Alice Springs hotel in segregation controversy
Management at a hotel in Alice Springs have been accused of instructing staff to segregate guests if they were Aboriginal.
A report by the ABC alleges that employees at the Ibis Styles Alice Springs Oasis were told by management to place Aboriginal people in inferior rooms while charging them the same price as other guests.
The ABC report quotes a staff member who says the hotel routinely assigns Aboriginal people to one of six designated rooms which use hospital linen and were not kept to the same standard as the other rooms.
An email reportedly sent by management to staff last June and obtained by the ABC appears to verify the story.
“Just to keep everyone in the loop we are now only putting hospital linen into rooms 85 to 90,” the email read.
“These rooms are to be referred to as community rooms and we will try to limit them to just that, those coming from the communities.
“Reception ladies, please use a touch of initiative and allocate accordingly on arrival.”
Both the management company Accor and the hotel’s manager have denied racially profiling guests.
An Accor spokesperson said in a statement that the company is unaware of any complaints from staff or guests “of this nature”.
“The hotel welcomes and embraces guests from all backgrounds and cultures that reflects their diverse workforce, which includes 31 per cent Indigenous employees,” the statement said.
Sheridan Randall, 8th March 2019
