Back in December, an interesting couple in Wilmington, Delaware wanted to do something nice for a small group of homeless people.

It was very cold, so why not get them a room for Christmas night? Deb Bennett, co-founder of the Road to Redemption Ministries, thought of some inexpensive motels south of Wilmington. Co-founder Matthew Scott Senge thought bigger.

“I… said, ‘What kind of message are we sending? Are we sending a message that says, ‘that $30 motel room where prostitutes go, where the drug dealers are, where the crime runs rampant…’ Are we sending the message that that’s all they’re worth? And I said, ‘Let’s call the Hotel du Pont, and let them feel special, even if it’s for a day.’”

He reserved a two-bedroom suite at the cushy joint for $639. It would hold the six homeless people they wanted to treat. He explained the plan to the reservation staff, who seemed to think it was a wonderful, charming idea. He mentioned that these guests might not all have photo ID.

When a confirmation email arrived, Senge and Bennett wrapped it as a gift, went to the train bridge under which the group were camping, and told them about the plan. They “were blown away.”

Bennett was homeless in the past, living under a bridge after her house burned down in 2012. One of the group is a relative of hers. And Senge is an ex-con with several convictions for fraud and check-kiting. He says Bennett turned his life around.

Three hours before check-in, as Bennett and Senge were putting together gift baskets and food for the group, the hotel called and canceled the reservation. Not because Joe Biden needed the suite. Because the homeless might not have ID. It is “standard hospitality operating practice” to require photo ID, according to hotel rep Brendan McEvoy. “Our primary concern is for the safety of all our guests.”

The caller asked, “What if one of those people rapes or robs one of my guests?”

Big disappointment. A local website, WDEL, reported the story. You will not be surprised to learn that many people thought poorly of the hotel’s action and criticized freely. A rival luxury hotel announced it would offer 10 one-night stays for homeless people.

On Facebook the du Pont’s rating suddenly sank. On Yelp, there was suddenly less talk about tea sandwiches in the Green Room and more talk about turning away homeless people on Christmas Day. “Where is compassion and Love?” “Bad karma!… I hope… the manager who canceled the reservation becomes homeless. The owner must be an idiot…” “Would you turn away Bill Cosby…?” Also some suspiciously-timed allegations about bedbugs and the manager’s breath, and mischievous advice that “the rooms have doorbells and if you travel with a group, it’s fun to ring each other’s doorbells and then run away.”

It turned out all of the group do have photo ID. (If you have photo ID, you know that means you can’t rape or rob anybody.) And Senge, who made the reservation, has photo ID.

I think the avalanche of disgust on social media had to do with the hotel’s not-very-prompt turnaround and apology. By January 8th they’d offered the group three nights of lodging, with separate rooms, and dinner in a private dining room. The offer was accepted, and appreciated. There was turkey, there was cake with whipped cream and cherries, and for a little while there was no need to “scope out… little nooks and crannies…to get out of the elements and out of the wind,” as a “flabbergasted” Jason Searfoss remarked.

The hotel apologized. For the “misunderstanding.”

We apologize for the misunderstanding regarding a hotel reservation under Mr. Senge’s name, which was cancelled on December 25, 2014. Respect for People is a core value of the Hotel. That extends to everyone, including the homeless. Like all major hotels, we have a policy of requiring IDs from guests, and our employees followed that policy. We have invited Mr. Senge’s guests to the Hotel, as early as this weekend. If the guests do not have IDs, we will work with them to address that.

The Hotel and the DuPont Company have a long history of supporting charities that aid the homeless. Every year, DuPont and its employees are major supporters of the United Way of Delaware. In addition, our employees volunteer thousands of hours to charities like the Ministry of Caring, the Food Bank of Delaware, and Catholic Charities. And every Christmas the DuPont Country Club – like the Hotel, part of DuPont Hospitality — turns over its ovens to cooking turkeys for underprivileged families.

Not a good apology. Who really thinks it was a misunderstanding? Someone called to cancel the reservation, or instructed someone else to call – without even checking the assumption about ID. Also more than half the post is about the fabulous kindness of the hotel and the company.

Of course, this is an organization that can’t make up its mind between du Pont and DuPont. So maybe it’s logical that they can’t distinguish between simple hospitality and expert fawning on the rich.