THE DIRECTOR OF the Charleville Lodge Hotel has defended the controversial Facebook post directing Ed Sheeran fans to homeless shelters, claiming that people just ‘don’t get it’.

The hotel’s lengthy Facebook post lashed out at fans complaining about inflated room prices on the dates of the Ed Sheeran Croke Park gigs.

We wish to advise that our room rates on the nights of 24th and 25th July 2015 are €279 per double room. In case you cannot read numbers, I will write the price in words. Two hundred and seventy nine euro. This time in words and in caps: TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY NINE EURO.

They then suggested accommodation seekers resort to homeless or dog shelters if they aren’t willing to pay, saying ‘beggars can’t be choosers’.

The post caused outrage and has been shared thousands of times. Speaking on TV 3′s Midday, Paul Stenson said:

It’s a massive joke, people are overreacting completely. I don’t think it’s nasty, I think it’s funny. People simply can’t see the funny side of things. It’s not insulting people at all.

Facebook is no place for professionalism, it’s a place for entertaining and engaging with people. If they talk about it, that’s great. It’s the reason you came across it.

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While some commenters found a funny side to the outburst, the hotel has been flooded with negative reviews from offended readers. Stenson isn’t bothered about losing their custom though.

If people can’t have a laugh, we don’t want them walking around the hotel. I’d rather rooms occupied by happy people going around having a laugh.

Stenson also said he would have no problem welcoming homeless people into his hotel, “as long as they’re willing to pay”.

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