Every once in a while I’ll write about a hotel canceling a guest’s reservation with questionable merit. Well, this has just been taken to the next level, as the federal government is accusing Hilton of canceling reservations of immigration agents. As you’d expect, this is drawing mixed reactions.
Continue reading: Hilton Hotel Bans ICE Agents, Cancels Reservations, Gets Called Out By DHS
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
There is no reason why we should be divided on this. They are denying a service to actual Americans and have sided with illegal Mexican criminals!
Hilton should be ashamed. I will never stay at one of their properties ever again.
PS. I am Hilton Gold
If it's your property, that's your decision. Others might choose differently. There's nothing that requires Hilton or these owners to accept the business.
Lol ooooh Hilton Gold ooooh you and half the population of North America. Hampton Inn Lakeville better watch out!
Let me guess FK, you support the right of bakeries to not serve cakes for LGBTQ weddings too, amirite?
It's important to note that all immigrants are murderers and rapists - except those who have been convicted of felonies very unfairly.
It’s really REALLY obvious this is one franchise’s decision and not that of Hilton corporate. You’d have to be dumber than Kristi Noem to think otherwise
Looks like this hotel is declaring war on DHS. Trump is known to take things personally and fight. (That's what Maduro is all about, not really oil. They hate each other's guts.)
If I were Hilton, I would take away the franchisee's license. I wouldn't want my corporation in a fight against the federal government.
As far as me, I now try to stay away from Hilton's because they allow dogs and I don't want to be bitten by fleas.
Oh, sweetie, let me explain this in the simplest terms possible since basic consistency seems to elude you:
A bakery should absolutely have the right to decline custom cake designs they don’t want to create, and a hotel should equally have the right to turn away business from DHS (or anyone else).
Pretending one is fine but the other isn’t is just peak hypocrisy. Bless your heart for not seeing that.
I’m all for Hilton banning them - and will support their brand even further for taking a stand to be on the right side of history and human rights.
A lighter take:
Hotel: "Front Desk. May I help you?"
ICE: "Hey. I've been here three days and no one's cleaned my room!"
Hotel: "I wonder why..."
good on them -- and a good policy to live by in one's personal life as well: if you know a person who supported this stuff, cut 'em off and move on with your life happier for it
Some paying customers also don't want to be kept awake all night by protests. It's all a balance.
I seem to a recall a baker in Colorado who didn't want to serve some customers, too... And, since ICE has been acting like a paramilitary, why not claim protection under the 3rd Amendment, cannot be forced by the government to quarter soldiers... (folks tend to forget that one.) Good on Hilton and Minnesota, in general. Would be nice if more institutions and corporations stood up.
I read "Lower courts have ruled that the principle extends to state actions (like using National Guard in housing disputes) but not necessarily to police actions, as police aren't "soldiers" in the same sense." So, 3rd probably not applicable, but it's fun to theorize. Anyhoo... probably a good business move by this franchise to not serve them, especially if they attract protestors who make noise and disrupt other non-ICE guests. Practical, really.
LOL, hilton gold... psh.
My dude, just pay the annual fee on the Aspire and get Diamond. C'mon.
No, you won't. The pandering is short lived. It's catering to the goldfish crowd. ICE is acting within the authority the government gave them. Politicians acting stupid when they actually did it is to continue to get votes. The biggest issue is the previous administration was on the extreme end of doing nothing and this one is on the extreme opposite end of enforcing it.
Psh. Life is politics. Anything to do with people, resources, culture, etc. is inherently political. And, in case you were criticism Ben, this story obviously intersects with travel, the purpose of the site. As for Hilton, it's a franchisee making the decision for their locations, so maybe wasn't even involving the parent company/brand, but now it obviously is; in this attention economy, all attention, even negative, polarized, etc. is 'good' in some ways.
Except that doesn't hold true when the roles are reversed. Having no standards seems to be the norm now.
UA-NYC -
Seriously? You think a private business shouldn't have the right to refuse service? Only a fool with undescended little grapes for brains would say such a thing, so surely I misunderstood!
You've got some odd 'hot takes' on here and elsewhere, bud.
Thing is... you ain't Hilton, so...
Also, dogs are great. Bye!
Ah yes. The leftwing "who's going to clean my toilet if we don't let illegal immigrants in!" argument for more illegals.
That argument always wins a few more over to your side. lol
Hilton should deny service to all servicemembers as the US military has killed about a thousand of innocents in drone strikes and tens of thousands of innocents in its military misadventures.
