UK: Romanian graduate refused hotel room after staff suspected she 'might be a prostitute'

A Romanian graduate student was shocked after being refused a room at a Holiday Inn Express hotel in Hull over the assumption that she might be a prostitute.

Alecsandra Puflea, 22, had booked the hotel room online and was planning to stay there with her boyfriend on 6 July, however she was refused to check in at the reception after revealing that she is from Romania.

"I'm sorry, but we don't accept Romanians," said the receptionist, according to Puflea's claims, reported The Telegraph.

The criminology and forensic science graduate from Hull University later complained to Humberside Police and it was revealed the hotel had started screening guests since many Romanian women had tried to use the hotel rooms for prostitution.

"It was an awful experience and quite shocking. He took one look at my ID and said that I could not stay in the hotel. I tried to show him my British driver's licence, but he said I could not stay in the hotel because I was from Romania," said Puflea.

"Not all Romanians are prostitutes, it is a very small percentage... You can't tar everyone with the same brush because of their nationality."

The hotel's manager, Debra Hutchins said, however, that race had nothing to do with Puflea being denied to check-in.

Meanwhile, the Humberside Police assured the hotel is, "reviewing their local policy in order to prevent potential discrimination occurring in the future."