Hotels

Thousands of hotels in Europe to sue Booking.com over ‘abusive’ practices | Travel & leisure

Booking.com is facing a class-action lawsuit from more than 10,000 European hotels arguing that the accommodation mega-site used its muscle to distort the market to their detriment over a 20-year period.

The Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe (Hotrec), which represents the industry within the EU and is bringing the legal action, recently extended to 29 August a deadline for hotel owners to join the suit because of high demand.

The lawsuit, expected to be one of the largest ever filed in the European hospitality sector, is also backed by 30 national hotel associations, including Britain’s.

“Over 10,000 hotels have already joined the pan-European initiative to claim compensation for financial losses caused by Booking.com’s use of illegal ‘best price’ (parity) clauses,” Hotrec said in a statement.

It alleges that the “best price” pledge on Booking.com was extracted from hotels under huge pressure not to offer rooms at lower prices on other platforms, including their own websites.

The hotel industry says that the Netherlands-based platform also used the clauses to prevent customers making what it called “free-rider” bookings, which it defined as using its services to find a hotel but then booking directly with the management, cutting out Booking.com.

“Registration [to the legal action] continues to grow steadily, and the response so far demonstrates the hospitality industry’s strong desire to stand up against unfair practices in the digital marketplace,” Hotrec said.

The litigation, which experts say will be an uphill battle, seeks damages for the period from 2004 to 2024, when Booking.com did away with the best price clause to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act.

Hotrec said the class action, to be heard in Amsterdam, follows a European court of justice (ECJ) ruling from 2024, “which found that Booking.com’s parity clauses violated EU competition law”.

“European hoteliers have long suffered from unfair conditions and excessive costs. Now is the time to stand together and demand redress,” said Hotrec’s president, Alexandros Vassilikos, calling out “abusive practices in the digital market” in Europe.

Booking.com called Hotrec and other hotel associations’ statements “incorrect and misleading” in an emailed statement, adding that it had not received “formal notification of a class action”.

It said that the ECJ ruling did not find that Booking.com’s “best price” clauses were anti-competitive but “simply stated that such clauses fall within the scope of EU competition law and that their effects must be assessed on a case-by-case basis”.

The company referred to a statement about its “commitment to fair competition”, in which it argued that “past parity clauses served to foster competitive pricing rather than restrict it”.

It cited a poll in which 74% of hoteliers said Booking.com made their business more profitable, with many reporting higher occupancy rates and lower customer acquisition costs. However, other industry representatives criticised the company’s practices as extractive.

“As they gained control of the market, Booking was able to increase its commission rates and exert much greater pressure on hoteliers’ margins,” Véronique Siegel, president of the hotels division of French hospitality sector association Umih, told public broadcaster France Inter.

“For a room that the customer pays €100 (£87) for, if you take away Booking’s commission, the hotelier receives €75 at best, with which they have to pay their employees and invest.”

Despite the friction, Booking.com appears unavoidable for many hotels, offering an online reach and visibility hard to achieve for smaller, independent establishments.

A study by Hotrec and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland found that Booking Holding, the website’s parent company, controlled 71% of the European market in 2024, compared with 68.4% in 2019.

The corporation is valued at $170bn (£127bn), three times that of Volkswagen.

Rupprecht Podszun, director of the institute for competition law at Düsseldorf’s Heinrich Heine University, said Booking.com was a classic example of how a digital platform could conquer an entire sector, creating a “winner takes all” dynamic.

He said the legal action would probably be protracted and turn on the thorny question of how damages could be measured.

“Judges will have to form an opinion and then it will go through all the appeals – everything at great expense and with all the tricks available under the law,” he told Germany’s daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.

“The case is a revolt of the hotels, saying: ‘You can’t just do what you want with us.’”

Source link

Palm Springs hotels have big summer deals — if you can face the heat

p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix”>

Summer is here, and with it comes the annual desire to pack up and unplug somewhere, anywhere, else. But sandy beaches, far-flung tropical locales and mountain escapes often come with throngs of tourists and inflated pricing.

Then there’s Palm Springs, where crowds empty out in the summer and luxury hotel prices dip to year-round lows. Before you shrug off summer in the desert, consider this: The Coachella Valley is picturesque all year, most restaurants have wide-open availability and keeping cool is easy when all you do is bop between the pool and blissful A/C.

And unlike pricey beachfront resorts, the best hotels around Palm Springs are charging a fraction of their typical nightly rate. Five-star spots like the Ritz Carlton, Rancho Mirage or the Parker Palm Springs, for example, have dropped prices, and some properties, like the atmospheric Casa Cody, host seasonal activities like dive-in movies after dark.

The pricing below is accurate as of publishing but may change at any time. Prices also may not include additional charges, like resort fees. Most deals are available throughout September, but check the fine print and be aware of minimum stay and age requirements.

Whether for a week or quick weekend jaunt, the desert beckons, and in the weeks and months to come, it won’t cost as much as usual.

Source link

US sanctions Cuban president, ‘regime-controlled’ luxury hotels | Donald Trump News

State Department head Rubio said he had sanctioned several senior officials and their ‘cronies’ for their ‘brutality toward the Cuban people’.

The US State Department has imposed sanctions on senior Cuban officials, including President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced as he marked the fourth anniversary of a brutal crackdown on historic antigovernment protests.

In a post on X, Rubio said the State Department would be “restricting visas for Cuban regime figureheads”, including President Diaz-Canel, Defence Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera, Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas, and their “cronies” for their “role in the Cuban regime’s brutality toward the Cuban people”.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, also announced that the State Department has added the Torre K hotel to its restricted list of entities in order to “prevent US dollars from funding the Cuban regime’s repression”.

