A homeless man denied entry to a hotel during freezing temperatures shared how the rejection fueled his determination to rebuild his life, sparking widespread attention and support.
The Incident at the Hotel
On a bitterly cold night when temperatures dropped to -6C in Manchester, two homeless individuals, including 30-year-old Callum Donaghey, arrived at the Holiday Inn Express on Oxford Road with a prepaid booking. The stay had been arranged through donations collected by Amanda Thompson, a worker with the Manchester-based outreach group Two Brews. She covered the cost of two double rooms with breakfast, totaling just over £200 via an online booking platform.
Despite the valid reservation, the receptionist refused check-in, citing company policy. In recorded footage, he explained: “Guys, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m not going to be able to check you in. Full truth and transparency, I know that you’re from the street and the hotel doesn’t allow it.” He emphasized: “It’s the company’s policy. It’s not mine personally, it’s the company’s.”
Public Reaction and Political Response
The video quickly gained traction online, igniting a public backlash against the apparent discrimination. Florence Eshalomi, chairwoman of Parliament’s housing committee, condemned the treatment as “inhumane” discrimination. She stated: “The way in which vulnerable rough sleepers appear to be discriminated against in footage circulating online is utterly appalling. IHG need to urgently explain how this incident occurred, and the concrete action being taken to ensure it can never happen again.”
Path to Recovery
The outcry prompted the hotel’s parent company, IHG, to provide alternative accommodations in a nearby warm hotel for Callum. Following a successful drug test, he entered a rehabilitation center where he now resides. Callum reflected on the experience, saying it motivated him to “shine.” He added: “It’s still not enough. It’s not fair what they did to us. They have obviously owned it shouldn’t have happened and wasn’t company policy, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
Describing his emotions, Callum continued: “It’s so sad because I am used to knock backs. I would have taken it on the chin, but I am glad the way we were discriminated against has been shared in the way it has. I was suffering so much at the time, on the streets and with drug addiction, for someone to then make me feel so small.” He noted the incident could have led to dire outcomes: “There could’ve been two outcomes here. I could’ve just walked off, decided I’d had enough, and spent a night lying on cardboard when it was -6C.”
Calls for Greater Understanding
Amanda Thompson highlighted the need for empathy, stating that the men were judged solely based on their circumstances. She remarked: “They did help him, but we had to ask for it. It’s too little too late. I understand they have now held their hands up to what happened, but people need more understanding of life on the streets and how to help.”
In response, Europe Managing Director for IHG Hotels, Karin Sheppard, acknowledged the error: “We recognise that this isolated incident is clearly not in keeping with our expectations and should not have occurred.” She confirmed: “Holiday Inn Express Manchester CC – Oxford Road has sincerely apologised to the guest affected and is taking internal steps to strengthen its staff training in accordance with our policies.” Sheppard assured further measures: “Given the gravity of the situation, I can assure you that we have swiftly taken a wide range of actions available to us, including ensuring that existing training was reiterated, and hotel colleagues reminded of the utmost importance of making all our guests feel welcomed and cared for.”
