Hilton Hotels Suspends Operations at Minnesota Location
After facing significant backlash online, Hilton Hotels has put a stop to operations at a hotel in Minnesota that had been refusing to accept bookings from federal immigration officials.
The Department of Homeland Security shared a post on social media Monday, claiming that staff at the Hilton-affiliated hotel denied service to federal employees. This hotel, the Hampton Inn by Hilton, is located in Lakeville, a suburb of Minneapolis.
“Recent videos raise serious concerns about their compliance with our standards and values, prompting us to take immediate action to remove this hotel from our system,” the company announced.
Officials stated that, “A coordinated effort was made to deny service to DHS law enforcement in Minneapolis. When officers tried to make reservations using their official emails and government rates, Hilton Hotels intentionally canceled those reservations. This behavior is unacceptable.”
In the wake of this incident, Hilton faced a wave of criticism, with many guests threatening to cancel their bookings. Subsequently, an investigation by the company led to the first apology from the hotel in question.
“Everpeak Hospitality promptly addressed the situation, as it contradicts our policy of being welcoming to all. We are currently reaching out to affected guests to make sure their needs are met,” a statement from the hotel read.
However, reports on social media indicated that the hotel continued to refuse service to ICE agents even into Tuesday.
In response, Hilton took decisive steps against the Lakeville hotel. The company noted that, “The independent hotel owner has assured us that the issue has been resolved and has issued a message confirming this.”
“The videos raised concerns about their adherence to our standards and values, which is why we’re acting to remove this hotel from our system,” Hilton reiterated. “We’ve always been a place where everyone is welcome, and we’re working with all franchisees to ensure that such incidents don’t occur again.”
Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem mentioned that the agency deployed numerous investigators to look into a fraud scheme in Minneapolis. Critics argue that the government’s rhetoric may have incited hostility against the Somali community, who are not implicated in the fraud.
