England football stars Mary Earps and Millie Bright experienced a dramatic and humiliating rejection late on Thursday night when security staff at the Hampton by Hilton hotel in Watford refused them entry, forcing the celebrated athletes to change in a car park.
The bizarre incident occurred around 11:30 PM as the Lionesses returned triumphant from the Women's Football Awards in London, where Earps had collected the prestigious Player of the Year honour.
A Champion's Humiliating Homecoming
Despite being booked into the hotel with the rest of the England squad, Earps and Bright found themselves locked out when security personnel failed to recognise them and blocked their access to the property.
In a remarkable turn of events, the professional athletes - fresh from receiving football's highest accolades - were compelled to change out of their glamorous evening wear in the hotel car park, a far cry from the red carpet treatment they'd received hours earlier.
Social Media Storm Erupts
The Manchester United goalkeeper didn't suffer the indignity quietly, taking to social media to express her frustration. "Hampton by Hilton - maybe train your security that guests (who are England players) are in fact allowed into the hotel they're staying in, even if it's late," Earps posted in a since-deleted Instagram story.
"Especially when they've just rocked up from the Women's Football Awards and would quite like to go to bed. Just a suggestion."
Hotel Chain Faces Backlash
The incident has sparked outrage among football fans and women's sports advocates, with many questioning why internationally recognised athletes should face such treatment. The timing proved particularly galling given Earps' landmark evening, where she'd been celebrated as the finest player in women's football.
Hilton Worldwide has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the incident, though the hotel chain faces mounting pressure to explain how two of England's most prominent sporting figures could be treated so dismissively.
This embarrassing episode raises serious questions about the recognition and respect afforded to women athletes, even at the peak of their professional success.