Weird, I remember it differently. I seem to recall a leftwing meltdown when a baker was happy to bake a cake for a gay couple but declined to decorate the cake with pro-gay decorations due to their religious beliefs.
What's changed now?
Now if ICE was demanding they decorate their rooms with pro-gay gifts and furnishings, then I can understand Hilton declining. lol
I would clarify something:
“…many individual Hilton properties (including the Hampton Inn Lakeville, which is specifically referenced) are franchise properties.”
Actually, MOST Hilton branded (and all other major brands), are actually franchised. Hilton, Marriott, and the likes only manage around 10% of their US inventory. This is a rough estimate based on annual corporate public filings.
Many of these select serve properties are also managed by mom-and-pop owners - making these decisions very personal.
Thank God. I had almost given up hope. Finally, 1990 has offer his thoughts. I wait with great anticipation for his 40-50 comments on each post on every blog site. He is always such a thoughtful contributor and sparkly ray of sunshine.
The bookings were at a special rate for Federal workers on work related bookings. I imagine Federal bookings add up to a substantial number of nights in the industry. maybe Federal workers should be ordered to stop booking anything at a Hilton affiliated lodging. I can be Hilton will very quickly find ways to exert control on franchisees.
The military should NOT be given priority board on airlines. Instead, active duty military traveling on military orders during a time of war and conducting war duties should get priority boarding. Peacetime military or just in uniform but not performing a combat function during wartime, go wait in line.
Actually, discriminating based on the employment is illegal. The only exemption could be renting rooms to prostitutes, because they intend to use it to conduct illegal business. I’m pretty sure hotels rent rooms to plenty of prostitutes, because they derive good income from that. Furthermore, not all chambermaids are illegal, regardless of the national origin. There are some people from Central and South America here that do have papers. On top of that, that hotel is close to Canadian border, so there must be a number of Canadians with working papers working in that hotel.
Hilton cannot wash its hands of this affair. It has a valid General Services Contract and needs to remind the franchisees of their responsibility.
To push the scenario, are franchise gas stations allowed to deny service to ICE vehicles or franchise restaurants able to turn away ICE crews.
Those in the corporate C-suite need to draft a master response.
Good riddance. The world doesn't need you. You'll die off like the dinosaur you are.
PS I am Hilton Diamond
No rule that says a dog can’t play bask… I mean, that you can’t comment as much as you’d like!
Remember it however you wish; the point is hypocrisy, dawg.
It don’t matter much, though, because shame isn’t effective anymore.
Targeted boycotts might be. Then again, for every MAGA that now hates Hilton, there’s ample liberals with disposable income who’ll spend more at Hilton to compensate. Bah!
With restaurants the process of resistance is much easier. The staff just spits in the food of a customer in uniform. No need to go super formal with canceling reservations.
Hoping MAGA boycotts Hilton! I’m a Hyatt guy primarily, but will happily give Hilton more spend if MAGA scum stay away.
Er wait, I thought the far-right said people didn't have to bake the cake if they didn't want to.
Unsurprisingly, you are incorrect. Political affiliation is not a protected class.
So if I went into a Jewish-owned bakery and ordered a cake big enough for 40 people to be decorated with the flag of the Third Reich and the words HEIL HILTER! to piped on it, the bakery should be compelled to make that cake under penalty of law?
Just go to another fkn bakery. The people who file these ridiculous lawsuits are sad busybodies who need to get a life.
Well hey, just did the Hilton Diamond status match before I saw this. Excellent.
Hilton Diamond status is mostly worthless (as is IHG's) but beats being silver.
Agreed, Jeff. And because the emplyees specifically called out the reason as being these are ICE employees engaged in immigation work (enforcement), the denial of a public accomodation may constitute obstruction of justice....a felony. The staff just gave too much information in their emails.
And one more thing; this has nothing to do with the hotel's right to deny entry to ICE unrelated to a hotel stay if they are trying to do a search or arrest without a warrent. That's a separate issue.
While you state it rather simplisticly, I do agree with your point.
Should a company with these kind of beliefs be allowed to be headquartered in the United States? I hear there is lots of office space available in Guatemeala, Columbia and Venazuela - perhaps these are better options for the company to base themselves. But no, that will never happen as it would destroy the IFHE (International Federation of Hospitality Excellence) rating as it does offer precedence to hotels from North America and Europe vs other places and would ultimately effect their ability to sell rooms on travel sites (Google Hotels, Expedia, etc.). So the point it's in six of one and a half-dozen of two. All I know is if a Hotel from Abu Dabbi was acting like this that the local government would not accept it and would issue sanctions against the chain.
