Homeless men with valid booking refused entry to Holiday Inn Express

Two men who were identified as homeless were told they could not stay in their pre-booked rooms at a city center hotel.

Although the rooms were paid for by a charity, staff at the Holiday Inn Express in Oxford Road, Manchester, told the men it “did not allow” homeless people to stay on the premises.

The rooms had been booked by the charity Two Brews, but although a volunteer escorted the men to the hotel, the group said: “The hotel won’t let them in, it’s the company’s policy.”

A spokesperson for Holiday Inn Express Manchester apologized following the incident and said the incident was “not in line with our policy of welcoming everyone”.

“After speaking with team members, we realized this incident was not in line with our welcoming policy and should have been handled differently,” they added.

The hotel is “taking steps internally to strengthen our training,” the spokesperson said.

The incident, which was filmed by an aid volunteer and shared on social media, took place on Monday evening.

The men were then able to check into the Travelodge hotel in Moss Side.

In the footage, the men can be heard telling the receptionist that “it’s -6 degrees outside” and adding that they “just wanted to keep their heads down.”

The staff told the men it was “company policy” and not their “personal views”.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I won’t be able to check you in. Full truth and transparency, I know you’re from the street and the hotel won’t allow it,” he added.