Lionel Messi and Inter Miami decide NOT to stay at LA hotel after striking workers urged them to stay away amid ‘violent attack’ on workers…as MLS team prepares for LAFC game
- Lionel Messi and his teammates were called upon by striking hotel workers
- The club needs a result this weekend as it plays against LAFC on Sunday
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Inter Miami has changed plans and will no longer stay this weekend at a Santa Monica hotel where workers recently went on strike, a union source said Friday.
Inter Miami and star forward Lionel Messi were due to check into the beachfront Fairmont Miramar on Friday ahead of Sunday’s MLS game in LAFC, but heeded Unite Here Local 11’s calls to stay away, union spokeswoman Maria Hernandez said.
Housekeepers, cooks, porters and servants at the establishment, along with thousands of hotel workers across the region, lined the picket lines demanding higher wages to cover rising housing costs.
Striking workers urged Messi and his teammates to stay away after hotel security was accused of “violently attacking their own employees,” according to a statement from Unite Here Local 11.
“Thank you to the wonderful Lionel Messi and his teammates for being willing to leave the hotel and show solidarity with the striking workers!” The union reports this in a statement.
Lionel Messi had been urged by Fairmont Miramar hotel employees to avoid the establishment
Rooms at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica start at around $500 per night
The union representing players from Major League Soccer (MLSPA) also praised the decision.
“The MLSPA is proud to stand with the striking workers at the Fairmont Miramar and other LA hotels, and we applaud the decision by the MLS and Inter Miami to switch hotels this weekend,” the MLS Players Association said. in a statement.
“We urge all hotels to conclude fair contracts with their employees as soon as possible.”
Rooms at the luxury hotel start at around $500 per night, while the price of “bungalows” goes up to $4,499 per night. A Fairmont Miramar spokesperson declined to comment.
Hotel security began “violently attacking their own employees,” according to Unite Here Local 11
Unite Here Local 11 shared a video on social media, showing the alleged attacks
An MLS spokesperson said the league does not monitor which hotels teams stay in when they travel. Inter Miami did not respond to a request for comment.
Guests staying in ‘Bungalow One’ for that price can enjoy a private furnished patio, beds designed with ‘raw silk and cashmere bamboo’ and 750 feet of space.
The space is also equipped with four Samsung Smart TVs, art collections and ‘personalised toiletries’.
Messi and Co need a result in Los Angeles this weekend. Despite the club’s Leagues Cup victory – the club’s first trophy in history – the lead currently stands at 10 points in the MLS postseason race, with the same number of games remaining.
“We ask Lionel Messi and his teammates to show solidarity with us,” the statement said
Guests can stay in a ‘bungalow’ that costs more than $4,000 per night and has a private patio