This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/17/hull-hotel-cancels-christmas-booking-for-homeless-people
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Donations flood in as hotel cancels booking for homeless people | Donations flood in as hotel cancels booking for homeless people |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Hundreds of people have raised more than £8,000 to house 28 homeless people over Christmas after their charity booking was revoked by a leading hotel chain. | Hundreds of people have raised more than £8,000 to house 28 homeless people over Christmas after their charity booking was revoked by a leading hotel chain. |
| Donations flooded in after the Britannia Royal hotel in Hull cancelled without explanation a reservation for rough sleepers on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. | Donations flooded in after the Britannia Royal hotel in Hull cancelled without explanation a reservation for rough sleepers on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. |
| The decision prompted a wave of anger directed at the hotel – which deleted its social media pages – while thousands more people offered to help. | The decision prompted a wave of anger directed at the hotel – which deleted its social media pages – while thousands more people offered to help. |
| The Britannia hotel chain, which made a £19m pre-tax profit last year, has not explained its decision, which homelessness volunteers said highlighted a “fear of the homeless” in parts of British society. | The Britannia hotel chain, which made a £19m pre-tax profit last year, has not explained its decision, which homelessness volunteers said highlighted a “fear of the homeless” in parts of British society. |
| Research released last week revealed that more than 24,000 people in Britain will spend the festive period sleeping rough or in cars, trains, buses or tents – suggesting the problem is far greater than official figures portray. | Research released last week revealed that more than 24,000 people in Britain will spend the festive period sleeping rough or in cars, trains, buses or tents – suggesting the problem is far greater than official figures portray. |
| The former footballer turned boxer Curtis Woodhouse said he had received more than 15,000 messages after he promised to open his gym to homeless people at Christmas. | The former footballer turned boxer Curtis Woodhouse said he had received more than 15,000 messages after he promised to open his gym to homeless people at Christmas. |
| Woodhouse, 38, said the messages included inquires from people who needed accommodation but also scores of offers to help. He said the response had “restored my faith in humanity” and that he would offer a roof to homeless people and put on a Christmas meal for them at his gym in Driffield, east Yorkshire. | Woodhouse, 38, said the messages included inquires from people who needed accommodation but also scores of offers to help. He said the response had “restored my faith in humanity” and that he would offer a roof to homeless people and put on a Christmas meal for them at his gym in Driffield, east Yorkshire. |
| Woodhouse also offered to help the 28 homeless people whose hotel booking was cancelled without explanation at the weekend. | Woodhouse also offered to help the 28 homeless people whose hotel booking was cancelled without explanation at the weekend. |
| Carl Simpson, 50, had paid £1,092 for the rough sleepers to stay in 14 twin rooms at the Royal hotel in Hull on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. | Carl Simpson, 50, had paid £1,092 for the rough sleepers to stay in 14 twin rooms at the Royal hotel in Hull on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. |
| The cafe owner, who raised the money through donations, said he told the hotel when he made the booking that it was a goodwill gesture for homeless people. | The cafe owner, who raised the money through donations, said he told the hotel when he made the booking that it was a goodwill gesture for homeless people. |
| The Guardian view on homelessness: the right to a roof | Editorial | The Guardian view on homelessness: the right to a roof | Editorial |
| He said he was “absolutely gutted and very angry” when he received a call from a hotel manager informing him that the booking had been cancelled. No reason was given, Simpson said. | He said he was “absolutely gutted and very angry” when he received a call from a hotel manager informing him that the booking had been cancelled. No reason was given, Simpson said. |
| “I asked for a reason and was told there isn’t one,” Simpson wrote in a Facebook post that has been shared more than 1,000 times. “In my eyes this is nothing more than discrimination, especially after we was so open about what it was for.” | |
| The hotel, which is part of the Britannia group, said no one was able to comment when contacted by the Guardian on Monday morning. | The hotel, which is part of the Britannia group, said no one was able to comment when contacted by the Guardian on Monday morning. |
| The decision prompted outrage online. Some users called for a boycott of the Grade II-listed Victorian hotel, while others said they were disgusted and appalled. The hotel closed down its social media pages on Monday after it was inundated with criticism. | The decision prompted outrage online. Some users called for a boycott of the Grade II-listed Victorian hotel, while others said they were disgusted and appalled. The hotel closed down its social media pages on Monday after it was inundated with criticism. |
| 24,000 sleeping rough or on public transport in UK, charity says | 24,000 sleeping rough or on public transport in UK, charity says |
| Emma Hardy, the Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle, said she would write to the hotel and “appeal to them to reconsider”. | Emma Hardy, the Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle, said she would write to the hotel and “appeal to them to reconsider”. |
| The Britannia group owns 53 hotels – and more than 10,000 bedrooms – across the UK and was named in an online survey last month as the country’s worst hotel chain for the sixth year running. | The Britannia group owns 53 hotels – and more than 10,000 bedrooms – across the UK and was named in an online survey last month as the country’s worst hotel chain for the sixth year running. |
| In the year to March 2017, the hotel group made a £19m pre-tax profit after an 11% increase in turnover to £93.4m, according to its latest Companies House filings. | In the year to March 2017, the hotel group made a £19m pre-tax profit after an 11% increase in turnover to £93.4m, according to its latest Companies House filings. |
| Simpson said he would “need a miracle” to get the rough sleepers a roof over their heads in time for Christmas. | Simpson said he would “need a miracle” to get the rough sleepers a roof over their heads in time for Christmas. |
| The volunteer, who runs the Raise the Roof Hull homeless project, said he had been hoping to “repeat the success of last Christmas” when he booked 28 homeless people into an Ibis hotel for two nights. | The volunteer, who runs the Raise the Roof Hull homeless project, said he had been hoping to “repeat the success of last Christmas” when he booked 28 homeless people into an Ibis hotel for two nights. |
| “After the stay they were so grateful,” he told the BBC. “Some left staff gifts using the very little money they had, and one asked if he could vacuum the rooms to show his appreciation. | “After the stay they were so grateful,” he told the BBC. “Some left staff gifts using the very little money they had, and one asked if he could vacuum the rooms to show his appreciation. |
| “This means the world to homeless people. Last year, we had tears of joy from someone who stood on the edge of the Humber Bridge the night before. We have to break the news to people that the hotel has been cancelled.” | “This means the world to homeless people. Last year, we had tears of joy from someone who stood on the edge of the Humber Bridge the night before. We have to break the news to people that the hotel has been cancelled.” |
| Simpson said he was yet to receive a refund for the booking so was unable to rebook another hotel. “Our Xmas hotel campaign is now in serious doubt being so close to Xmas we need a miracle,” he wrote. | Simpson said he was yet to receive a refund for the booking so was unable to rebook another hotel. “Our Xmas hotel campaign is now in serious doubt being so close to Xmas we need a miracle,” he wrote. |
| A homelessness worker, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the hotel’s decision, said it was typical of a misunderstanding of homelessness and a “fear that they are drunk ex-servicemen on drugs, rather than being on short-term contracts or suffering problems with welfare”. | A homelessness worker, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the hotel’s decision, said it was typical of a misunderstanding of homelessness and a “fear that they are drunk ex-servicemen on drugs, rather than being on short-term contracts or suffering problems with welfare”. |
| Homelessness | Homelessness |
| Hull | Hull |
| Poverty | Poverty |
| Social exclusion | Social exclusion |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |