Premier Inn Housing Homeless

[UpsyDaisy6789]

As a family of four we very often have short breaks away in Premier Inn. Mostly just 1 night at a time, occasionally up to 3 nights at a time.

We've noticed on a few occasions now, Premier Inns seem to be housing homeless local families/individuals. On our most recent break of 3 nights this particular hotel seemed to be mainly housing homeless people. Some with obvious substance issues. There was one family with a very small baby, the man in the couple obviously very volatile and uncomfortable to witness/be around his manner to the young woman.

No one seemed to dress in the morning, all just downstairs just rolled out of bed in various dishevelled states.

It all made us feel really uncomfortable to be honest and now considering cancelling future breaks we have booked.

Honestly, if a local council are willing to fund a hotel to house homeless I'm impressed if anything. It's not that I'm not all for them having that help, especially the young couple with a tiny baby. I can see locally how much homelessness has increased and that there is a rising need for help.

However, with this most recent stay I think the right thing would be to now close that particular hotel for general bookings. We honestly felt that we were holidaying in a homeless shelter and it was really uncomfortable for us and we were particularly unhappy with some of the behaviour around our young kids.

Also can't help feeling awful for feeling this way, because I'm also very glad for them they're getting help. Feel really uncomfortable and conflicted about how we felt. Fed all this back to Premier Inn when received their usual "how was your stay" email and they've just totally ignored it.

Just wondered if anyone else had noticed similar and if it had/would put you off?

Had a similar experience in France, staying in cheap budget motels while en route to holiday stay. Personally I don't mind, my partner has worked with homeless people and I've worked in mental health for over 40 years. People are people. Some of the most objectionable and badly behaved people I've ever met have been very rich and entitled people at University. Homelessness can in fact happen to anyone, maybe that's what is upsetting you?

Did someone tell you they were homeless? They could just be normal paying customers. I sometimes find that Travelodge are more expensive than Premier Inn these days so people just go for cheapness.

I have known insurance companies put people up in Premier Inns after fires for example.

I can’t say this would bother me - but then again a cheap hotel is just a base for the night, not an integral part of the holiday for me.

But how did you know they were homeless?

When I had a house fire about 14 years ago Me, DH and our 2 DC were put into a Premier Travel Inn very close to our home for a month whilst we had to find a rental house. It meant DC could carry on at their same shools. We had to live in 2 rooms and it became very claustrophobic. My elder son is 7 years older than younger son so younger son needed to sleep as was 10 and older son did not want to sleep at 8 O'Clock. They did agree to do our laundry though. Insurance person got agreement with them to do it for us which was so helpful as we had very little clothes.

‘Considering cancelling future trips we have booked’ do you really have several stays booked with Premier Inn?

What’s wrong with that? Loads of people stay in premier inns for their holidays or weekends away.

My DH, and his friends, changed to staying at Premier Inn rather than Travelodge because a 3 night stay had the last night cancelled for homeless people. They were all on their phones trying to find somewhere, for their last night, that wouldn’t cost them too much! They needed to find a room because they were all volunteers for a charity, and wouldn’t let the charity down.

To answer how we knew they were homeless, this stay in particular it was really obvious plus could hear the conversations confirming it.

In 2 previous stays i had kind of noticed and wasn't at all bothered as it was a very different dynamic. One of those stays it was confirmed when I overheard someone talking to the waitress who was really sweet with their young boy. I noticed as the young boy had the same disability as mine. As I say I was pleasantly surprised councils fund this when there's a need having had dealings with social care previously. But this recent stay was a very different dynamic.

We do, we tend to have at least an overnight each school holiday and book in advance for best rates. Just find them a cheap, easy way to fit in a different day out not so close to home.

if any particular guest is behaving in an anti social way then you need to make a complaint at the time.

I've got 5 Travelodge stays booked before New Year. Is that so odd? Weekends away where the sights/activities are more important than the accomodation.

