Radisson Blu Hotel, Perth

The Radisson Blu sits on Leonard Street next to Perth railway station and is a Category B listed Victorian building from 1888. In 2022 the site closed to commercial guests and entered Mears Group asylum use as part of the Perth contingency hotel cluster alongside the Best Western Queens Hotel. The Courier reported that hotel accommodation for asylum seekers in Perth is managed by Mears Group on behalf of the Home Office, which meets the full costs of rooms, meals and financial allowances^[3]Press.

In August 2023 The Courier reported a Home Office plan to add 115 more residents across the Queens and the Radisson Blu by having residents share rooms, with concerns raised by the local MP about the impact on welfare and on the city^[4]Press.

In 2024 the Radisson Blu became the focus of repeated anti immigration demonstrations. The Courier reported a tense two hour protest at which anti immigration protesters charged towards the hotel and were seen banging on the windows^[1]Press.

Around 300 protesters and counter protesters were involved in a standoff outside the hotel, with the two groups separated by police. Perth and Kinross Council expressed concern about outside groups being bussed into the city for these demonstrations^[2]Press.

At the £170 per person per night Migration Observatory benchmark^[5], the Radisson Blu at 191 residents implies headline taxpayer exposure of about £32,500 per night, or roughly £ 11.9 million a year at full asylum occupancy. The May 2025 NAO contract review confirmed hotel accommodation under the Mears regional contract has remained the most expensive accommodation modality in Scotland^[6]NAO.