The Cuban government has promoted the luxury high-rise Torre K in central Havana as a symbol of modernisation. But the government has faced criticism for its large investment in luxury hotels amid a severe economic crisis in the nominally socialist one-party state.

“While the Cuban people suffer shortages of food, water, medicine, and electricity, the regime lavishes money on its insiders,” Rubio said.

Ten other “regime-linked properties” were also added to the State Department’s List of Prohibited Accommodations, it said in a statement.

The statement said the sanctions were being enacted in “solidarity with the Cuban people and the island’s political prisoners”, citing the Cuban government’s brutal crackdown on the July 2021 demonstrations – the largest since the Cuban revolution in the 1950s.

The police crackdown resulted in one death and dozens of wounded protesters.

“Four years ago, thousands of Cubans peacefully took to the streets to demand a future free from tyranny. The Cuban regime responded with violence and repression, unjustly detaining thousands, including over 700 who are still imprisoned and subjected to torture or abuse,” the State Department said.

Rubio also accused Cuba of torturing pro-democracy activist Jose Daniel Ferrer, whose bail was revoked as he was taken into custody alongside fellow dissident Felix Navarro in April.

“The United States demands immediate proof of life and the release of all political prisoners,” Rubio said.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez slammed the latest measures as part of a “ruthless economic war” being waged by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

“The USA is capable of imposing migratory sanctions against revolutionary leaders and maintaining a prolonged and ruthless economic war against Cuba, but it lacks the ability to break the will of these people or their leaders,” he said on X.

In January, then-US President Joe Biden had removed Cuba from the blacklist of countries sponsoring terrorism.

But Trump returned the country to the blacklist immediately after returning to the White House as he resumed his “maximum pressure” campaign against Cuba that typified his foreign policy during his first term.

Source link

TUI hotel’s ‘inedible’ food blasted by Brit couple who were banned from Corfu flight home

Paul and Ellie Bell’s Greek getaway was cut short after the couple were ejected from their hotel and told they couldn’t fly home – but TUI say the decision was based on “repeated incidents”

Paul Bell with the letter from TUI ejecting him and wife Ellie from their hotel
Paul Bell with the letter from TUI ejecting him and wife Ellie from their hotel(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)

A British couple were left stranded in Corfu after being booted out of their hotel and denied boarding on their return flight to the UK, claiming that TUI “washed their hands of them”.

North Shields couple Paul Bell, 64, and his wife Ellie, 65, had booked a week-long half-board holiday at the Terezas Hotel in Sidari, Corfu, having previously enjoyed a stay there.

Their holiday was abruptly cut short when TUI removed them from their hotel and prevented them from flying home, despite the couple having booked a package deal.

Paul is baffled as to why they were ejected and then left several hundred pounds out of pocket, having to arrange an alternative flight home with Jet2, take a taxi to the airport instead of a transfer, and book into another hotel for the remainder of the holiday.

In letters seen by ChronicleLive, TUI stated that the decision was based on repeated incidents during their stay which were deemed unacceptable and disruptive. However, Paul contests this, stating that TUI never asked him or Ellie for their side of the story.

Earlier in the holiday, Ellie had voiced her dissatisfaction to the manager about the quality of the food, which Paul described as “tepid” and “not very nice”. He said: “Some of the things you would get were rice with sprouts, or another time you’d have rice with a slice of beetroot in it.

READ MORE: Brits’ holidays from hell revealed – ‘wild animals’ at breakfast to horror pool injury

Food at the Terezas Hotel in Sidari, Corfu, which the Bells were unhappy about
Food at the Terezas Hotel in Sidari, Corfu, which the Bells were unhappy about(Image: Paul Bell)

“My wife spoke to the manager twice, she complained about the food being inedible and he didn’t seem interested. She asked him to join us for breakfast the next day so we could show him what we meant, but he never turned up.”

The couple enjoyed a day out, but upon their return, they “had a word” with the representative. The following day, as Paul and Ellie awaited their excursion to Corfu town, they were stunned to receive a letter stating they could no longer stay at the hotel.

Dated May 20, the letter read: “You caused a serious disturbance by shouting inside the hotel restaurant in front of other guests, resulting in significant distress and disruption to the peaceful environment of the hotel,” and “you directed aggressive and disrespectful language towards both hotel staff, the hotel owners, and TUI representatives on site.”

Paul insists that they did nothing wrong, highlighting that no one from TUI sought their side of the story before making a decision. He claimed: “I don’t remember anybody shouting.

“We only spoke to the rep when she was present at the hotel, and there was no disrespect towards her. They’ve made a decision based on the manager’s account without hearing us out. But surely every story has two sides? I was livid; it completely ruined our plans for the day.”

Paul and Ellie were instructed to contact the UK consulate for further assistance, rather than being given a chance to respond or appeal. On May 21 at 22.28, they received another letter stating that Ellie was prohibited from boarding the TOM1531 flight on Friday, May 23.

Just over 12 hours later, an additional email stated that both Paul and Ellie would be barred from the flight. TUI explained this decision was made in line with their terms and conditions, due to “due to your conduct and behaviour”.

Paul Bell from North Shields, who was kicked out of his hotel and barred from flying home with TUI
Paul Bell from North Shields, who was kicked out of his hotel and barred from flying home with TUI(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)

On Thursday, May 22, Paul booked flights home from Corfu with Jet2 for later that day, costing €328.56 (£284). However, after returning to North Shields, they received another email from TUI stating that “the refusal of carriage for Paul Bell and Eleanor Bell has now been revoked, and you will now be allowed travel on your inbound flight”.

