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

[Oddish]

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?

Imagine I had saved up to go on a lovely mini break with my family at the Premier Inn and when I turned up 20 homeless people were there. Then I'd have that chat to explain it all to my children and I'd watch their little eyes tear up at the worst aspects of our cruel world.

Sympathetic as I am to the plight of the homeless , I'd probably think twice about going to Premier Inn again. This is clearly not good business for Premier Inn.

We do need to sort this problem out by paying more tax and providing better long term solutions and help for the homeless. Not by picking on one organisation to offer a sticking plaster for a couple of nights, at great cost to themselves.

No it's not.

People have just highlighted the multiple issues that many homeless people have.

No one blames them for that. If I were on the streets of probabky need to get drunk and high too to get through the day. It's awful they are in that situation

But many have been offered homes before. It falls through because they cannot cope they don't have the skills to budget or look after themselves properly they are surrounded by other addicts etc.

There needs to be more help and more support to get them through it

A bed for a night won't do that.

I have never met a homeless person living long term on the streets who hasn’t got some sort of mental health issue , addiction problem , or learning disability. And I have met many.

More needs to be done to help these people as most are absolutely unable to help themselves get out of their situation. People without these problems who find themselves homeless are much more able to get themselves out of the situation.

The premier inn do not deserve bad press for this at all. They were not to blame in any way.

I volunteer, I buy drinks/food for the homeless when I go into a shop, I donate to charity, fuck I even give cash to homeless cos who am I to police their tiny pleasures in their hard lives? I do much much more than just ‘virtue signal’ on MN

Now you’re being totally ridiculous OP. No one has said the homeless are scum. The thread I’m reading here has a huge amount of sympathy for homeless people.

But that doesn’t mean that a normal hotel on a normal night should be given the nasty press you are trying to give them because they can’t facilitate housing 19 homeless people.

No one has said homeless people are scum?

Ok another thing, without being outing I have advised a lot of charities including homeless shelters and it’s not uncommon for staff to find residents dead in their rooms. Even for staff who have training this is traumatic and they often need support and counselling. Why the bloody hell should PI increase the risk of this happening to their own staff?

Who cares? That doesn’t mean others must!

Nobody has said homeless = scum

I do think you are being a bit naive though.
A lot of homeless people do have MH, alcohol and drug problems, you can't ignore that.
Also having worked in hotels, I know the clean up for the housekeeping staff would likely be a horrible job as the homeless do often smell.

Oddish
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.

How very fortunate for you. Agree with Eltonjohnsyrup.

I don't have a problem with them refusing as they are responsible for the safety of their customers (including children). It only takes one to get drugged up, drop a lit cigarette and the whole place could go up in smoke.

Nice virtue signalling.

If the original guests couldn't get to the hotel due to snow, then its likely the hotel staff couldn't get there either so there would be no one to clean the 19 rooms come the morning, cook breakfast, clean up afterwards etc.

It could happen to me, you, anyone.

Well, thats the thing. It doesn't happen to anyone. There is a horrible combination of lack of support network (family) + MH + drugs which creates the perfect storm. Also sexual abuse often features in that nasty cocktail for women who are on the streets.

By and large young people on the streets have had a traumatic childhood and have been in 'care'. Traumatic childhood/abuse + no safety net + drugs = streets. This is one of the most shameful things in our country - how we fail young vulnerable people under state care.

Another large contingent have MH issues, which may or may not be self medicated by alcohol or drugs.

Others might not have MH issues but are in the grips of serious addictions.

You clearly don't understand the difference between being 'homeless' and between being 'homeless on the streets'. If you do not have MH or addiction issues, you can access support.

That's a good point thenightsky. DP's hotel were basically operating with skeleton staff last week, so even more vulnerable than usual.

OP, I just cant understand your outrage about the situation and bewilderment at most people’s opinion that PI were entirely reasonable.

You have stated you will not invite the homeless into your home. You have children. Yet PI who has children as guests does not have the luxury? According to you they have locks on room doors so all is ok. You also have the option to install locks on the bedroom doors in your house. Then you could invite the homeless in but yet I’m guessing you would not do this. The charity you volunteer for will not let children be present with the homeless but PI should let children mix with the homeless. What don’t you understand?

