Lionel Messi and Inter Miami decide NOT to stay at LA hotel after striking workers urged them to stay away amid ‘violent attack’ on employees… as MLS team prepares for LAFC match
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami decide NOT to stay at LA hotel after striking workers urged them to stay away amid ‘violent attack’ on employees… as MLS team prepares for LAFC match
- Lionel Messi and his teammates were petitioned by striking hotel workers
- The club is in need of a result this weekend as it faces LAFC away on Sunday
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
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 on Friday.
Inter Miami and star forward Lionel Messi were scheduled to check into the beachside Fairmont Miramar on Friday ahead of Sunday’s MLS match at LAFC but heeded calls from Unite Here Local 11 to stay away, said union spokesperson Maria Hernandez.
Housekeepers, cooks, bellmen and servers at the establishment joined thousands of hotel workers across the region on the picket lines, where they are demanding higher pay to meet rising housing costs.
Striking workers urged Messi and his teammates to stay away after hotel security were accused of ‘violently attacking their own employees,’ according to a statement from Unite Here Local 11.
‘Thank you to the great Lionel Messi and his team mates for agreeing to move from the hotel and stand in solidarity with striking workers!’ the union said in a statement.
The union representing Major League Soccer players (MLSPA)also praised the decision.
‘The MLSPA is proud to stand with the striking workers at the Fairmont Miramar and other LA area hotels, and we applaud the decision by MLS and Inter Miami to change hotels this weekend,’ the MLS Players Association said in a statement.
‘We urge all of the hotels to reach fair contracts with their workers ASAP.’
Rooms at the plush hotel start at approximately $500 per night, with the price of ‘bungalows’ reaching as much as $4,499 nightly. A Fairmont Miramar spokesperson declined to comment.
An MLS spokesperson said the league does not monitor which hotels teams stay at when travelling. Inter Miami did not respond to a request for comment.
Guests that stay at ‘Bungalow One’ for that price will enjoy a private furnished patio, beds designed with ‘raw silk and cashmere bamboo’ and 2,500 feet of space.
The space is also equipped with four Samsung Smart TVs, art collections and ‘personalized bath amenities.’
Messi and Co need a result in Los Angeles this weekend. Despite the club’s Leagues Cup win – the first trophy in club history – it is currently 10 points out of the MLS postseason race with as many games to go.