Paul said: “That doesn’t help us now, because we were told we have to make our own travel arrangements and we came home. We had to pay €60 (£50) for a taxi to the airport as well, because we weren’t allowed on the transfers.

“When we go on holiday, we try to go somewhere nice and quiet, sit and chill, try the local stuff, go to the towns and see the scenery and to have food like we did (in the hotel) was really disappointing. We got no back-up whatsoever from TUI.

“They took whatever the manager said as gospel and came to a decision just like that. Had we been drunk and disorderly, fine, but we weren’t – we’ve never had any bother on any holidays before, until this time with TUI.”

ChronicleLive reported that TUI plans to refund the couple’s flights home with Jet2.com and their journey to the airport. TUI declined to comment further.

Paul is not the only North East holidaymaker to come back from Corfu feeling let down by their experience. Earlier in June, Westerhope gran Susan Edwards vouched to never book with the tour operator again after moaning that there was “no English food” available at the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel.

READ MORE: Boots’ new ‘by far the best’ range including gut powder that ‘really helps with bloating’

Source link

‘Abandoned hotels are attracting dark tourists like me – I was petrified by what I discovered’

My trip to Georgia took an unexpected turn after I participated in the emerging dark tourism trend – only to discover I had actually invaded someone else’s living space

Tskaltubo is the former bathhouse of the Soviets.
Tskaltubo is the former bathhouse of the Soviets.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done on holiday? Once I broke into someone else’s home. It was September 2024 and my boyfriend and I were chasing the tail of an adventure.

It was one we thought we might find in Georgia, a nation in the Caucasus with a tremulous Russian border. A series of gushing blog posts pointed us to the country’s most compelling dark tourist hotspot: Tskaltubo, former bathhouse of the Soviets.

If you’ve never heard the term before, dark tourism has been an emerging niche among thrill-seekers for several years now. Defined by darktourism.com as tourism that involves travelling to sites that include death and disaster, it’s been widely expanded to include locations linked with dictators, serial killers and incarceration.

Tskaltubo
Tskaltubo resort is a well-known dark tourist hotspot(Image: Roman Robroek / SWNS.com)

READ MORE: Millions of Brits are forgoing travel insurance but my holiday nightmare shows you need it

And it’s only growing in popularity. According to research published by the Digital Journal, the industry is projected to reach over £32 billion in value by 2031, while a 2022 Travel News survey found that an overwhelming 91% of Gen Z (13-28 year olds) had engaged in the activity in some form.

Tskaltubo, a spa town where the late Joseph Stalin and his comrades used to kick back and unwind, certainly fit the bill of morbid allure. Besides, the photos made it look like something straight out of the Last of Us.

It’s been abandoned since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and what remains are half-crumbled buildings, floating stairs, and premonitions of societal collapse. It looks like another world entirely.

We took a bus to Tskaltubo, a dusty town that appeared half-empty, and in my search for a creepy building to explore, I saw the hotel. It was several stories tall. Grass poked through the steps on the walk up to it. There felt like there was something drawing me in.

Tskatlubo
Tskaltubo used to be a Soviet resort town(Image: Roman Robroek / SWNS.com)

There is something particularly unsettling about an abandoned hotel. Corridors upon corridors of rooms lay empty. Furnishings were torn crudely from walls, leaving chunks of scrabbled plaster.

Damp spread through the white ceilings like bleeding tendrils. And yet signs of life were there. I saw a half-open Bible by the window sill. Old documents thrashed over the floors. A half-drunk coffee mug by a boarded-up door.

I climbed up the half-dilapidated staircase to the topmost floor. There, I could sense an unnatural stillness. Stretched along the hallway was a string laid out like a tripwire. I stepped over it, heart racing.

I sensed some kind of presence but I told myself I was making it up. Then I came across a room with a doll tied to it. Room 125. I stopped and stared at the doll. Its eyes were red and they were boring into me. A door slammed. I screamed and I ran.

I found out later that it was not my imagination. Tskaltubo is in fact home to tens, perhaps hundreds of IDPs. IDPs are internally displaced persons and there are over 280,000 in Georgia, based on a UN report.

Doll tied to door
The doll was tied to the door of an empty room

Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We’d love to hear from you!

The majority of them fled the region of Abkhazia in the 1990s on the back of the Georgia-Abkhaz war. With few alternatives, many chose to settle in Tskaltubo, where they lived in abandoned bathhouses and hotels on the verge of collapse.

In 2022, 12 of the sanatoriums were sold to investors, while the Georgian government has created a housing scheme to rehome refugees. But, according to a BBC report, as of 2024 inhabitants say many families are still living there.

I thought about my pounding footsteps, the shrieking. The ominous boobie traps left, not by a ghost, or a horror villain, but by people with no other home – I assumed to ward people like me off. But I’m just part of a wider problem.

Source link

Flashy drug kingpin snared in hitman plot by OWN designer clothes & tats in supercar selfies he shared from Dubai hotels

A FLASHY crime lord was snared for a murder plot and major cocaine smuggling racket by his clothes and tattoos featured in selfies he posted from Dubai.

Drug baron James Harding, 34, masterminded a drug empire which made £5 million in profits during a 10-week period.

Photo of James Harding, a drug kingpin, relaxing.

9

James Harding, 34, was the mastermind behind a drug empireCredit: PA
Photo of a person's feet at a resort pool.

