Dear Hilton: Lose My Number

For those who wish to tell Hilton what they think of them, here is a model letter.

Dear Hilton:

I, as well as many of my friends and fellow citizens (as social media reflects), initially read with patriotic pride the news that a Hilton franchisee in Minnesota had refused service to ICE personnel—at least initially, before you hounded them into reversing their decision (and still removed them from the Hilton chain system).  The hotel had made the right call; as one could reasonably presume from both their declared intentions, as well as recent history, ICE was in town to terrorize, if not also assault and kidnap, members of the hotel’s community. Although it is important that hostelry be available to all without discrimination, a line can often be fairly drawn to prohibit known criminal enterprises from being furthered by their residence, and, indeed, arguably must be, particularly when such business itself has such an illegally discriminatory effect deterring the business of other potential guests.

And yet, instead of allowing the line to be drawn here, you have allowed to stay in your hotels those who openly seek to harm your other guests, your own staff, and your neighbors. Worse, with your you have done so with enthusiasm and without shame. While you declare with great fanfare Hilton’s support for “community resilience,” with your condemnation of your partners who tried to protect their community you have instead actively welcomed those who would hurt it.

As you acknowledge on your website, “At Hilton, we know that every time we open our doors to guests, we’re also opening our doors to the communities where we operate.” Which is exactly why ICE wants to stay on your properties, and why that local hotel was right not to let them. For a company that also crows that, “Hilton was founded on the belief that hospitality could be a force for good in the world,” it is especially bizarre that you would so directly support such demonstrated evil, including evil that has led to people being trafficked around the world against their will and without due process. Clearly your “Hilton Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement,” the one you released to comply with the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, is no longer an accurate one, which I’m sure the UK authorities would be interested to know.

I have been a reasonably satisfied Hilton customer up until now, as well as a member of your Honors loyalty club. I an no longer willing to be either, as long as you continue straying from your previously declared values to knowingly aid and abet behavior that is at best inhumane if not also likely outright illegal under state and even federal law. By doing so you have put us all at risk, including in your own establishments. It is simply not safe for anyone to walk the corridors of your hotels while you happily quarter, just down the hall, people known to have no compunction against assaulting those they encounter.

Perhaps your alarming betrayal of the community you profit from stems from fear of losing juicy government contracts if you refuse ICE’s business. But in prioritizing monsters with government ID over your fellow Americans, it is the latter business you will lose, starting with mine.

Please confirm that you have unenrolled me from your Honors program and that all data relating to me has been deleted. You do not get to count me among your customers, and be trusted with my data, when you demonstrate so little respect for people’s rights.

With compliments withheld,

[your name here], former customer

It is a little unclear where such a letter could be sent, as one of the few email addresses provided on their website is for Investor Relations (IR@hilton.com). Then again, Investor Relations should be caring about the loss of business and disclosing to investors how poorly company management has been handling their fiduciary duty. When it behaves so inconsistently with advertised corporate values investors need to know they have been misled.

Also, it is worth noting that I wrote the sentence about “no compunction about assaulting those they encounter” before news came through of ICE apparently having done exactly that and murdering a woman they encountered in Minneapolis. I claim no clairvoyance; it was obvious to everyone that ICE’s presence in the city was a disaster waiting to happen. Everyone, that is, except Hilton.