Woman ‘booted into cold’ by UK hotel because she couldn’t pay £1.20 tourist tax

A woman claims she was left “stranded in the freezing cold” by a UK city centre hotel after being unable to pay a £1.20 tourist tax charge in cash.

Margaret Jones, 63, arrived in Manchester on Thursday evening, January 2 for an overnight stay at the Britannia Hotel on Portland Street. Having travelled from her Lincolnshire hometown, she arrived at the hotel shortly after 9pm.

Once she got to the check-in desk, Margaret said she was informed by reception staff that she would be required to pay the £1.20 tourisr tax charge on top of her booking upon arrival.

Ms Jones – who has mobility issues and memory loss – said she usually pays for things in cash as she often forgets her card PIN numbers, which can lead to severe panic attacks.

However, when she offered to pay the city visitor charge levy with cash, she claims she was told she must pay by card.

Unaware of the city tax, which was first implemented by the Manchester Accommodation BID in April 2023, Margaret said she had not expected to pay the extra charge but was not against it. However, she claimed staff at the hotel were “unwilling” to help her pay with a card alternative.

Margaret, who uses a mobility walker, said: “I’m reluctant to use my cards because I don’t remember my PIN numbers.

“I know where I stand with cash, my cards all look the same so I often forget which card I’m using.”

“I gave them £1.50 in cash and they refused it,” she claimed. “They told me they don’t take cash, and I explained about my mental impairment, but they didn’t seem to want to listen.”

She added: “I tried to use one of my cards and it wanted my PIN number.

“They told me that I couldn’t have my room and I couldn’t stay there.

“They actually turned me away from the building – I was pretty much left stranded in the freezing cold. I didn’t know what to do – I was shaking and crying.”

Margaret claims she then stood outside the hotel for around 15 minutes, before a friend offered to pay the levy via the internet or over the phone. She said this offer was also refused by staff.

Eventually, Margaret said she found a card that would accept a conactless payment without requiring a PIN and she was able to pay the fee and granted access to her hotel room.

She said: “It’s ludicrous.

“I thought cash was legal tender. I told them I was at another Britannia hotel a few months ago and had no issues and they just said ‘well, different hotels have different rules’. Maybe I’m being too old-fashioned, but surely there’s a way of collecting the fee in cash or something? Not everybody has cards.”

Express.co.uk has contacted Britannia Hotels for comment.