9

Harding boasted of the luxury life he was living abroadCredit: PA
Blurred photo of James Harding's arrest by Metropolitan Police officers following extradition from Switzerland.

9

He was arrested at Geneva airport and extradited to the UKCredit: PA

But the vain villain took selfies of himself posing shirtless in front of the mirror flexing his muscles and sitting in supercars while living a life of luxury in the desert kingdom.

Harding sent the photos and messages about his opulent lifestyle to criminal cronies on the EncroChat encrypted mobile phone system believing it was totally secure.

But the swaggering poser’s boasts rebounded on him when the communication network was infiltrated by cyber cops in 2020.

Messages uncovered Harding’s cocaine empire – and his plan to rob and kill a rival drug courier.

Harding was yesterday convicted at the Old Bailey of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and of conspiracy to murder following a heavily-guarded eight-week trial.

His right hand man Jayes Kharouti, 39, earlier admitted the same drug offence and was also found guilty of the murder plot.

Jurors heard how Harding used the EncroChat handle ‘thetopsking,’ while Kharouti went under the tags ‘besttops’ and ‘topsybricks.’

They sent 9,136 messages to each other via EncroChat between March and June 2020, detailing their vast shipments of cocaine from the Netherlands into the UK, where it was distributed across the country.

The pair spelled out how they were laundering their money – as every message was read by Scotland Yard detectives following the penetration of the EncroChat platform by French law enforcement.

Harding, originally from Alton, Hampshire, and his lieutenant Kharouti were making £70,000 every day during the period their phones were being hacked by cops, jurors heard.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson, KC, said the pair were responsible for “approximately 50 importations of cocaine into the UK with a total weight of approximately 1,000 kilograms.”

He went on: “The messages also show that once the cocaine was in the UK, it was broken into smaller parcels, of between 5kg and 10kg, and distributed across the UK to wholesale purchasers, who would then sell to end users.

“An analysis of the messages that discuss money and financial gain suggests that the conspirators made £60-70,000 per importation, and about £5m in profit overall in just 10 weeks.”

The messages also revealed how Harding and Kharouti tried to hire a hitman for £100,000 to rob and kill a drug mule.

Watch ‘movie-style’ masked gang raid to spring Brit drugs boss from custody in Spain while he was being taken to dentist

They arranged a gun and ammunition for a hitman to carry out the “full M” – murder, jurors heard.

Cops moved in and arrested the alleged hitman before the contract murder could be carried out.

Harding claimed in court he was not the EncroChat user known as ‘thetopsking’ – and claimed the handle belonged to a mystery gay lover he identified in court only as ‘TK.’

But cops were able to prove Harding was the ‘thetopsking’  because of his love for selfies and boasts about his luxury lifestyle.

A phone seized from an associate had a video showing Harding in the driver’s seat of a £2.5 million Bugatti Chiron car with a tattoo on his leg clearly visible.

There were pictures of him living it up in his lavish villa at The Nest development in Dubai, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a swimming pool and rooms for maids and drivers.

Harding lived there with Liverpudlian girlfriend Charli Wylde, 33, and her daughter Milly-Mai, 15, who he treated as his own.

Close-up of James Harding's Bugatti Chiron.

9

There were photos Harding living it up in Dubai with his £2.5 million BugattiCredit: PA
Handout photo of James Harding, a drug kingpin.

9

The vain villain sent messages of himself sitting in the supercarCredit: PA
Phone screen showing messages arranging a private jet charter.

9

Harding sent messages to his criminal cronies via an encrypted mobile phone systemCredit: PA

The court heard that on May 6, 2020, EncroChat user ‘thetopsking’ boasted to pals how he was taking his “Mrs” out that evening to Zuma, an award-winning Japanese restaurant in Dubai.

Investigations found that two days earlier Harding made the booking from a personal email account.

And eight days later ‘thetopsking’  boasted in messages how he was staying at the five-star Waldorf hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, and sent an image of the hotel pool area via EncroChat.

Mr Atkinson said: “Enquiries with the Hilton Hotel Group showed that Harding stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in the United Arab Emirates and gave (his) mobile telephone number and produced a UAE identification card.

“During the stay, thetopsking had sent an image of James Harding relaxing on a sun lounger at, of all places, the Waldorf.”

One March 26 2020, thetopsking also wrote a message about how he had got back a Lamborghini Urus and sent an image of the dashboard.

Mr Atkinson said: “The person who took the image caught their leg in the photograph, and on that leg is a tattoo which matches the tattoo on James Harding’s leg.”

Kharouti’s home in Epsom, Surrey, was searched in 2020 after he was linked to the messages.

Police found a handset with the same number he gave to Harding.

He fled the country before being found in Turkey and extradited back to the UK.

Harding was arrested on 27 December 2021 at Geneva Airport, Switzerland, and from there Switzerland to the UK the following May.

The pair will be sentenced on Thursday.

Met Detective Chief Inspector Jim Casey,  said: “This conviction sends a clear message – no matter how sophisticated the methods, criminals cannot hide behind encrypted software.

“This operation dismantled a major supply chain and is a testament to the relentless work of our officers.

“We monitored their drug-dealing activity but then we saw the group discussing the contract killing of a rival.

“We moved fast to protect those in danger.”

“Harding and Kharouti planned to kill, we stopped that and put them before the courts.”

Harding was previously jailed for nine years when he was aged 21 for running a drug racket.

