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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think Premier Inn should’ve let homeless in.

407 replies

Oddish · 06/03/2018 13:03

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/premier-inn-homeless-people-turned-away-customer-paying-westonsupermare-a8240171.html

A woman who couldn’t make her mass booking of 19 rooms due to the weather last week offered the rooms to the homeless in the area via a charity’s Facebook.
A couple who had a flooded home were also given a room.
Flood couple let in no problem, homeless people who attended with charity rep were turned away.
Now Premier are saying they needed the lead room booker to be there and ID to be presented which is obviously bollocks because the flooded home couple were allowed in with no problem.

AIBU to think they should’ve let them in, it was bitterly cold and I think they acted heartlessly. Then the backtracking that followed. AIBU to boycott them? Would you?

OP posts:
FluffyWuffy100 · 06/03/2018 13:21

No fucking way would I want to have 19 homeless man who undoubtedly have drug, alcohol and/or mental health issues staying in my hypotentical hotel.

Premier inn did the right thing. It is not up to them to house the homeless.

DancesWithOtters · 06/03/2018 13:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Shoppingwithmother · 06/03/2018 13:23

I think the other guests would be reasonably pissed off to discover they had basically booked themselves into a homeless shelter for the night.

I don’t think Premier Inn are unreasonable at all - they would have ended up with a lot of customer complaints and possibly refunds.

Littleraincloud · 06/03/2018 13:24

I just wonder if the woman who invited them or any of the people complaining would have been willing to volunteer as staff for the evening. It's generous of her and a kind sentiment but I understand premier inn.

Original poster
Oddish · 06/03/2018 13:24

Would you have let homeless people in OP? Have you offered up your home to homeless people in bad weather?

No but I live in a house with children and no spare room. If someone was freezing ok my doorstop I like to think I’d do something and if I had a lovely warm hotel I’d certainly let them in.

These people had a charity representative with them, they didn’t just turn up.

Homeless people are people too.

OP posts:
Passthecake30 · 06/03/2018 13:24

expat a donation would've helped alleviate some of the bad press. I apologise for not being clearer in my first post.

I am in no way lady bountiful by suggesting that Hmm

Original poster
Oddish · 06/03/2018 13:25

littleraincloud she physically couldn’t get there because of the weather so she couldn’t have done that.

OP posts:
Bluelady · 06/03/2018 13:25

We seem to be in a minority, OP. I'm appalled.

MorrisZapp · 06/03/2018 13:25

I won't be boycotting them. I think the manager was probably being reasonable in the circumstances but even if she wasn't, it's pointless to boycott a national chain because of one manager. I doubt Premier Inn have an anti homeless people policy.

Gladisgood · 06/03/2018 13:27

My brother once lost his wallet and had no other form of ID with him and was trying to check in to his room at Premier Inn. It was a real farce - he rang me and we had to cancel his booking, I had to re-book it online, and I ended up having to drive there ( about an hour away) to show them my ID before they would let him stay. He needed to be at a very early meeting otherwise we'd have told them to forget it and just have him stay at my house!

I'm guessing the flooded home couple had I.D......

guest2013 · 06/03/2018 13:29

I don't see how anyone could be appalled at this. I think it's this romanticized view that someone else mentioned. Homeless people are more often than not, people with a shit load of issues. The staff shouldn't have to deal with any of those, receptionists or cleaners and neither should the other guests.

Original poster
Oddish · 06/03/2018 13:29

Seems so Bluelady but I’m glad at least people are talking/thinking about it and now the majority of posts side with premier inn perhaps others will not be so brave to speak up.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 06/03/2018 13:29

'expat a donation would've helped alleviate some of the bad press.'

They're under no obligation to donate, and as for the press, the lady went straight to social media to read them the Riot Act, when, as you see, plenty of people agree with Premier Inn's stance and she agreed to their T&C when she made the booking. They don't allow amendments without their permission and subject to their discretion because the property is theirs, the guest is only hiring it.

TheOrigRightsofwomen · 06/03/2018 13:30

I don't offer my home to homeless people, neither do I give lots of money to charity. That really makes me no different to Premier Inn.

Original poster
Oddish · 06/03/2018 13:30

Even if they had ID glad it wouldn’t have matched the lead bookers details.

OP posts:
kyrenialady · 06/03/2018 13:31

I definitely will not be boycotting them.

I think they made the right decision.

Eltonjohnssyrup · 06/03/2018 13:31

I’m with PI on this. I don’t think it was an altruistic gesture at all, l think she was pissed off they wouldn’t refund her so did it as revenge because she knew they’d either have huge problems or turn them away and she could get bad press.

At the end of the day PIs staff are generally very low paid and don’t have the training to deal with a huge crowd of people who may have complex MH and addiction problems or criminal histories. And PIs duty of care here is to their staff.

I worked in a pub in the West End many moons ago. And whilst we would happily chat to them and give them our leftover sandwiches we didn’t serve them because our experience was that frequently this led to situations where staff were threatened and at risk or had to deal with unpleasant situations. I have every sympathy for their situation. But I think PI made the right call. The chances are that their staff would have had to deal with some extremely unpleasant fall out.

MyBrilliantDisguise · 06/03/2018 13:32

@Gladisgood Premier Inn always confirm by email. Just because he'd lost his wallet, it doesn't mean he couldn't log in to his email.

I've used Premier Inn tons of times and I know I could have explained things and they would have helped me.

Shoppingwithmother · 06/03/2018 13:32

Oddish, you say you live in a house with children as part of the reason why you couldn’t take homeless people in.

In all probability some of the guests at the Premier Inn had children with them - maybe they wouldn’t have been up for their kids staying in a hotel that had become a homeless shelter for the night?

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 06/03/2018 13:33

Good post Elton

Tralalee · 06/03/2018 13:33

No, I won't be boycotting them. It's at their discretion who they let in. They're not a homeless shelter. They're heavily automated with most places have few staff about at night and then usually female staff. They're liable for the reasonable safety of all their guests on the premises. You're also not entitled to pass on booking without their permission, because you're paying for the hire of the space, it's not yours to dispose of how you wish. As for no refunds, if you book on their non-flexible rate, it's very clear you are not entitled to make any amendments to the booking or to a refund except at their own discretion

this.

Blinkyblink · 06/03/2018 13:34

Oddish

And it’s your home. So what you do with it is entirely your business. You choose not to make space to axcokdate a homeless person on a freezing cold night. Fair enough.

The premier inn is a business. It doesn’t have the same freedom that you do as home owner. It has other guests to consider. Paying guests. Who also may have children.

inlectorecumbit · 06/03/2018 13:34

I love Premier Inn and will continue to use.
i have sympathy with the hotel, they were put in a very difficult situation for both staff and other guests. But l suppose both PI and lots of other people/ establishments could have done more for the homeless.

beanii · 06/03/2018 13:34

Why should they? I wouldn't want to stay in the room afterwards. Yes there are genuine cases but a lot are drug users/drinkers. Well done PI for sticking to your guns - shame about the bad press.

Tralalee · 06/03/2018 13:35

I use premier inn because it is very safe and vanilla.

I often stay in them with my young dd and I wouldn't feel happy with 19 random homeless people in my corridor, no. Sorry. I have every intention of staying there, and in fact it has made me feel even safer about staying there.