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'No sympathy at all': Lara Worthington's snap of 'unacceptable' hotel backfires

Lara Worthington poses at premiere event in white gown
Lara Worthington has slammed 'unacceptable' quarantine conditions, but fans aren't sympathetic. Photo: Getty Images

Lara Worthington has slammed the ‘unacceptable’ conditions her mum has been forced to isolate in under new COVID-19 travel laws in a controversial Twitter rant.

The Aussie model took to social media on Monday to share images of a four-star hotel room her 63-year-old mum Sharon Bingle has been forced to isolate in, presumably under new travel isolation laws introduced over the weekend.

The new rule mandates anyone arriving in a state or territory across the country will be placed into a hotel or some type of accommodation for mandatory isolation for 14 days.

Screenshot of Lara Worthington coronavirus isolation hotel Tweet
Photo: Twitter/MsLWorthington

The photos show a sparse hotel room with an exposed ceiling and one very uncomfortable looking metal chair.

Lara accompanied the snaps with a furious caption in which she wrote Sharon is displaying ‘heavy’ coronavirus symptoms already, and that she found the conditions ‘unacceptable’.

Image of wooden panneling with LG TV on coronavirus self-isolation hotel in Newtown
The images show the hotel room in dim lighting. Photo: Twitter/MsLWorthington
Shadowy photo of hotel bed with wooden panelling detail and desk in corner
A blurry image shows the end of the bed and a shadowy corner. Photo: Twitter/MsLWorthington

“I don’t think this looks like a 5-star accommodation to me,” Lara wrote.

“The next 14 days here for my 63-year-old mum who is showing heavy symptoms.”

“This is unacceptable,” she concluded.

One photo showed the room’s concrete roof with exposed ceiling pipes and naked light bulbs, painting a rather grim picture, though not one that elicited much sympathy.

Image shows exposed pipes and naked light bulb on isolation hotel room ceiling
The exposed ceiling shows pipes and naked light bulbs. Photo: Twitter/MsLWorthington
Image of steel chair in isolation CVOID-919 room used by Sharon Bingle
A wrought-iron chair was not to Lara's mother's taste. Photo: Twitter/MsLWorthington

Lara has confirmed to news.com.au that the hotel pictured is The Urban Newtown, a four-star hotel with a deliberately industrial design.

On their website, with full lighting, the rooms look remarkably different.

Professional image of the Urban Newtown hotel room
Images from the hotel reveal the exposed-style is deliberate. Photo: The Urban Newtown

The Urban Newtown has been contacted for comment.

No sympathy for Lara

Photo of Lara Worthing and mum Sharon wearing sunglasses black and white
Though many wished Sharon a speedy recovery, Lara's complaints did not fall on sympathetic ears. Photo: Instagram/sharonbingle

It looks like regardless of the room’s true state, online users are short on sympathy.

The post has been almost unanimously slammed, with the complaints described as ‘entitled’, ‘ungrateful’ and ‘embarrassing’.

“Congrats, this is today's most tone-deaf tweet about the pandemic,” one woman wrote.

“No sympathy at all,” another wrote. “This is about the health of our nation, not your mother’s Yelp reviews for accommodation she pays $0 for.”

“It’s clean, dry and safe,” a woman wrote. “She is better off than lots. Check your privilege.”

Many were quick to wish Sharon a speedy recovery, while still pointing out her accommodation was perfectly acceptable.

“I do hope your mother's health is ok though,” one man wrote. “She will get great care in Australia. Be thankful for that.”

Lara has been contacted for comment.

Guests complain of being treated ‘like animals’ in hotel isolation

It’s not the first time those under hotel quarantine have been criticised for complaints considered by many to be insensitive.

This morning a woman named Bridget told the ABC her experience in hotel quarantine had been ‘tough’ so far and they had been treated ‘like animals’.

“I totally get that we're a risk to the community and we definitely need to be put in isolation,” she told News Breakfast. “At the same time, it would be great to be treated like a human, I guess. We have been treated a little like animals, I feel.

Though a presenter pointed out she had 14 days of luxury accommodation ahead of her, Bridget insisted the experience was tough ‘both mentally and physically’, arguing the level of luxury was beside the point.

Perth influencer Jessica Pinili who said coronavirus isolation 5-star hotel treated her like 'animal'
Jessica Pinili is a Perth influencer who said her treatment in a 5-star isolation hotel was that of an 'animal'. Photo: Facebook/jessicampinili

A Perth influencer echoed a similar sentiment on Instagram yesterday when she decided to spread ‘awareness’ of her plight with her almost 10k followers.

Jessica Pinili told followers her rant wasn’t ‘about gratitude’ but rather a matter of ‘human rights’

“I don’t have access to a balcony or a window that opens…” she said in a video.

“[That] means for 14 days I will not have fresh air. There are people patrolling the corridor. I can’t even walk up and down the corridor. This is worse than being a prisoner, prisoners get fresh air.”

The comments so far reflect a similar response to Lara Worthington’s online.

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