Previously, Calvin Crump, 29, of Redhill, Surrey, was jailed for 13 years and six months while Khuram Ahmed, 38, of Slough, Berkshire, got 15-and-half-years after admitting conspiracy to smuggle cocaine.

Peter Thompson, 61, of South-West London, received 21 years after he  pleaded guilty to the  same drug charge and  possessing a pistol.

A man alleged to have been the gang’s proposed hitman was cleared.

Large stacks of British pound notes seized during a drug trafficking investigation.

9

The drug kingpin made £5 million in profits in a 10 week periodCredit: PA
Packages of cocaine seized by police.

9

Packages of drugs smuggled in 2020Credit: PA
Mugshot of Jayes Kharouti.

9

Harding’s right hand man, Jayes Kharouti. fled to Turkey before being returned to the UKCredit: PA

Source link

Coffee drinkers love Aldi’s ‘amazing’ £23 travel item that’s ‘ideal for hotels’

The supermarket has delighted many coffee lovers with the lightweight product designed to be used on the go

Woman in dressing gown opens hotel curtains and looks out window
Aldi’s item is ideal for mornings spent away from home (stock photo)(Image: Getty)

Aldi has impressed coffee drinkers with a £22.99 item that enables you to “make exceptional espresso wherever you are.” The supermarket is stocking an Adventuridge Portable Coffee Maker that’s said to be “perfect for travel, camping, or on-the-go use.”

The travel item is one of the retailer’s SpecialBuy items, meaning it is only available while stock lasts. Based on social media reactions, the portable coffee maker could prove popular. The item received lots of attention when it was showcased in a Facebook post shared by Aldi UK.

The caption said: “No coffee shop, no problem. This is the perfect solution for those caffeine hits NEEDED after a sleepless night in a tent. Pick yours up in store now – perfect for everything from camping trips to office days.”

While some commenters had mixed views about the item, lots of viewers praised the idea. Someone replied: “These are amazing. Ideal for hotels too when you only get instant coffee and a kettle. I use one with a little pot of espresso on my travels.”

A coffee fan said: “I’ve got one of the Nanopresso (same design) and if you know how to use it, they make excellent coffees (from Espressos, Americanos and every other coffee type).” Another viewer wrote: “Be good for some footy.”

Another response read: “I’ll need this when we go camping.” Someone else told their colleague: “We should get this for work.” Meanwhile, another excited shopper said: “Bother, now I have to go to Aldi and I just got comfy.”

Portable Coffee Maker from Aldi
Portable Coffee Maker from Aldi(Image: Aldi)

However, not everyone was blown away, with one social media user saying: “Just have a simple flask!!!!” Someone else wrote: “What’s wrong with a kettle, a small stove, a cafetiere and a mug when camping?

“Similar to being in an office and you get much more bang for your buck.” A commenter added: “My travel mug keeps my coffee hot for hours. I don’t need one of these.”

For those who are interested in the portable coffee maker, a full product description is available on Aldi’s website. It states: “Enjoy your favourite espresso without the need for batteries or cords with our easy-to-use manual espresso maker. It’s perfect for travel, camping, or on-the-go use – giving you the freedom to make exceptional espresso wherever you are.”

READ MORE: Next shoppers say ‘flattering’ £24 T-shirt dress ‘will never date’READ MORE: Men ‘getting compliments’ from No7 product set worth £73 now £10

The description says that the “lightweight” coffee maker “works with any type of ground coffee, so you can customise your espresso to your liking” and that it “does not require compressed air or electricity.”

It’s also said that its “compact size makes it a great travel companion, fitting easily into your bag or backpack.” The coffee maker has a 1.5L capacity, and it comes with a one-year warranty. Product images are available to view on the website.

Shoppers can locate their nearest Aldi store here.

Source link

Homan says immigration operations to continue at farms, hotels

June 19 (UPI) — The Trump administration’s border czar Tom Homan confirmed Thursday that immigration raids in U.S. agriculture and hospitality sectors of the economy will continue despite recent suggestions of a pullback.

Homan said farm, restaurant and hotel workers will be the focus of immigration enforcement operations, but people with criminal backgrounds will be the first priority.

“We’re going to continue to do worksite enforcement operations, even on farms and hotels, but based on a prioritized basis,” Homan said. “Criminals come first.”

Last week, the administration said it was considering standing down on some Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in those industries, suggesting that such enforcement actions could cripple companies that rely on the workers, which President Donald Trump acknowledged in a post on his social media account.

Trump’s pullback was largely attributed to comments by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins who said immigration enforcement measures in industries that typically employ undocumented workers could hobble their productivity.

The president’s announced pullback surprised people who take a hard line stance on immigration and have been largely supportive of Trump aggressive enforcement tactics.

Homan brought the discussion back to hiring practices Thursday while walking back the stand down on immigration enforcement operations.

“Well, first of all, there’s a right way and a wrong way to hire workers. There are legal programs that bring farm workers in,” Homan continued. “Second of all, I’ve been saying for years, Congress needs to address this. But because Congress failed, it just doesn’t mean we ignore it. It’s illegal to knowingly hire an illegal alien.”

Source link

Protesters are chasing federal agents out of L.A. County hotels

At Pasadena’s AC Hotel earlier this month, dozens of protesters gathered in an effort to confront federal agents who had arrived in town amid demonstrations against the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort.

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo was among those present on June 7 as demonstrators holding signs with “ICE out of Pasadena” and other messages chased federal vehicles out of the luxury hotel’s parking garage, cheering and recording it all on their cellphones.

The mayor said the protest forced the agents to leave the place they were using for local accommodations during their L.A. operations, which involved protecting federal buildings downtown.

