Mario Schmidt: Bluff Hill Lighthouse B&B owner explains why he's turning away bookings from Americans

A Napier accommodation provider is doubling down on turning away Americans - saying it's a protest against the Trump administration 'betraying' Ukraine.

Bluff Hill Lighthouse B&B has cancelled every US booking since February.

Owner Mario Schmidt is blaming the President - and his adviser, billionaire Elon Musk.

He says he made the decision after Donald Trump's meeting with Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, last month.

"I literally threw up - I've never thrown up. My blood was boiling."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fry and Bridge.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
So there's a bloken Napier. He's in the news today.
He owns a B and B which is on his property.
He's turning away Americans who support Trump. Mario Schmidz's name.
He owns the Bluff Lighthouse B and B in Napier.
If you're American, he doesn't want you. Mario's with me now,
good afternoon.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah, hello, So what brought this on?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Why don't you want any Americans coming Republican Americans.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
Well, I'm a staun Ukraine supporter, have been for the
last three years and I've been doing my best here
in New Zealand trying to help Ukraine from New Zealand.
So that's my motivation. My four bulls in the last
three years has been in Ukraine and I will do
anything from New Zealand to help. So that's my motivation.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
And the Trump stuff is that after the meeting they
had in the Oval office, you didn't.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Like that, Well, that's when I got triggered. Yeah. I
literally threw up. I've never thrown up, and somebody's that's
just my blood was boiling.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
You threw up?

Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, I literally threw up. Yeah, my blood was boiling.
After I've watched the interview live.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
I hope you didn't have I hope you didn't have
any guests in the house.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
No, No, I did not have. So do you it happened? Yes?

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Right? Do you have many guests in the house?

Speaker 3 (01:18):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (01:18):
No.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
The house is separate, so it's a separate The apartment
is separate. So I don't just keep customers. So I
guess that is completely separate, but.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
On the same same property, but different the.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
Same property, but not inside the same house. You know,
I host people, they have they have their own rooms,
their own kitchen, their own bassroom, and everything else. I
don't engage with the customers, Mario.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
I think you should probably be able to do what
you want with your own property, whether you want people
to stay there or not. But we did ask a
lawyer today and they said, you can't discriminate based on
someone's political opinion.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
So what do you think about that?

Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah? I thought that so before I sent boss the emails,
I mean, I canceled two coasts is to to a
US guests, and I sent the email to the to
the booking company. When I sent it to the to
the to the traveler. Into the emails were intercepted because
of the language, because of what I said about Trump.

(02:14):
Obviously that was picked up on on on some sort
of system. What you say we're reviewed, I mean, I
think the email is published. I think the m is published.
I basically just said I can read it to you
if you like.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
But well, not the whole.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Thing, but the juicy bit, the juicy bits.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
Mario, Well, what was what was published in the paper today? Basically?
You know, I don't agree. You know, I said the
US is turning to to fascism and and and I
don't agree with that.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
I don't agree with I can see why I'm for
a B and B booking website. The word fascism might
might be a little complicated or loaded. So anyway, so
you've said to these guests they can't come, and and
it's only if they're Republicans, and you're standing by this,
you're not worried about the consequences matter.

Speaker 3 (02:59):
I will cancel all all Americans from now. And I
only just gave them the options because these two people
are canceled, were already booked, but who else is now booking?
I will just tell them they can't book I carry
on doing that. Even Democrats now, well, yes, I can't
just say one or the other. I'm going now for
the my my grandson is half American, my my my

(03:21):
in laws are Americans. I love American people. I'm not.
You know, it's not like I don't like American people.
You know, my son looks for American company.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
It's just that a Ukraine issue.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
That's you, that's your big bug for you, Mario, Mario,
I appreciate your time.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Thanks for coming on with me.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Okay, all right, Mario, that's Mario Schmidt, owner of the
Bluff Lighthouse BMB in Napier.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
If you're American, just don't think about it. For more
from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
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