As for the other guests, whoever they are, if they cause you a problem, that's a problem and you should complain. If they just make the place look untidy, look the other way.

I did a couple of winters volunteering at an emergency shelter. It was very distressing to find those in need were exactly like me (and especially like my adult sons), with the only difference being they'd had no one to catch them when they made the poor decisions we all make from time to time.

This. And if they are not then you have no issue. The housing status of people is nothing to do with you. I would feel truly grateful for what you have in your shoes. There is a world of difference between staying in a hotel for a night so you can have a different day out to being placed there because without it you have nowhere. Nowhere to sleep, to wash, to have a cooked meal. Can you imagine that?

I do, it’s not that odd. I’m going to London 3 times in the next 8 months, plus Glasgow, Cardiff and Manchester. Of course I book my hotels in advance.

This has been a thing for many years in my area.

My local council use the local Premier Inn, IBIS and Travelodge hotels as emergency accommodation.

It’s often very obvious from overheard phone calls etc.

Never seen it as a problem though.

Only on MN, would people pay for a nice night away, and then not care at all, if the hotel was full of homeless people, some on heroin. Nonsense virtue signalling.

I worked for a LA for a number of years. This has been common practice for the last decade. The housing asylum seekers in hotels in no different to what is done for the homeless or those seeking council accommodation across the country.

Only in a truely selfish society would people prioritise their holiday accommodation over a home for someone however temporary

If people want a nice night away a budget chain hotel isn’t where they go. i don’t care who else is in a premier inn, i book it because it’s cheap and cheerful, not luxury.

I have worked for two homeless charities and that would bother me because people who have issues with alcohol and substance use can be very volatile and chaotic. That's why they do better in hostels with support workers on site who can help them.

The last charity I worked for ran a day centre for homeless people and there were constant fights and there were instances of staff members being attacked. One of the many reasons why I left that organisation. I never felt safe there.

So although it would not bother me if a family with kids was housed in a hotel while they wait for permanent accommodation, I don't thinks that regular hotels is a place to house single homelessness people with complex needs.

''@childofthe607080s · Today 11:50 Only in a truely selfish society would people prioritise their holiday accommodation over a home for someone however''

That sounds all well and good but as I have described above there are serious safety concerns associated with mixing holiday makers with drug addicts and people who might have serious, untreated mental health issues made even worse by drugs and alcohol. People like that need specialist/individual support, not a room in a hotel where they are left to their own devices without supervision. It is not fair on staff or visitors.

Quite. It’s shocking the attitudes of people. I can’t even begin to imagine how terrifying it must be to be homeless.

That's NOT what the Op said though, is it? She said that if it's going to be a homeless shelter, that they should stop selling rooms to holiday makers.

And if you tell me that you would book a hotel like this for your holidays, I'm sorry, I absolutely do not believe you. If you knew, you'd look for somewhere else to stay.

And for that reason, I'd be amazed if that's actually what going on. A homeless family may have found it necessary to book a hotel short term, but I doubt that Premier Inn is risking their other trade by accepting Local Authority bookings.

I do imagine how awful it would to be in their shoes that's probably why I feel conflicted. If the hotel had contacted us and said they needed to cancel our room to accommodate people who had nowhere else I'd have had no problem with that. I'm pleased for them they were safe and comfortable for the night. However, there was obvious alcohol/substance abuse. One man was volatile and obviously ready to kick off with the people he was sat with. Not comfortable to me sat feet away with my kids.

So focus on the behaviour not their homeless status - although troubled lives go hand in hand with homelessness it’s such a sad state of affairs

People are people

I don't understand this.

Jack the ripper and Fred West were "people". It doesn't mean you'd be okay with them staying in the room next door.

My very respectable Nanna, is not the same as Mick, who takes heroin, raids the local Co-op twice a week, breaks into people's homes and regularly beats up his girlfriend.

Both are "people", but nothing alike. One you might like to socialise with, or allow around your children, the other ..... not so much