A bride-to-be has expressed her anger at a Fife hotel for suddenly cancelling her wedding party’s accommodation after it signed a contract to house Ukrainian refugees.
Kimberly Adams and fiancé Iain Gordon – who had booked more than 25 rooms for guests at their big day on September 9 – have now scrapped the entire wedding booking at Keavil House Hotel, near Dunfermline and are desperately seeking an alternative venue.
The couple, who have a six-year-old son Ruaridh, were told by management at the venue that it has taken on a corporate contract which will use up all of its bedrooms for at least four months.
It is understood the Scottish Government plans to use the entire hotel from May 29, to house refugees from who have been living on a cruise ship in Edinburgh.
The couple – who had also booked 10 rooms for the night before the nuptials to allow Kimberly to celebrate her 40th birthday with family – got the shock cancellation news in an email from staff on Thursday afternoon.
Kimberly said: “It’s not the fact it’s refugees. What they’re fleeing is horrific and we really feel for them.
“Our main upset is how the hotel has handled the situation.”
‘I’m so angry at them’
Kimberly and Iain, 41, from Crossgates, booked their wedding in February last year.
They planned to marry and hold their reception at the four star hotel then stay overnight.
Thursday’s email to the couple, seen by The Courier, said: “There is absolutely no impact to your wedding reception booking as this only affects hotel bedrooms.”
Kimberly said there was no way they could go ahead with the wedding at Keavil House Hotel as a result of the blow.
“Our trust and confidence in the business is all but shattered,” she said.
“We’re not having it there. I’m so angry at them.
“How can they do this to people?
“We have guests who are disabled or ill and who need a room on the same site as the venue so they can rest.
“I’ve already emailed a couple of venues but they have no availability.”
‘They don’t seem to understand the distress they’ve caused’
The pair paid the hotel the latest chunk of their wedding deposit just three weeks ago and there was no indication of what was to come.
Kimberly, who works for Ovo Energy’s home services complaints team, said: “It’s so out the blue.
“We now have to find alternative accommodation for people arriving from all over the country.
“We were getting the honeymoon suite free as part of the deal.
“But even it it was still available, who were we going to celebrate with at breakfast?
“It wouldn’t be our guests because they wouldn’t be there.
“They said it will have no impact on our wedding reception. They don’t seem to understand the distress they’ve caused.”
Keavil House Hotel ‘truly sorry but grateful for understanding’
Best Western Keavil House Hotel said it would return the £1,750 deposit paid by the couple.
And they have offered £500 in compensation.
In an email to Kimberly on Friday, the hotel said: “Although we could have accommodated your wedding perfectly, and would have added enhancements as going some way to compensate you for the huge disappointment this has caused you, we fully accept and understand your decision to cancel
“We are truly sorry that this has caused you to reconsider Keavil House Hotel’s suitability for your wedding reception.
“But we are grateful for your understanding of our wish to accommodate these Ukrainian people who have had to leave their country as a result of the war.”
Scottish Government has ‘no control’ over hotel’s decision
More than 1,600 displaced Ukrainians have been living aboard the MS Victoria, which docked in Leith last June.
Concerns have been raised about their welfare, with the British Red Cross voicing disquiet about refugees staying in windowless cabins.
The Scottish Government contract allowing people to stay there is coming to an end and alternative accommodation has been sought.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “While we have every sympathy with the individuals affected, the Scottish Government has no control over the decision of a hotel to cancel existing bookings to take on a new contract.”
He confirmed temporary accommodation would continue to be provided to refugees, including in hotels, until longer-term homes were found.
And he added: “Since the start of the illegal war in Ukraine, over 24,200 people with a Scottish sponsor have arrived in the UK.
“Almost 19,600 of these are sponsored by the Scottish Government, and we are proud of the welcome we’ve given them.”
Conversation