and some of the people we support can’t walk very far so I need to book them into the nearest place.
‘The nearest place I could get them in was the Holiday Inn. I put it through, got the confirmation and they were taken down to check in for the night. After getting there it was just complete discrimination by appearance.
‘It’s disgusting. We then went back to the Travelodge on Upper Brook Street and they accepted them straight away and were so helpful. We had six or seven people in there who we supported on the Sunday night, and got four dogs in too.
‘I can’t wrap my head around how you can go to the desk, with a booking that is paid for, and turned away just for being a rough sleeper. They could’ve been hard working men and they have been judged on how they look. They just took one look at them and made the decision. It’s inhumane.’
Ms Thompson continued: ‘When booking, I had to pay the £50 deposit for damages and breakages, so if anything had happened I’d have been charged.
‘They just wanted somewhere warm to stay. I don’t understand what the problem was. It’s ridiculous with everything going on, and it was -6C. It was so cold. It made me so angry. It’s so frustrating and I had a wave of emotions.’
The men were turned away from the Holiday Inn Express on Manchester’s Oxford Road (pictured)
IHG, which runs the Holiday Inn brand, states online that it ‘offers access for all’ and that it ‘aims to make hotel facilities available and accessible to all guests equally’, adding: ‘In rare instances where this is not possible, we will endeavour to offer a suitable alternative.’
During the Covid-19 lockdown, the Holiday Inn Express in Gorton area of Manchester, was used to house hundreds of homeless people who were later offered support into getting into other accommodation.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Holiday Inn Express Manchester CC- Oxford Road told the Daily Mail: ‘After speaking with team members, we recognise that this incident is not in keeping with our policy of welcoming all and should have been handled differently.
‘We sincerely apologise to the guests affected and are taking steps internally to strengthen our training.’
