A Dublin hotel received a wave of complaints when it hiked the cost of a double room to 279 euro (about £202) on the night of an Ed Sheeran concert.
Fans were annoyed that they would have to pay above the odds to stay at the The Charleville Lodge which currently advertises double rooms from 47 euro per night, about £34.
The hotel replied to complaints in a Facebook message which explained that “beggars can’t be choosers”.
It suggested instead that guests who “don’t mind sharing with a dog” should look into staying at the Pet Boarding Kennels at the DSPCA (Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and people couldn’t expect the business to run as a charity.
**FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE PEOPLE GIVING… – Charleville Lodge Hotel Dublin | Facebook
It continues to eventually read:
Guests were also invited to check availability at “St Vincent De Paul Shelters, Dublin Simon Emergency Accommodation [and] Peter McVerry Trust Accommodation Services”.
More than 2,000 people commented on the post – some amused and some appalled while others took to Twitter to vent.
One person wrote: “Absolutely shocked that use would even lower yourselves to write a status like this…. ur professional manner is appalling!!! … to even bring in homeless shelters and dog homes as humour… u have probably just lost a lot of customers fron ur above post…(sic)”
But some were more cynical, with one commenting: “This is clearly a PR stunt”.
The hotel has since received “disparaging reviews” making its online rating fall, prompting it to set up a competition.
In a Facebook post, the hotel wrote: “To win 2 sold out #EdSheeran tickets for Saturday 25th July, simply leave us a 5 star review on our Facebook page.
“Obviously if you have left a 1 star review you are not eligible to win the tickets. Not because you left a bad review for a hotel you’ve never been in, but because you are a total asshole for doing something as low as that.”
Ed Sheeran is due to play in Dublin on July 24 and 25 at Croke Park which is just a 20-minute walk away from the Charleville Lodge.
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