“Word got out that there were Homeland Security vehicles parked at the hotel,” Gordo told The Times. “People wanted to express their 1st Amendment rights and they did so in a lawful, nonviolent and respectful manner.”

After hours of noisy rallying, the hotel staff asked the feds to pack up their things and go, according to Gordo. By sunset, uniformed agents from the Federal Protective Service, part of the Department of Homeland Security, were seen walking out of the hotel with their bags stacked on a luggage cart in a video of the incident that went viral online. Their vehicles were escorted out of the garage by local police as protesters trailed behind.

Hotels have emerged as hot spots for confrontations between community members and immigration agents. Federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, sometimes rent blocks of rooms in places where agents are dispatched for major operations.

Protesters

Hotels have emerged as hot spots for confrontations between community members and immigration agents.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The showdown in Pasadena was one of several recent instances of protesters coming together at hotels across the Los Angeles region to put pressure on their proprietors to offer no quarter to federal personnel during the Trump administration’s crackdown. The businesses, which rely on immigrant workers for cleaning and maintenance, have been cast into an awkward position — one that requires balancing politics with protecting their employees.

From Whittier to Hawaiian Gardens to Brea, concerned citizens have repeatedly taken to social media and whisper networks to share locations where they have spotted who they believe are federal agents. And people have followed up on such information by staging protests outside hotels in communities including Long Beach, Downey and Glendale.

Employees at the AC Hotel Pasadena referred inquiries to a spokeswoman, who did not immediately provide a comment. It was back to business as usual Tuesday afternoon at the Marriott property, which opened earlier this year. A man on a plush couch worked on his laptop, a woman sipped a beer at the bar and staff milled about.

Gordo said he had confirmed that there are no longer any Homeland Security agents staying at the property.

The Homeland Security press office did not immediately provide comment, and agencies under the department’s umbrella, including ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, did not respond to inquires.

Protesters have been arrested this month for allegedly interfering with federal officers, and federal agencies have expressed concerns about the repercussions of people “doxxing” agents by sharing their locations and other personal information online.

“People are out there taking photos of the names, their faces and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves,” Reuters reported acting ICE chief Todd Lyons said last week.

A Pasadena police cruiser and uniformed police officers block the entrance to a hotel

Pasadena police block the entrance to the Hotel Dena in Pasadena last week.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The crowd-sourced effort to spread information about where federal agents are holed up plays out mostly online.

In some instances, the unverified reports come from people who work at the hotels. Other times, hotel guests or area residents see suspected agents outside or in the lobby, or walk through parking lots in search of federal vehicles.

During the first days after the L.A. enforcement effort began, it was fairly easy to tell where agents were staying by looking for vehicles with agency logos. But it appears that they have caught on to the surveillance tactics of those who would like to see them go home.

On Monday, a Times reporter visited 13 hotels in three Southland counties — from Westchester to Garden Grove to Ontario — where federal immigration agents recently had been rumored to be staying, according to social media posts and alerts on apps and websites dedicated to tracking ICE activity. No vehicles in any of the hotels’ parking lots bore clear visual indications that they were federal agents’ cars, vans or trucks.

At five hotels, employees approached by The Times declined to comment. At three, employees agreed to speak but declined to give their names, citing corporate policies. Two of them said in brief interviews that they were not sure whether agents were staying on the premises. A third, who works at a chain hotel in Anaheim, said he had seen who he believed were ICE agents at the property last week, but they were no longer staying there.

Hotel workers showing support for protestors reflected in a window

Workers at the Hilton Pasadena show support for community members taking part in a June 12 protest.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

“They didn’t bother anyone,” said the man, who declined to provide his name out of fear of reprisal from his employer or immigration authorities. “There were maybe, like, a dozen of them. It was a little concerning.”

Workers such as him have been subjected to political whiplash in recent days. Last week, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them.” That same day, a senior ICE official sent guidance to regional ICE officials directing them to avoid raiding farms, hotels and restaurants and instead emphasize other targets.

The development gave hotel employees hope that they were out of the crosshairs. But the Trump administration quickly reversed course, saying this week that there is now no reprieve for hotel workers and others who Trump had praised just days earlier.

Andrew Mark, a pastor at Pasadena Covenant Church, also addressed the crowd at the June 7 rally outside the AC Hotel. He said in an interview that he was impressed — but not surprised — that the community came together and forced change.

“There’s a deep pride in Pasadena. So I think that for agents to be staying in a hotel here, you feel … a sense that we don’t want this to be a place where they can stage and go out and target people,” he said. “The fact that they were based in a hotel in our community was unsettling.”

On Tuesday, Manuel Vicente sat behind his makeshift desk in a soundproof room at the Pasadena Community Job Center, which helps connect day laborers with employment opportunities. As director of Radio Jornalera, he creates audio and video content to help migrant workers, including content that informs them of the rights they have during encounters with immigration enforcement agents.

Vicente said he believes the successful protest at the AC Hotel Pasadena is an example of a saying he likes to quote, “Pueblo salva el pueblo,” or “Only the people save the people.”

“When they were kicked out of the hotel, everybody was excited,” he said. “It was a small victory, but our efforts made a difference. We need to be together to protect our community, to protect our workers.”

Source link

Win a luxurious 7-night sunshine getaway to Spain with IDILIQ Hotels & Resorts!

Enjoy a sun-soaked getaway with IDILIQ Hotels & Resorts, as they’re giving six lucky guests a 7-night stay at their their lavish Ramada Hotel & Suites Costa del Sol. Enter now!

