Owner of Boutique Hotel in Cambridgeshire Refuses £3m to House Asylum Seekers: 'The Whole Situation is a Joke'

In the heart of rural Cambridgeshire, a local hotel owner has turned down a government offer of £3 million to accommodate asylum seekers. Citing a deep frustration with the proposal, the owner of the boutique hotel has publicly stated, 'The whole situation is a joke'.

This bold refusal has sparked a local debate about the community's role and the ongoing national conversation surrounding the UK's approach to housing those seeking refuge.

A Man of Principles

Samuel Leeds, the owner of the luxurious 26-bedroom Willingham House, has garnered widespread attention for rejecting a government proposal to house asylum seekers at his property.

Leeds, whose historic country house boasts of lavish features like gold taps, stated that his decision 'is not about the money — it's about principles'.

The 34-year-old, who acquired the sprawling guesthouse in the picturesque village of Willingham, Cambridgeshire, in 2023, revealed that he was approached in June by an undisclosed company with an offer to lease the property to house 'vulnerable' individuals.

Instead of accepting the offer, which would have earned him £35,000 a month for nearly seven years, the hotelier refused to lease his recently renovated country estate. He stated that his decision was a stand against another hotel being converted for asylum seekers in Britain.

Following the news, Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest individual, commended Leeds for his position. In a sharp post on his social media platform, X, Musk called him 'a good man' while criticising the Labour Party's management of the migrant hotel situation.

Values Over Money

Leeds, a father of four whose wife, Amanda, 33, came to the UK from Zimbabwe, shared his perspective with the Daily Mail. 'I'm a man of principle. I didn't want to be part of what is happening. I don't think it's fair asylum seekers illegally come in with no visas, no nothing.'

'I had this £3million contract and I went to my hotel and I thought this would be a fabulous place to live. But I was in one of the nice rooms, with the golden taps we have just put in, and I was thinking it's just not appropriate for this to be used [for illegal migrants].

'Regardless of the money, I felt I just couldn't do it. It wasn't right... The whole situation is a complete joke and it's a hill I'm happy to die on.'

A 'Hassle-Free' Deal

Leeds, who resides with his family in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, said he was given a contract to lease the hotel, a property he spent two years meticulously renovating for a period of six years and 11 months.

The property investor, who also owns two other hotels, grew concerned about the unclear details of who would be living at Willingham. He had bought the property with his brother and business partner, Russell Leeds, 36.

The rental offer, which the Daily Mail reviewed, stated that 'vulnerable' people would be housed at the property. It also promised Leeds a 'guaranteed, hassle-free income' of £35,000 per month for the full duration of the agreement.

However, when he inquired about the exact identity of the 'vulnerable' individuals who would be staying at his hotel, he was surprised to find out they were asylum seekers.

Although the Home Office did not directly approach him about housing migrants, Leeds was concerned that the company was acting on behalf of the government to secure a new location for asylum seekers.

This arrangement has sparked a national outcry, as it is costing the UK billions of pounds. Some asylum seekers have been housed in luxury hotels at the taxpayers' expense for over a year.

In a video shared online, Leeds described the offer, stating, 'I was offered by a company, that offered to pay me £35,000 per month for almost seven years – that's a lot of money.'

'They were going to use it to house illegal immigrants and I said "no".'

'Now commercially does it make sense? Personally, I don't care if I make more money or less money. I want to run it as a hotel.

'On principle, that's what I decided. Sometimes you have to stick to your principles and put your values over money.'

The Backlash and the Boom

Leeds had first worried he would be 'cancelled' and labelled a 'racist' for speaking his mind. However, his forthright stance has been met with a wave of support, and his hotel is now thriving, with all 18 of its rooms completely booked.

Among his supporters is Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla, who posted about Leeds's decision to his 225 million followers on X. 'The government in Britain is bribing hotel owners with multi-millions of pounds for SEVEN-year contracts to house illegal migrants', Musk wrote.

'Their goal is obviously to amplify and extend the illegal migrant tidal wave, not reduce it. Anyone saying otherwise is a liar. Thankfully, this good man rejected the bribe.'

Leeds gained complete control of Willingham House last year after paying just £1 for the option to purchase it later. According to the agreement, a group of Hong Kong investors has consented to sell him the hotel for £2 million within a decade. In the meantime, the father of four pays them a fixed monthly rent of £6,500.

Before its transformation into a hotel, the Victorian mansion was the village rectory until the early 1950s. It also served as a British Red Cross first aid post during the First World War.