The hotel said it canceled a reservation for a $64...

The hotel said it canceled a reservation for a $640 suite for six homeless people on Christmas night because they wouldn't have proper identification.

The room had been booked by a Newark man named Matt Senge whose wife used to be homeless. He said he wanted to give the group a treat on Christmas a warm bed and a hot shower.

Senge said that hotel staff members had been enthusiastic and supportive, but that a staff member contacted him three hours before check-in to cancel. Senge said the person didn't mention anything about identification but cited the safety of other hotel guests.

"He said verbatim: 'What if one of those people rapes or robs one of my guests?'" Senge said. "I was devastated."

In addition to Hotel du Pont's change of heart Thursday, two other local hotels agreed to put up homeless people for free for limited stays.