And I just read the article about Hilton Hotel now opening in Belirus (part of Russia! Why in the world in this excepted by the US government? This could lead to massive global ramifications in the hospitality industry if Hilton is sanctioned by various governments across the world as this could Force them to shut down hotels under government order as I understand it. It really makes me wonder if Hilton is considering leaving the USA as the HQ and moving out to a different Russia-allied country? And what I said doesn't even begin to touch in business travellers, International hospitality authorities, travel agency's, etc. Best option they could do is to rebrand the Russia Hotel away from thr Hilton name and use something totally different. As this would limit the liabilty .
You mean like moving back home to Chicago? Interesting idea, hadn’t really thought about it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Wow, I thought that these folks wanted businesses to have the right to deny service to gays, and now when the shoe is on the other foot somehow it's a problem. Imagine that.
Regardless of whether you agree with the work of ICE or not... everyone pointing out the baker case in Colorado really hasn't read anything about it. Letting someone stay at a hotel doesn't involve compelled speech, that's what the court was protecting against in that case. This is entirely different.
I think it's a purely commercial decision. Hotel can make so much more money renting to hookers. Day rates bring in a lot of dough.
The franchise properties don't want any of the hassle associated with these Government guests of certain departments; the other guests complaining of sleepless nights, etc.
Fair.
It's possible for an honest person of conscience to be in favour of legal immigration, in favour of deportation of illegals, and also completely opposed to ICE's current incarnation and activities. The videos speak for themselves.
It's clear from the emails that the hotel is opposed to ICE's current activities on principle and won't be a part of it, or they believe this is the position they should take, to be accepted by the majority of their local community.
I doubt that keeping their Hilton branding is essential to their survival and I doubt Hilton would die on that hill. Here's what Hilton will do: wait for it to blow over.
Sorry but you have no idea what you’re talking about. someone’s employment / employer is not a protected characteristic under federal anti-discrimination laws. It never has been. You can absolutely legally refuse someone service based on their current or past employer.
You and your alter egos taking to yourself all need to see a therapist.
You need help.
Guess it’s time to move any loyalty from Hilton to other companies as well as share this article with other fellow traveler friends who will not support this kind of actions by Hilton. DHS and ICE are doing an amazing job and I say this as a Hispanic American man. Deport the illegals and keep up the good work - period.
"Obviously that poses major issues for hotels if they’re also housing other guests, since that could greatly impact their stay." I mean, that also poses a major issue for the ICE agents who are only doing their jobs. Like it or not, they have a right to sleep too without being bullied by angry far-left activists.
Well, that's the problem with slippery slopes. Once you start ignoring people's rights, you may find yourself in a society that doesn't care about your rights either.
So if a hotel chain now discriminates guests based on their employer, what's next ? Will Hilton ban guests based on their race, religion or sexual orientation too ???
The problem isn’t enforcing immigration laws, it’s the manner in which this administration is executing those laws… in many cases unlawfully as we have seen in cases brought to court.
When DHS will not accept a RealID as proof of legal status, but requires actual proof of citizenship (which none of us who are light-skinned would ever carry with us on a daily basis), it’s another example of out of control police- state tactics.
To the Hispanic gentleman above who indicated he is in favor of the current administration’s behavior, I hope you are carrying your US passport with you whenever you step out of your home. Even then, there is no guarantee you won’t be hog-tied by ICE based on your racial appearance.
I continue to be amazed at the number of Americans who seem to want groups of poor, uneducated immigrants from sh*thole countries flooding our nation.
Dan hates Blacks, homosexuals and other minorities. Dan wants them all banned.
Dan is a dick.
No mention of the Somali and state officials corruption and millions of dollars of fraud in Minnesota of course.
The ILLEGAL immigration is destroying our country and pro Woke Commie Dems are so corrupt it will destroy the future unless drastic action is taken.
Deport them all here illegally!
It is destroying our country from within.
I don't want our country to turn into California.
If they were doing their job ethically & within all perimeters of the law..great but they're not.. they communists with a badge. So many illegal violation of rights..if you are going through the legal.process then why are they being detained... bc the sexual offender dictator president can't follow the law...
Not all are illegally here. you need to educate & research. You drank the cool aide h now are suffering with higher prices for everything... you don't pay enough taxes so dont even start that bs...
You couldn't afford to live in California.. stay where you are we dont want you racist bigots here....
