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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that the Royal Hotel in Hull are being unreasonable

110 replies

brizzledrizzle · 17/12/2018 09:05

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46587353

Homeless people in Hull who were set to stay in hotel rooms over Christmas have had their booking cancelled.

Carl Simpson, founder of the Raise the Roof Homeless Project, told the BBC he paid £1,092 for 14 twin rooms at the Royal Hotel in Hull, part of the Britannia Hotels group.

OP posts:

Bestseller · 17/12/2018 10:54

Hard as it is to admit I don't think there are many MNetters who would be happy, had they booked nice hotel break with extended family, to find themselves sharing a dining room with a large group of homeless people. It's not just that they're homeless, they will almost all have complex needs.

I'll bet the hotel has another version of events too.

NotAnotherUserName5 · 17/12/2018 10:57

It’s a lovely gesture using someone else’s property though. The hotel will take all the risks if something goes wrong.

The hotel can’t win on this one I think.

Original poster

brizzledrizzle · 17/12/2018 11:00

It’s a lovely gesture using someone else’s property though.

They can't invite them into their homes though so what alternative do they have? People who work with the homeless are no more allowed to have them to stay at their home than teachers are to have pupils stay at their home.

OP posts:

Canibuildasnowman · 17/12/2018 11:03

Agreed, maybe one night isn’t going to change the world. Or maybe it will, maybe that one night is enough to prevent someone from freezing to death or committing suicide at the time of year that most of us would find difficult to spend alone. But where’s the compassion? These are people, not animals. The hotel are disgraceful for cancelling IMHO.

Fantasisa · 17/12/2018 11:10

Just because some of us don't support this gesture with someone else's property it doesn't mean we aren't compassionate.

I would like to know what everyone commenting on social media is doing to help the homeless. Are they lobbying their MPs? Donating to charities that help? Volunteering themselves? The vast majority won't be doing any of that. The hotel is not at fault, it has made the right decision for its business.

Dyrne · 17/12/2018 11:16

I think sometimes people don’t understand just how complex homelessness is. Certainly in my city, rough sleepers often do have the option of somewhere to go for the night - they’re just unwilling or unable to follow the rules (usually relating to drug use or antisocial behaviour).

As PP said, putting everyone together in one place without access to any support or security is a recipe for disaster. It’s unfair on the staff, guests, and on the vulnerable homeless people themselves.

Spikeyball · 17/12/2018 11:25

Some of the people will be homeless because they do not currently cope with being in ordinary accommodation. That is why they are on the street. The money is better spent on the specialist support and accommodation they need.

Thesearmsofmine · 17/12/2018 11:25

I think the hotel have done the right thing. The staff are not trained to deal with the complex needs that many homeless people have and it is not fair on anyone to put them in that position.

Patroclus · 17/12/2018 12:02

They did this last year as well, with great success. The ones who get the rooms have been known to the project for a long time and been judged as suitable for it.

Fantasisa · 17/12/2018 12:07

The ones who get the rooms have been known to the project for a long time and been judged as suitable for it.

Not by the hotel they haven't, and that is the one taking the risk, not the volunteers.

Dyrne · 17/12/2018 12:44

Who judged them as suitable? What qualifications do these people hold to assess them? What support or training are they offering the staff of the hotel? If the assessment is made based on meeting them on the street, and a “well, he didn’t kick off last year” I wouldn’t be happy either!

WilburforceRaven · 17/12/2018 13:06

I can see why the hotel rescinding the booking, though. I wonder if they were told the truth when it was made, tbh.

Patroclus · 17/12/2018 13:11

Its not a charity, its a properly funded organisation with qualified staff. The people given places are those who are engaging with help and dont have issues with antisocial behaviour families and unnlucky people. Not ever homeless persn is a mad drug addict, or even obviousy homeless. It isnt run by your usual naive 'dogooders'.

www.facebook.com/raisetheroofhull/

Patroclus · 17/12/2018 13:12

They certainly dont just drop them off and leave them to it.

LittleAlbatross · 17/12/2018 13:17

The issue is that the hotel knew when the booking was made that it was for the homeless.

Now, with just over a week to go, they have cancelled, making it very difficult to source an alternative at short notice.

Not only that, but the charity haven't received the money back, meaning that even if they could find somewhere else they have no way of paying for it.

Do the hotel have a right to say no to the idea? Of course! But that isn't what has happened here, they have behaved appallingly.

Yearofthemum · 17/12/2018 13:22

You are not unreasonable.

JustAnotherPoster00 · 17/12/2018 16:00

Those of you who agree with the hotel, I truly hope you have a shit christmas

JustAnotherPoster00 · 17/12/2018 16:04

Are there no workhouses? are there no prisons?

Things dont change much for the underclass by the looks of things

WilburforceRaven · 17/12/2018 16:19

Those of you who agree with the hotel, I truly hope you have a shit christmas

I hope those who resort to such stupid 'hopes' because someone doesn't agree with them has a shit year in general. The employer has a duty of care to its staff who are not trained to run a homeless shelter.

inashizzle · 17/12/2018 16:23

Really makes me teary ,sad. I hope loads of donations flood in and that they have a lovely night.

WilburforceRaven · 17/12/2018 16:26

Why not donate then? And wouldn't it be more sensible, since these particular people have been deemed able to be housed by the charity, for such monies to go towards helping them get a deposit on a flat or room or house rather than one night in a hotel just because it's Christmas?

Hwory · 17/12/2018 16:32

Just for everyone’s information the organisation did the same last year in Hull at the Ibis. Ibis had no problems with the people that stayed and couldn’t do the booking again this year as they didn’t have the availability.

I get why a hotel wouldn’t want to do it but the difference between this situation and the premier inn situation is that the company were told upfront that it was for a homeless booking and accepted it. Not that a disgruntled booker who tried to get their money back tried to get revenge.

Canibuildasnowman · 17/12/2018 16:34

If ever there was a thread that proves that compassion is short supply this is it.

Yabbers · 17/12/2018 16:37

I haven't yet seen anything which gives a reason for the cancellation?

wijjy · 17/12/2018 16:38

If ever there was a thread that proves that virtue signalling is not in short supply this is it.

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