Asylum seekers tell of joy at 4-star hotel stay

MIGRANTS being homed in a four-star hotel have told how happy they are with the “very nice” accommodation.

- By Jon King

The Crowne Plaza London-Heathrow off the M4 boasted 465 rooms, a swimming pool and gym when it opened to the public in 2018.

But instead of paying guests, it is used for hundreds of asylum seekers despite Labour’s pledge to end the practice. The Home Office refuses to say how much is being spent but analysis by the Express shows the hotel could make up to £15.7million a year from paying guests — assuming an average room price of £92.50 per night.

Confusingly, there is also a hotel called Crowne Plaza London Heathrow T4, but the two are completely separate. The T4 is an “upscale business hotel” five minutes’ walk from Terminal 4, according to its owner IHG. The London-Heathrow hotel is a 15-minute drive away in leafy grounds in West Drayton, Hillingdon.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Labour's promise to stop putting asylum seekers up in hotels is nothing but a shameless lie when the number has increased by over 8,000 since they walked into office.