The hotel says it is committed to keeping its doors open
The rumours concerned The Elms Hotel in Retford(Image: Google)
A Nottinghamshire hotel has been forced to dismiss false rumours that it was set to become accommodation for asylum seekers.
The hotel says it was proud to have hosted a group of healthcare workers in recent days, but that it “seems to have caused some misunderstanding”.
The owners of The Elms Hotel in Retford posted on Facebook on Sunday (September 28) to clarify the situation. The hotel said: “We want to clear up some false rumours.
“The Elms is not being turned into accommodation for asylum seekers — this is simply not true.
“Over the weekend, we were proud to host a group of skilled healthcare workers — something we were delighted to do as part of our commitment to the community.
“Sadly, this seems to have caused some misunderstanding. Please know we are, and always will be, passionate hoteliers.
“Our heart is in hospitality, and our only focus is welcoming our wonderful guests and keeping our doors open during these challenging times.
“At a time when the hospitality industry is facing so many challenges, your support means everything to us. Please continue to stand with local businesses like ours instead of letting misinformation cause harm.”
The government recently confirmed it is now assessing all Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites to see if they could temporarily house asylum seekers as it tries to end the use of hotels. The government’s current plan is to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation by 2029 in a move which it says will save £1 billion a year.
Similar rumours were spread about a Sutton-in-Ashfield Travelodge hotel in August 2024, when Ashfield MP Lee Anderson shared misinformation that the site was housing “illegal migrants”.
The MP had been in touch with Travelodge directly about the rumours, and although the hotel told him they were not true, Mr Anderson posted on Facebook that he would be taking Travelodge “at their word” and that he did not want “young men who have entered our country illegally roaming our streets”.
Less than an hour later, the Reform UK MP was forced to issue a post clarifying the Travelodge situation. It came after Neethu James, a nurse from India now living in Nottinghamshire, responded to Mr Anderson’s post by saying: “I am appalled to see the comments on here.
“Yes, there were two bus loads of people there, who are mostly international nurses and their families working in King’s Mill, and nursing homes in and around Sutton and Mansfield. They were on a weekend trip to have a family holiday together.”