A group of homeless people in Hull, England, were looking forward to having a roof over their heads and a warm bed on Christmas, but when the Royal Hotel cancelled their reservation, they found themselves in a calamitous situation. Carl Simpson, from Raise the Roof Homeless Project, had paid $1,375 to organize accommodation for the group at the hotel over Christmas, when the hotel cancelled the booking last minute in an apparent case of discrimination. Now, the DoubleTree by Hilton in Hull is stepping in with a Christmas miracle.
Photo: DoubleTree by Hilton
Hilton Delivers Christmas Miracle, Offers to House 28 Homeless People
After the cancellation, Simpson posted the sad news on Facebook, where it was shared over 1,600 times and received widespread attention. Emma Hardy, Labor MP in Hull, expressed her profound disappointment in the hotel. “Christmas is meant to be the season of goodwill,” she told BBC News, “and I would urge the hotel to reverse its decision and honor the original booking.”
Luckily, word reached the Hilton. Not only will the hotel offer accommodation for the 28 homeless people, it will also serve a full Christmas dinner. A spokesperson for the Hilton said in a statement, “Making a positive contribution to our community is fundamental to our business, and we hope to make our guests’ stay truly memorable this Christmas.”
With donations to the Raise the Roof Homeless Project totaling over $11,300 after news of the cancellation and the Hilton having offered accommodations for free, the group now has plenty of funds to put toward supporting Hull’s homeless community. 
H/T: Travel & Leisure
This article has been updated on December 20th, 2018.