Blackpool hotel named and shamed for stingy salaries
A Blackpool hotel is among 70 companies named and shamed today by the government for failing to pay staff the national minimum wage.
The owners of the Mardi Gras Hotel, named as Mr L Tolman and Mr S Blanchad, neglected to pay £3,206.76 to three workers, according to HM Revenue and Customs.
The three-star hotel claims to be ‘one of the largest gay-run accommodation providers in Blackpool’.
Situated in Lord Street, it has been under current management since 2006. Rooms cost from £19 per person per night.
The national minimum wage is £6.50 an hour to employees aged 21 and over, £5.13 an hour to those aged 18 to 20, £3.79 an hour to 16 to 17 year olds and an apprentice rate of £2.73 an hour.
HMRC said: "The government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. "
It began naming companies that broke the rules in 2011 to shame them into complying with the legislation.
Those who are found not to have paid staff their dues have to pay staff arrears of wages at the current national minimum rate and could be fined up to £20,000.
In the most serious cases, employers can be prosecuted.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11