An Airbnb host in the UK has been suspended after two women's booking was rejected for being "from Wales".
The BBC reported Jemma Louise Gough and Jamie Lee Watkins, from the town of Cwmbran in south Wales, requested to book a Manchester property ahead of a concert in the city.
In the booking, the duo told the host they were coming from Wales. However, their payment was promptly refunded and their bookings cancelled.
When they asked the host why, they were told, "because you're from Wales". They heard nothing further from the host.
"My flabber had never been so gasted," Louise Gough told BBC Radio Wales.
"When I heard that, my mouth hit the floor, utter shock," said Jemma, adding they were "pretty much speechless".
She called it "pure discrimination". "I don't know what the entire country has done to her"
The pair said even more baffling was that the message came from a verified Airbnb "superhost" — a title requiring a rating of 4.8 or higher, a 90% or higher response rate, and a cancellation rate of less than 1%.
Airbnb's host rules specified valid cancellation reasons as including circumstances beyond their control, serious personal illness, proof a guest intended to break house rules, or a major disruptive event like public health emergencies.
Responding to the allegations, Airbnb said: "As soon as this report was brought to our attention, we reached out to the guest to provide our support and suspended the host while we investigate this matter."
SHARE ME