A migrant exiting a white van at the Comfort Inn in Rockland, Massachusetts. Photo by Tom Joyce
It’s becoming a little bit more difficult to book a hotel in Massachusetts.
That’s because hotels across the state are not only being used to house migrants, including illegal immigrants, on the taxpayers’ dime due to the state’s right-to-shelter law, which lacks a residency requirement, but they also aren’t accepting reservations from anyone else.
A NewBostonPost reporter attempted to book a room at several hotels across the state that are housing migrants on Sunday, March 17, with no success.
Here is how 10 separate attempts went:
1. Comfort Inn (Rockland, Massachusetts)
The Comfort Inn in Rockland was recently in the news because a 26-year-old migrant was arrested on charges he raped a 15-year-old girl at the hotel last week.
When NewBostonPost called this hotel looking to book a room, the receptionist said: “We are closed to the public at this time.”
No booking options exist online for this place, as is the case with nearly every other hotel NewBostonPost contacted.
And when the reporter drove to the hotel on Sunday around noon, the signs for the hotel had been covered and two white vans were unloading people who spoke a foreign language who were entering the hotel.
2. Baymont by Wyndham (Kingston, Massachusetts)
Another attempt to book a hotel that’s being used to house migrants on the South Shore was unsuccessful.
The man who answered the telephone told NewBostonPost: “Sorry, sir, we are sold out.”
3. Yarmouth Resort (Yarmouth, Massachusetts)
Down on Cape Cod, an attempt to book a hotel at another spot that houses migrants was even less successful.
Someone hung up the telephone before the NewBostonPost reporter could even explain the purpose of the call.
4. Rodeway Inn (Westminster, Massachusetts)
Worcester County has the same situation.
The Rodeway Inn comes up as permanently closed on Google, and the Westminster town web site informs people that the hotel is being used to house migrants.
A call from NewBostonPost looking to book a room at the hotel went to voice mail.
5. Holiday Inn (Marlborough, Massachusetts)
NewBostonPost also had no success trying to book a room at a Holiday Inn located about 25 miles west of Boston, in the city of Marlborough.
As WRKO radio host Howie Carr noted in a column last month, the hotel is not being used as a hotel currently and has a sign on the front door that says “HOTEL CLOSED TO PUBLIC.”
When a NewBostonPost reporter called looking for a room, at first, the receptionist thought there was an incident at the hotel and asked “What happened!?” However, when the reporter clarified that this was about booking a room, the receptionist said “I’m sorry. We’re not open to the public.”
6. Clarion Hotel (Taunton, Massachusetts)
An attempt to book a hotel in Bristol County was also a no-go.
Clarion Hotel, which is now housing migrants, wouldn’t let NewBostonPost book a room, either.
The receptionist told the reporter, “So we are technically closed to the public and we are not accepting reservations.”
7. UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center (Lowell, Massachusetts)
If you ever dreamed of staying at a hotel owned by a state university in Massachusetts, then keep dreaming.
That’s because the state is using the northern Massachusetts hotel to house migrants, rather than its regular clientele.
The hotel shows up as temporarily closed on Google and when NewBostonPost asked if it could book a room, the receptionist said, “No … We’re not a hotel anymore.”
8. Clarion Hotel (West Springfield, Massachusetts)
Unlike the other hotels that are housing migrants on this list, the West Springfield Clarion does have an online booking option. However, any option you enter will show up as sold out – meaning you can’t book it.
The Hampden County hotel shows up as permanently closed on Google, and NewBostonPost’s call to the hotel went to voice mail.
Another failure.
9. Knight’s Inn (Hadley, Massachusetts)
An attempt to book a room at a hotel in Hampshire County that houses migrants was also unsuccessful.
When NewBostonPost called Knight’s Inn, the receptionist said, “I do not have anything this week.”
10. Fairfield Inn by Marriott (Dedham, Massachusetts)
An attempt to book a hotel room in a community located southwest of Boston also failed.
Fairfield Inn by Marriott, another hotel that is currently housing migrants, would not let the NewBostonPost reporter book a hotel room.
“This is not a hotel anymore,” the receptionist told the NewBostonPost reporter.
Images of Comfort Inn in Rockland are available below:
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A migrant exiting a white van at the Comfort Inn in Rockland, Massachusetts. Photo by Tom Joyce 
