Travelodge hotel opens in UK seaside town struck by migrant crisis protests

Popular hotel chain Travelodge has officially opened a brand new 80 room hotel on the seafront of Skegness, one of Britain's most visited seaside towns. The opening marks Travelodge's 600th property in the UK and its debut in Skegness. Located just 400 metres from the town's award-winning Blue Flag beach, the hotel features the brand's first ever top-floor 85 Bar Café, offering panoramic views over the coast and Skegness.

The resort town reportedly grows from a population of about 21,000 to 250,000 people every summer, welcoming around four million visitors each year. The opening, however comes at a time when Skegness has been in the spotlight amid ongoing tensions related to the housing of asylum seekers in the area.

Since January 2024, only one hotel in Lincolnshire, the County Hotel on North Parade, has been used to accommodate asylum seekers, following a reduction in hotel-based placements by the previous government.

The hotel which has been housing asylum seekers for three years, has recently become a focal point for recent protests against the government's asylum policy amid rising tensions nationwide.

Meanwhile, other people have been relocated to shared housing as the Home Office accelerates efforts to move asylum seekers out of hotels and into accommodation managed by local councils or private landlords.

Several hotels in Skegness have reported being wrongly targeted by angry locals or visitors, despite not housing any asylum seekers, and some reportedly seen a noticeable decline in tourist numbers as a result.

The Savoy Hotel has recently displayed a sign making it clear that it is not accommodating asylum seekers. It reads: "We are not housing any asylum seekers, we are a family run hotel and we are still trading. Please be respectful around our property. We need the support we can get so please do not cause any upset for our current or future guests near or around our hotel!"

This follows the district council announcing last month that it is considering legal steps to shut down the asylum hotel.

Councillor Craig Leyland, the Tory leader of East Lindsey council, told The Telegraph last month: "We have always been clear to the Government that we stand strongly against the use of hotels in our district by the Home Office for those seeking asylum.

"I have followed the case by the Conservative-run Epping Forest district council and yesterday's judgment with great interest. I have asked officers to investigate and understand this case and will take appropriate action once we understand if there are any similarities that we can act on.

"East Lindsey is one of the most visited holiday destinations in the country, and we are currently in the peak season for Skegness and our other coastal resorts. We remain absolutely committed to doing all we can to return this vital tourism accommodation to its intended use, and to preserving and promoting our position as a welcoming family holiday resort."

A government spokesperson said: "We will continue to work closely with community partners across the country, and discuss any concerns they have, as we look to fix this broken system together and close every hotel by the end of this Parliament.

"The security of the local communities within which hotels are located will always be our first priority."