Overview
- Two homeless men with a prepaid booking were denied check-in at Holiday Inn Express Manchester–Oxford Road during -6C weather after a receptionist said the hotel does not allow people from the streets.
- Footage of the exchange circulated online and drew criticism from parliamentary housing committee chair Florence Eshalomi, who called the treatment inhumane discrimination and demanded answers from IHG.
- IHG said the incident was not in keeping with expectations, issued an apology, reiterated staff training, and funded alternative hotel nights for one of the men.
- Charity worker Amanda Thompson of Manchester outreach group Two Brews used donations and her own money to book two rooms via Booking.com for immediate shelter.
- One of the men, 30-year-old Callum Donaghey, says the exposure pushed him to pass a drugs test and move into a rehabilitation centre, though outreach workers called the corporate response too little too late.