IDILIQ Hotels & Resorts
Win 7 nights at the stunning Ramada Hotel & Suites Costa Del Sol(Image: IDILIQ Hotels & Resorts)

As temperatures rise, we’re turning up the heat with a sizzling competition – your chance to jet off to the Costa del Sol for seven sun-soaked nights in Spain. We’ve teamed up with IDILIQ Hotels & Resorts to give you the ultimate sunshine getaway at the stunning Ramada Hotel & Suites Costa del Sol.

This luxurious prize includes a seven night stay for up to six guests, staying in one of the newly refurbished Superior Plus Two Bedroom Apartments. Flights are not included.

You’ll soon change gears into holiday mode as you spend the days basking by sparkling pools, sipping cold drinks on shady terraces, or watching the kids play on the sand. In the evenings, dine under star-lit skies as you listen to live music before retreating into the relaxing apartment to drift off.

The lucky winner will enjoy access to exceptional hotel-style amenities as well as all the home comforts of self-catering accommodation. Think themed restaurants, lively bars, dreamy pools, fitness facilities and kids’ clubs, as well as thrilling entertainment with a jam-packed schedule of activities and performances.

Jet off to the Costa del Sol!
Jet off to the Costa del Sol!

Whether you want multi-generational family time, space to mingle with friends, or a romantic hideaway, this is the perfect place for you. The Superior Plus apartments are decked out with everything you need for a relaxing getaway, offering plenty of space for lounging, both inside and out.

Some have views of the shimmering sea, and they all have furnished terraces or balconies designed for kicking back with a book and a long, cold drink. Set over two floors, these contemporary Superior Plus apartments boast a light-filled open plan living area with sofa bed, dining area and well-equipped kitchen with a fridge freezer, oven, glass hob and Nespresso coffee machine. Apartments have a master bedroom and a twin bedroom both equipped with TVs.

So, if you fancy escaping to Spain for the holiday of your dreams, simply fill in your details below to be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize. If you can’t see the form, click HERE .

The competition closes at midnight on Sunday, July 20 and the lucky winner will be selected at random. Good luck!

The prize includes a 7 nights stay in a newly refurbished Superior Plus Two Bedroom Apartment sleeping up to 6 people at Ramada Hotel & Suites Costa del Sol. Accommodation is subject to availability and must be taken within 12 months of the draw date. Flights are not included.

This prize draw is open to entrants aged 18 and over. No purchase necessary to enter.

READ MORE: Beauty of Joseon’s viral new tinted sunscreen has made it into the Love Island villa

Source link

Trump curbs immigration enforcement at farms, meatpacking plants, hotels and restaurants

The Trump administration directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels after the president expressed alarm about the impact of his aggressive enforcement, an official said Saturday.

The move marks a remarkable turnabout in Trump’s immigration crackdown since he took office in January. It follows weeks of increased enforcement since Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump’s immigration policies, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump’s second term.

Tatum King, an official with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit, wrote regional leaders on Thursday to halt investigations of the agricultural industry, including meatpackers, restaurants and hotels, according to the New York Times.

A U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to the Associated Press the contents of the directive. The Homeland Security Department did not dispute it.

“We will follow the president’s direction and continue to work to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off of America’s streets,” Tricia McLaughlin, a Homeland Security spokesperson, said when asked to confirm the directive.

The shift suggests Trump’s promise of mass deportations has limits if it threatens industries that rely on workers in the country illegally. Trump posted on his Truth Social site Thursday that he disapproved of how farmers and hotels were being affected.

“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” he wrote. “In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs. This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!”

While ICE’s presence in Los Angeles has captured public attention and prompted Trump to deploy the California National Guard and Marines, immigration authorities have also been a growing presence at farms and factories across the country.

Farm bureaus in California say raids at packinghouses and fields are threatening businesses that supply much of the country’s food. Dozens of farmworkers were arrested after uniformed agents fanned out on farms northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County, which is known for growing strawberries, lemons and avocados. Others are skipping work as fear spreads.

ICE made more than 70 arrests Tuesday at a food packaging company in Omaha. The owner of Glenn Valley Foods said the company was enrolled in a voluntary program to verify workers’ immigration status and that it was operating at 30% capacity as it scrambled to find replacements.

Tom Homan, the White House border advisor, has repeatedly said ICE will send officers into communities and workplaces, particularly in “sanctuary” jurisdictions that limit the agency’s access to local jails.

Sanctuary cities “will get exactly what they don’t want, more officers in the communities and more officers at the work sites,” Homan said Monday on Fox News Channel. “We can’t arrest them in the jail, we’ll arrest them in the community. If we can’t arrest them in the community, we’re going to increase work-site enforcement operation. We’re going to flood the zone.”

Madhani and Spagat write for the Associated Press.

Source link

ICE raids paused on restaurants, hotels and farms

June 14 (UPI) — The Trump administration has paused Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on most farms, hotels and restaurants amid complaints from such employers.

The pause in ICE enforcement in the agricultural, hospitality and restaurant industries is to prevent disrupting the respective businesses, CBS News and The New York Times reported.

Such businesses rely heavily on immigrant workforces, including many who have unlawfully entered the United States.

“Our great farmers and people in the hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” Trump said on Thursday in a Truth Social post.

“In many cases the criminals allowed into our country by the VERY stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs,” Trump said.

“This is not good,” he added. “We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA.”

The Trump administration has a goal of removing 3,000 people every day who do not have legal approval to be in the United States.