In general the homeless need assistance from people who are equipped to deal with the issues they are likely to bring with them. PI is not equipped to do this. It does not make them unreasonable.

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.

There are very real issues with homelessness, drug and alcohol treatment services and mental health services in this country. The solution is not Premier Inn. I am pleased that this is being discussed more now though.

Op virtue signalling is you hand wringing and telling us how passionate you are about the homeless and making a ridiculous assumption that a hotel chain should have allowed 19 homeless men into its rooms without any ID or debit/credit cards to allow identification in the event of theft, damage or assault.

Then you Accuse us all of seeing homeless people as scum!

I think you seem very simplistic in your outlook and perhaps you need to see the bigger picture in like even if only to keep your children safe.

Why did you even consider taking under 18s to help at a homeless shelter?

I 100% side with Premier Inn.

*I volunteer, I buy drinks/food for the homeless when I go into a shop, I donate to charity, fuck I even give cash to homeless

I'd like to know which charities your volunteer with to give you such a naive view.

I volunteer at a homeless shelter and I can understand why PI wouldn't do this

Generally someone with training etc needs to be around for all the reasons mentioned above

you can't ask hotel staff to have that kind of training.

also, in general, if one person books rooms in a block, aren't they asked for ID? Not for one room but for 19...? I have only ever booked 4 for a family thing and I was asked for ID (not a PI but think similar chain).

A very difficult decision for the hotel manager, I can understand why they erred on the side of caution and didn't want to risk it. Some of those wanting a room could have been very challenging because of their mental health, alcohol etc.

no i woudn't boycott them

You are virtue signalling, Oddish.

You’ve decided to start this thread to show how compassionate you are and how terrible Premier Inn are, and by the way everyone should boycott them, oh and also boycott Costa Coffee as well, just because you say so.

I think the replies on hear show that PI’s response was totally appropriate, and what most people would expect them to do.

Also there’s nothing wrong with what you get at PI or Costa - they both give a reliably decent standard what they do - hotel room/coffee- that is replicated across the country. Their customers know what they’re going to get - perfectly acceptable coffee (especially if you live somewhere with a lack of artisan hipster coffee places) or a decent night’s sleep in a clean a reasonably well equipped room (unless, of course they’ve decided to make it into a homeless shelter for the night).

The woman should probably be grateful to PI for saying no anyway. Does she realise as the lead booker and the one with the card details on file it would be her being held financially liable for any damages occurred by her group? I can easily see the DM sad face story if this had happened too.

Years ago I was placed in a hotel that had a lot of homeless people in with drug and alcohol issues. My door locked yes, but it was horrendous. The other occupants didn’t stay quietly in their rooms overnight. There was lots of noise, arguing, banging and fighting. A few times my door handle was pushed.
Needles in communal areas. Empty bottles and glasses. Excrement and vomit.

If this happened at PI who would be expected to clean up afterwards? Sharps cannot be disposed of in normal bins and I doubt PI have the facilities to deal with the above situation. The place I was had more than one member of staff and had close links to the police. PI at night would in all likelihood have one person on the desk and police assistance would have been slow because of the weather.

Any guest can have issues there is no denying this. One or two hard to deal with guests are usually easier to manage than a large group plus disgruntled guests

And please don’t give money to homeless people. I give hot drinks, but every homeless charity asks people not to give cash.

You should know that with all your charity work.

Actually Oddish, it probably couldn’t easily be you and that really trivialises the situation they are in and their problems. You’re going to be like looking at things like severely abusive and neglectful childhoods, sexual exploitation, possibly involvement in the black economy and slavery, military men with severe PTSD, decades long and multiple severe addictions, prison sentences. This isn’t somewhere ordinary people go overnight, they are severely damaged people with very sad histories and PI simply isn’t equipped to deal with their problems.

I know you mean well, but you really are very naive on this.

I support Crisis monthly, but Premier Inns are a business, not a charity.

They will have had bookings further in to the week, and I can entirely see why they wouldn't be keen to take the risk on a substantial number of rooms potentially needing extreme cleaning the next day, let alone risks to staff and other customers.

There were so many initiatives to increase space for the homeless last week, so I can also see that many of those left without care would have been the more difficult cases. Potential for flea treatment of beds? Urine on mattresses and on carpets.

Totally unrealistic.