The US government doesn’t control what businesses do overseas. If Hilton wants to open a property in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus, then, so long as they aren’t literally sanctioned from doing so, which they aren’t, they can, even though that sure seems dumb to me…
Classic Komma… always ‘both sides’-ing everything, and taking the pro-corporate shill-position each time. Sheesh. Bad karma, Komma. Tell us how ‘great’ BILT is…
Excellent news. Well done Hilton. Ignore the trumptards, Epstein supporters and Zionist fascists who will attack you for this.
"..Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists..." Who writes that kind of stuff? Oh, never mind, I forgot who's running the show.
Naw, those bottom three are protected classes; like, an employer isn't a race. And, you choose your employer, you don't 'pick' your race.
Hilton just said they're removing the hotel from their system. Great job, Hilton.
Oh no... Hilton lost MIA FLYER... he's 'one of the good ones...' *hungry leopard*
As was said above... "To the Hispanic gentleman above who indicated he is in favor of the current administration’s behavior, I hope you are carrying your US passport with you whenever you step out of your home. Even then, there is no guarantee you won’t be hog-tied by ICE based on your racial appearance."
Ahh, the sane-wash feels so good. You can faux-intellectualize this any way you wish. It comes down to the make-up of the partisan Supreme Court. 6-3 says whatever they want goes. So, no need to make up a reason; it's always about the oil, the hate, the base, power, money, etc.
When you consider that the pathetic governor of Illinois is opposed to ICE & is an heir to the Hilton hotel chain, this is to be expected. I'm guessing he's playing a large part in having these reservations cancelled.
When you consider that the pathetic governor of Illinois is opposed to ICE & is an heir to the Hilton hotel chain, this is to be expected. I'm guessing he's playing a large part in having these reservations cancelled.
Funny how the same people who fought for a bakery’s right to refuse to bake a cake for a gay wedding think that this hotel can’t choose who it wants to serve.
Cheryl is correct, rrapynot. JB Pritzker is part of the Hilton family and is the heir to the chain. Think in the future, before you comment and embarras yourself.
And the irony here is that a bunch of MAGAs will try to 'boycott' Hilton by staying at... Hyatt. *facepalm*
Yeah, why don't you stay at a Hyatt... that'll show Hilton and J.B. who's boss... *teehee*
Oh no... not that The Hampton Inn Lakeville... 'this'll ruin the tour... (what tour?) ...the world tour.'
Republicans fought for the right for private businesses to refuse service to anyone for any reason. That could be making a wedding cake for a gay couple or ICE hotel reservations.
It's funny when one person gets their facts totally wrong. It's even funnier when another person defends her with the same.
Pritzker is Hyatt. NOT Hilton.
I want MAGA to boycott Hyatt though. Why? My Globalist upgrade odds increase and I don't have to deal with their smug fascist faces in the lobby.
You should read the 3rd amendment to the constitution. Government agents do not have a right to stay in private accommodations.
It's Hyatt. The Pritzker family (who have basically paid off and disowned JB) own Hyatt. Paris Hilton and her grandfather Conrad were Hilton.
Hilton didn't do this either. It's the former Hampton Inn Lakeville. A place where I will be sure to avoid in the future.
I would never stay at a hotel if I know it is full of Ice agents. If we go back in time I hope I would never had stayed at a hotel with the Gestapo also
Most MAGA loyalists cannot afford to stay at the Hiltons anyway so why does it matter to them?
Quit using our taxpayers money to lodge these coward racists. Stay at airbnbs or some motel chains. Why the need to stay at the Hiltons?
Only criminals cover their faces when they do their jobs. I'm not supporting criminals.
Exactly Olivia, covered faces are what you see in Moscow. The current American regime is remarkably similar to Putin's. When I stay at the Hilton I don't want to share space with these thugs and I don't want my stay disrupted by protesters (with whom I actually agree). Well done Hilton, great to see a company with some morals.
I think whether or not it is a franchise property does not matter because they still represent the brand and most people will not look into the details to that level. I think it is tough because there may be legitimate reasons for them not to allow such people to stay if there have been protests in the past, but on the other hand there are reasonable reasons to allow. Either way there will be people for or against their decision. I, however, do not support the brand taking a position either way.
Wild that in 2025 a company is showing more courage than some elected representatives. Kudos for Hilton.
Your blog story has shown another example of a nation divided, not just, but severely divided.
Not getting into the immigration debate. This hotel was a participant in FedRooms, the GSA program that federal employees use when booking rooms for official travel. Arbitrarily cancelling reservations for some Feds isn’t allowed. The hotel could have left FedRooms, and then they wouldn’t have to worry about DHS staff staying there. They wanted it both ways.