ICE raids that target restaurants, agricultural operations and hotels are causing concern among Republican lawmakers in swing districts, NPR reported.

Such lawmakers prefer that ICE focus on detaining and deporting those who have engaged in violence, vandalism and other criminal acts.

“I remain concerned about ongoing ICE operations throughout [California] and will continue by conversations with the administration – urging them to prioritize the removal of known criminals over the hardworking people who have lived peacefully in the valley for years,” Rep. David Valadao said Tuesday in a post onX.

Valadao represents California’s 22nd House District, which includes part of the San Joaquin Valley and is the son of immigrant farmers from Portugal.

Source link

Huge Canary Island resort builds £587m hotels for first time in 14 years

Local authorities have reportedly green-lighted a mega £587 million project to build five new hotels, and expand an existing one, in a Canary Island hotspot – despite rising anti-tourist sentiment

GRAN CANARIA, SPAIN - APRIL 21:  The beach is pictured near the 14th hole ahead of the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open 2021 at Meloneras Golf Club on April 21, 2021 in Gran Canaria, Spain. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
A huge investment project has reportedly been green-lighted in the hotspot(Image: Getty Images)

Following more than a decade of ‘stagnation’, one tourist resort in the Canary Islands is about to be totally transformed.

Famed for its golden sandy beaches, modern shopping malls and stylish restaurants – the sun-soaked region of Meloneras in south Gran Canaria has been attracting holidaymakers for decades. It’s ideally located less than an hour away from the island’s capital, Las Palmas, making it a great base to explore Gran Canaria’s rich history, including the UNESCO-accredited Vegueta neighbourhood.

Following 14 years of ‘bureaucratic delays and planning gridlock’, developments on the island have struggled to get off the ground. However, the San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Maspalomas) local council has reportedly green-lighted a huge project to expand one existing hotel and build five new ones.

READ MORE: Greece in last-minute scramble as it prepares for huge 28.2m tourist boom

Canary Islands new hotel mockup
Five new hotels are slated to open up on the island(Image: Lopesan Hotels)

According to Canarian Weekly, the developments – which are being spearheaded by the Lopesan Group, are expected to exceed a staggering €700 million (approx. £587 million). The site states the investment will add 1,800 hotel rooms, 3,600 new beds and will cover a total area of 271,500 square metres.

“The hotel expansion includes a 533-room congress hotel with 1,200 beds, which is already under construction,” Canarian Weekly added. “A second hotel on a 56,100 m² plot, will offer 1,123 beds, while a third property on 25,500 m² of land will feature 691 beds.”

The fourth development site is believed to be made up of several villas and bungalows, while the fifth hotel, which will rise up to seven storeys, will be located across from the acclaimed Baobab Hotel. The project will also seek to improve infrastructure in the area, by creating wider streets, new roundabouts, and even a service road that runs parallel to the seafront, local media writes.

It has not yet been confirmed how long the hotels will take to build, or when they will be open for use. The Lopesan Hotel Group already manages 11 luxury hotels in Gran Canaria, two in Fuerteventura, as well as sites in Thailand, Germany, and Austria.

While the news may go down well with sun-worshipping Brits wanting to live it up in luxury for a week in the summer holidays – Lopesan’s mega plans might spark backlash from fed-up locals. Many residents are becoming increasingly critical of over-tourism on the island – arguing it has worsened the country’s housing crisis and is resulting in irreversible environmental damage.

Last year, a slew of anti-tourist protests erupted across the archipelago – as frustrated locals, armed with banners, demanded holidaymakers ‘go home’. Tensions have continued to rise in recent months, with demonstrations taking place across the Canary Islands just two weeks ago.

The Mirror has contacted Lopesan Hotel Group for comment.

Do you have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured.

Source link

Nigel Farage says Brits have ‘every right to be angry’ about cost of hotels for migrants

BRITS struggling to live have “every right to be angry” about illegal migrants getting cushy hotel rooms, Nigel Farage said yesterday.

The Reform leader hailed The Sun’s front page for laying bare the crippling cost of asylum accommodation.

Nigel Farage speaking at a press conference.

1

Nigel Farage has said Brits have ‘every right to be angry’ about the cost of hotels for migrantsCredit: Getty

We told the case of Stuart Whittaker – a former factory worker from Hull who is now homeless – feeling he had been “shoved to the back of the queue”.

Downing Street yesterday admitted it was “absolutely not” fair that locals like him are sofa-surfing while taxpayers fork out for migrant hotels.

Also addressing the story in Port Talbot, Mr Farage said: “What I tell your man from Hull, is he has every right to be upset.

“Every right to be angry.

read more on nigel farage

“Just don’t say anything on social media or Keir Starmer will put you in prison.”

He said that while legal migration has a bigger strain on public services, it is the “sheer unfairness of these young men” coming across the Channel illegally that rubs people up.

The cost of paying for asylum support has ballooned to around £4.7billion annually, and around 15,000 migrants have arrived from France this year already.

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said: “It’s not fair that tens of thousands of people are stuck in an asylum backlog that’s wasting billions of pounds of taxpayers money, and that’s why we’re focused on taking the action needed to reduce the number of asylum seekers and hotels.”

Minister Chris Bryant yesterday insisted that the “best deterrent” against small boats was processing asylum claims quicker.

He was slammed by Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who said: “This is dangerous nonsense from a weak Labour Government.

“Giving illegal immigrants asylum faster is no deterrent – it will just attract even more to come here.

“A real deterrent would be removing every single illegal immigrant who arrives in the UK to somewhere like Rwanda.”

Source link