Elle Darby asked the hotel about a ‘possible collaboration’ (Picture: YouTube)

A hotel owner has blasted a YouTuber who asked for a free stay for her and her partner in return for exposure on social media.

Elle Darby, who has nearly 90,000 subscribers on YouTube and 79,000 Instagram followers, wrote to a hotel and cafe in Dublin about a ‘possible collaboration’.

But not only was she turned down – the owner of the White Moose Café and Charleville Lodge Hotel posted her request online.

The 22-year-old influencer has since said she has received hundreds of abusive messages and feels bullied, while claiming she did nothing wrong.

She had told hotel owner Paul Stenson: ‘I would love to feature you in my Youtube videos/dedicated Instagram stories/posts to bring traffic to your hotel and recommend others to book up in return for free accommodation.’

Hotel calls out vlogger
Hotel owner Paul Stenson has criticised the influencer (Picture: Charleville Lodge Hotel)
Hotel calls out vlogger
They posted the message on Facebook (Picture: Facebook)

But Mr Stenson replied: ‘Thank you for your email looking for free accommodation in return for exposure.

‘It takes a lot of balls to send an email like that, if not much self-respect and dignity.social m

‘If I let you stay here in return for a feature in your video, who is going to pay the staff who look after you? Who is going to pay the housekeepers who clean your room?

‘The waiters who serve you breakfast? The receptionist who checks you in? Who is going to pay for the light and heat you use during your stay? The laundering of your bed sheets? The water rates?

‘Maybe I should tell my staff they will be featured in your video in lieu of receiving payment for work carried out while you’re in residence?’

Miss Darby was not named in the hotel’s response (Picture: Facebook)

 

In response, she posted a YouTube video titled: ‘I was exposed (SO embarrassing).’

In the clip, she said: ‘I feel disgusting having to say this. As a 22-year-old girl, who’s running her own business from her home * I don’t feel like I did anything wrong.’

Miss Darby, from Bath in Somerset, added that people aged over 30 have ‘no idea how social media works these days’.

Mr Stenson said the hotel had been inundated with negative reviews by supporters of Miss Darby.

He added: ‘The girl in question was never identified in my original post, but she herself went on to create a video explaining how she was ‘exposed’ with ‘malicious intent’ for asking for a freebie.

‘This kind of victimisation is very prevalent in the blogging industry, and is in keeping with their general modus operandi of wanting everything for nothing.’