MoD chiefs spend millions on luxury hotels

Defence chiefs are spending millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on stays in luxury hotels around the world, The Telegraph has learnt.

Figures released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) show that more than £640 million has been spent on hotels, flights and rail fares in the past five years.

Senior officers and civil servants have stayed in luxury hotels and spa resorts in Cape Verde, Las Vegas, New York, Hawaii, Dubai and the Caribbean while working for the Government.

The figures, released in Freedom of Information requests obtained by The Telegraph, show that around £300 million has been spent on hotels and a further £350 million on air and rail travel since 2018.

The documents, from 2018-19 to 2022-23, reveal that officials have stayed at resorts such as the five-star Meliá Dunas Beach Resort and Spa in Cape Verde, where a two-night stay for one senior officer cost £626.

A six-night stay at La Verda hotel in Dubai cost just under £5,000, while five nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu cost the taxpayer £2,742.

The documents reveal that officers have also stayed at plush central London accommodation such as the £350-a-night Horse Guards Hotel, the London Marriott County Hall, where rooms cost more than £400 a night, and the St James’s Hotel and Club, which costs more than £320 a night.

Cheaper available alternatives nearby include the Victory Services Club and the Union Jack Club, which have double rooms available for service personnel at around £140 a night.

‘Opulent choices’

The revelations come after the MoD has faced criticism over the quality of service housing. Last year 3,770 housing complaints from service families were made to Pinnacle, which runs the national complaint service centre for the MoD.

Darwin Friend, head of research at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The Ministry of Defence has spent a jaw-dropping amount of taxpayers’ money.

“Taxpayers will understand that travel is necessary for some roles in the MoD. However, they won’t stand for the opulent choices that have so often been made.

“Defence bosses need to ditch the luxury travel and seek cheaper alternatives.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “These figures represent a very small proportion of our annual defence budget, with more than £50 billion a year now spent to keep the country safe.

“Defence employees work around the world to keep the UK safe, and they are sometimes required to travel, including at extremely short notice, and stay in hotels.

“Expenses are subject to strict controls and staff must prove their stay is necessary and provides value for money.”