A woman claims she was left stranded in Manchester after being denied hotel access due to a £1.20 tourist tax payment issue
Manchester: So, there’s this woman named Margaret Jones who had a pretty rough night recently. She was kicked out of her hotel because she couldn’t pay a £1.20 tourist tax. Can you believe that?
Margaret, who’s 63 and has some mobility issues, arrived in Manchester for just one night. She got to the Britannia Hotel after a long trip from Lincolnshire, but things took a turn at check-in.
When she got to the front desk, they told her she needed to pay that £1.20 fee. Now, Margaret usually pays in cash because she struggles with remembering her PIN numbers. It’s just easier for her that way.
She offered them £1.50 in cash, but they flat-out refused it. She explained her situation, but the staff didn’t seem to care. They insisted she could only pay by card, which was a real problem for her.
Margaret didn’t even know about this new city tax that started in April 2023. She wasn’t against paying it, but she just wanted to use cash like she always does. But the hotel staff wouldn’t budge.
They told her she had to leave if she couldn’t pay. Imagine being told that after you’ve already booked a room! She was left standing outside in the cold, feeling anxious and scared.
After about 15 minutes, a friend tried to help by offering to pay online or over the phone, but the hotel wouldn’t accept that either. They just didn’t seem to care about her situation at all.
Finally, after a lot of stress, Margaret found a card that worked for contactless payment. She was able to pay the fee and finally get into her room, but the whole experience left her feeling embarrassed and anxious.
Margaret thinks it’s ridiculous that cash isn’t accepted. She mentioned that she had no issues at another Britannia hotel before. It’s just frustrating for her, especially since she has mobility issues. She’s worried about how other disabled people might be treated in similar situations.
It’s a tough story, and it really makes you think about how hotels handle these kinds of situations. Margaret just wanted to enjoy her stay, but instead, she faced a lot of unnecessary stress.
