Hilton to cut ties with Minneapolis hotel franchisee that refused service to DHS, ICE agents

In the wake of the Department of Homeland Security revealing that a Minneapolis Hilton franchisee refused to host ICE agents in their hotel and cancelled their reservations, the Hilton parent company said that it is removing the hotel from its systems.

A statement from Hilton read, "The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this. A recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values. As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems. Hilton is—and always has been—a welcoming place for all. We are also engaging with all of our franchisees to reinforce the standards we hold them to across our system to help ensure this does not happen again."

On Monday, the DHS posted emails that had been sent by a Hilton franchisee in Minnesota, accusing the hotel of launching "a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement. When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations."

An email stated, "We have noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS, and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property. If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation." The location in question was the Hampton Inn Lakeville location. "Please pass on this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property," the email concluded.

Hilton Hotels said in a statement after the post went viral, "Hilton Hotels serve as welcoming places for all. This hotel is independently owned and operated, and the actions referenced are not reflective of Hilton values. We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement, and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone."

Everpeak Hospitality, the independent owner that runs the Hampton Inn by Hilton hotel, said in a statement, "Everpeak Hospitality has moved swiftly to address this matter as it was inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all. We are in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated. We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted. We are committed to welcoming all guests and operating in accordance with brand standards, applicable laws, and our role as a professional hospitality provider."

Independent journalist Nick Sortor went to the hotel in question on Tuesday night. He asked the front desk agent if 10 rooms were available and asked whether they had any government rates. The desk agent replied, "It depends, because there’s a lot of stuff going on right now." When Sortor said it was the DHS, the desk agent replied, "So we’re not accepting people from immigration, ICE agents, DHS into our property. It’s just management, ownership."

Sortor said he thought this had changed, given Everpeak’s statement on the matter earlier in the day, to which the desk agent said, "I just talked to the owner of the building, and he didn’t say there had been any changes. So yeah, it’s just policy."

Sortor pressed the desk agent, who eventually said he would call the owner. When he returned several minutes later, the desk agent said he couldn’t get a hold of anyone given the time of the night. Sortor called into question whether a call was even made.

Outside the hotel, Sortor told the camera, "Alright, so they lied. They lied, Hilton and the Hampton Inn out here, and Everpeak Hospitality lied. Full of sh*t, and now they are going to, well, let’s just say they effed around, and it’s find out time. They almost got a little bit of a pass the first time, right? You thought they may have learned their lesson, and this is why I said that their talk is, it means nothing."

He later added, "Now they’re going to get Bud-Lighted," referring to the massive backlash Bud Light received years ago for tapping Dylan Mulvaney, a trans-identified male, for a social media partnership. A widespread boycott ensued. "Congratulations Hilton. You can take Hilton, you can take your name off that sign tomorrow, tomorrow, today. You could do it, but we’ll see if you will."