Cancellation of Hotel Advice (due to asylum seekers)

Afcwaltondon

Hi,

I'm after some advice. I booked a hotel in Bournemouth a week ago for next weekend. It came out in the news earlier this week that the Heathlands Hotel that I booked (owned by Britannia Hotels) is currently housing 67 asylum seekers.

I no longer wish to stay at this hotel and would definitely not have booked the hotel had this information been available beforehand. What rights do I have?

The hotel has said no refund (they have taken the money off my credit card) or cancellation will be made, which I would understand in normal circumstances (the hotel being named in the telegraph, mail and express and probably more isn't normal) as it wasn't a flexible rate. However, surely something that, if disclosed, would have materially altered most peoples purchasing decision means some kind of implied term of the contract has been broken.

Thanks

Charityworker

I don't know whether you really have a leg to stand on there. Although I agree with you and probably wouldn't want to stay there myself they are human paying customers so I don't think you can do much about it.

Quentin

You never know where the other guests at a hotel you book come from.

These aren't grounds for expecting the agreed cancellation conditions to be changed for you

paddyrg

Is it the fact they're, y'know, foreigners staying in a hotel? Or that they've come to the UK to seek shelter and asylum from somewhere worse, possibly Syria, Middle East, etc.

Unless they demonstrate otherwise, why not assume they're people in trouble having to stay far from home and staying in the hotel much like any other guest? IF it turns out they're running a crack den with hookers and parties all through the night, take it up with the hotel. If they're families trying to get by having left everything behind, living all in one room, asking for help, maybe cut them some slack?

lucy03

Afcwaltondon wrote: »

Hi,

I'm after some advice. I booked a hotel in Bournemouth a week ago for next weekend. It came out in the news earlier this week that the Heathlands Hotel that I booked (owned by Britannia Hotels) is currently housing 67 asylum seekers.

I no longer wish to stay at this hotel and would definitely not have booked the hotel had this information been available beforehand. What rights do I have?

The hotel has said no refund (they have taken the money off my credit card) or cancellation will be made, which I would understand in normal circumstances (the hotel being named in the telegraph, mail and express and probably more isn't normal) as it wasn't a flexible rate. However, surely something that, if disclosed, would have materially altered most peoples purchasing decision means some kind of implied term of the contract has been broken.

Thanks

If there had been a material change to your booking then you would certainly be able to ask for a refund and cancel the accommodation, and probably pursue action in the small claims court on that basis. However I don't see what material difference the asylum seekers would make. Would they be any noisier than, say, a large group of friends going on a stag or hen night? If you can define what alters your stay to make it a material difference then that would be the start as a basis of a complaint to the hotel.

tomtontom

You're happy to stay in a cheap and nasty hotel, but not a cheap and nasty hotel with asylum seekers? Get over yourself!

PenguinOfDeath

Indeed, I think the fact you booked into a Britannia hotel is the problem going off past experience!

Afcwaltondon

Thank you for the replies. I hadn't heard of Britannia hotels before, I have now and won't use them again, but the area was incredibly booked up for this weekend.

As for they are just other people, yes I agree and everything may be fine. However, they are also people who have either entered the country without permission or are desperate and broke. Either way it makes you question security more than it would with unknown people. It's not about nationality, the same would be true for a place doubling up as a homeless shelter, even though I know thEy are not all alcoholic drug addicts.

As for whether behaviour would be any worse than a stag do, possibly not, but check out trip advisor and you will realise there is disruption.

Anyway not trying to prompt a debate, just seeing whether there was anything I could do. There's seemingly not so I'll just write off the trip and spread the word about Britannia hotels.

InsideInsurance

Having looked on tripadvisor there is only a tiny proportion that make any mention of the other guests in a negative way. If anything should cause concern its that 50% or more complain about the place being very tired/ stained and the food being poor.

Ultimately its your choice, you certainly have no grounds for cancellation just because who the other guests may be, what country the originate from or their visa status in the UK. Personally I'd be much more worried about stag do's than asylum seekers

RuthnJasper

Afcwaltondon wrote: »

Anyway not trying to prompt a debate...

... probably best not to include phrases like "because of asylum seekers" in the thread title then...

Have a nice time in Bournemouth. x

his_missus

I wouldn't necessarily write off the trip. Go and if there are any issues complain after to the hotel. Take photo/video evidence of any problems to back up your complaints.


I've stayed in Britannia hotels in the past and, to be honest, the poor quality food, tired looking rooms and the lack of enthusiastic staff will probably cause you more concern than asylum seekers staying there.