Rough sleepers camp near London’s Connaught Hotel, prompting residents’ concerns
A group of rough-sleeping migrants has established an encampment near the Connaught Hotel, one of London's most exclusive five-star hotels in Mayfair. The group of approximately 15 people typically arrive in the early evening and depart around 7am, camping in doorways around luxury boutiques and residential properties. Local residents and office workers have reported concerns about antisocial behaviour, including littering and using the street as a toilet.
The Connaught, where suites cost up to £20,000 a night, sits among London's most exclusive properties, with nearby residential flats costing around £3.7 million. The rough sleepers beg on streets during daytime using handmade cardboard signs. This encampment reflects a broader issue of homeless migrant camps spreading across central London in recent months, with similar situations reported near Marks and Spencer's flagship Oxford Street store.
- Around 15 migrants camping near Mayfair's luxury Connaught Hotel.
- Local residents report littering and street use as toilet.
- Reflects broader trend of rough sleeping encampments across central London.
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Rough sleeping is when people without permanent homes sleep outdoors on the streets. A group of approximately 15 migrants has established an encampment near the Connaught Hotel, one of London's most exclusive hotels in Mayfair. They typically arrive in the early evening and leave around 7am, sleeping in doorways near luxury shops and residential buildings.
The encampment has attracted attention due to the contrast between the area's wealth and visible homelessness. The Connaught offers rooms costing up to £20,000 per night, and surrounding properties are among London's most expensive, with residential flats worth around £3.7 million. Local residents and workers have raised concerns about the encampment, citing issues such as littering and inappropriate use of public spaces.
Similar camps of rough-sleeping migrants have been reported across central London in recent months, suggesting this is part of a broader trend. The visibility of migrant homelessness in affluent neighbourhoods has raised questions about housing, support services and how the capital manages rough sleeping.
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The case for
These are vulnerable people, likely migrants with few options, seeking basic shelter. They maintain minimal disruption by leaving early mornings and concentrate on survival rather than causing serious trouble. The existence of such encampments alongside £20,000-per-night hotels reveals deep inequality and systemic failures in housing and support services; the solution should address these root causes through housing provision and welfare support, not enforcement against those simply trying to survive.
The case against
Residents and businesses in Mayfair have legitimate expectations of safe, sanitary public spaces. Littering and street toileting create genuine health and hygiene concerns that affect everyone using the area. The presence of encampments undermines the area's livability and may encourage further encampments, straining already-stretched services; authorities should provide proper accommodation and support through designated facilities rather than allowing informal encampments in central London's streets.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Mayfair’s £1,000-a-night five-star Connaught Hotel has some uninvited guests on its doorstep… migrant rough sleepers using the street as an open air toilet”.