STORY
The Home Office has announced that another 13 hotels are no longer being used to accommodate asylum seekers, bringing the number closed during 2026 to 44. The latest group includes the Grand Metropole Hotel in Blackpool, the Gold Thorn Hotel in Wolverhampton and the Best Western Brook Hotel in Norwich, with around 160 asylum hotels still operating nationally.
Immigration Minister Anna Turley said ending hotel use remained a Government priority and said more than £1 billion had been saved since the 2024 general election through reductions in hotel accommodation and wider changes to the asylum system. Some people leaving hotels are being moved to other forms of accommodation, including former military sites and houses in multiple occupation.
The Government has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by the next general election and is looking to larger sites, including former military bases, as alternatives. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said accommodation should be distributed more evenly across the country, while ministers say local authorities will continue to be consulted and retain their existing planning powers.