A visitor to Peterborough who booked and paid £250 for a 3-night stay suddenly found himself forced to find a different hotel. The visitor, an Englishman who has lived in Hungary for 18 years, was one of dozens of unsuspecting guests trying to book into the 3 star Dragonfly hotel in the city which overnight has been closed to the public to accommodate 146 asylum seekers.
“I went to check in and was told I should have received an email cancelling the booking,” he told me. “But I had received no email and queried my booking and was told there was nothing that could be done about.”
The visitor, here to spend a few days visiting the area including the king’s Dyke nature reserve at Whittlesey, was luckily able to find another hotel in the city whilst he tries to recover his £250.
“I didn’t feel so bad when the receptionist told me they had only found out at 11am on the day about what was happening,” he said. “They didn’t even know if they would still have jobs.”
He wasn’t the only one not to know what the immediate future is to be for the 70-bed hotel.
City councillors and local MPs only found out on the day it was closing to the public and now a letter has been sent to Dame Angela Eagle, Minister of the State at the Home Office, asking questions.
The letter has been signed by Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes, NW Cambs MP Sam Carling and Cllr Dennis Jones, leader of Peterborough City Council.
“We already home the largest number of asylum seekers in the region,” they told the minister.
“However, we have serious concerns about the appropriateness of this location for asylum accommodation and we are deeply disappointed by this decision.”
The letter claims the Dragonfly Hotel is “wholly unsuitable for this purpose, both for the city’s residents and for the migrants involved.
“The surrounding area lacks the infrastructure to provide the necessary support and the hotel’s use for this purpose could significantly impact local services.”
The two Labour MPs and the Labour council leader explain that they recognise the “root of this issue” to have been caused by “years of mismanagement under the previous Conservative government”.
However, they maintain the decision to house asylum seekers in local hotels “is not a sustainable or acceptable solution for our communities”.
They have asked the minister six questions ranging from the length of time the Dragonfly will be used for this purpose, what discussions were held with police prior to commissioning the hotel and how quickly are claims for the asylum being dealt with.
The letter also asks what the Home Office will do about ensuring the hotel honours existing bookings and what if any compensation will be offered to clients.
They end their letter with calling for the Government to “provide clarity and reassurances to both the residents of Peterborough and the asylum seekers involved”.
Described by its owners as “the ideal setting for a short break and overlooking a serene lake” the 70-bedroom Dragonfly Hotel in Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough is to become the temporary home for 146 migrants who have arrived in the UK in recent months.
Anyone trying to book a room in the hotel is met with “this property has no rooms available for your travel dates; try other dates” on hotel booking websites.
The Surya Group who own the hotel has agreed a contract with Government contractors Serca to house the migrants, but it is not yet known for how long.
