The location of hotel APODs in close proximity to other people and activities was something that was described by detainees in both positive and negative terms. Some commented that being so close to the world gave them hope, and particularly that being able to see and hear people in the street protesting against their detention made them feel as though they had support. Others said that it made things more difficult, as being able to see people moving about freely in the streets highlighted their own confinement. One detainee told us that ‘It’s a tease, mocking you because you’re so close to everything’. Another explained that being able to see people moving about freely in the streets made things more difficult: ‘I can see through a window people getting on with their lives. Doing what normal people do. For me, I have had this taken away for nine years without any reason. What crime have I committed?’ (b) Shared facilities and outdoor space While the individual accommodation areas at the hotel APODs are generally more spacious than those at other immigration detention facilities, the shared facilities and outdoor spaces are significantly more limited. These limitations were exacerbated by additional restrictions being imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as discussed further below.49 For example, detainees at the Brisbane APOD have minimal access to shared facilities and outdoor space. Most detainees described being confined to their rooms for the majority of the day, with one individual stating that he had not been outdoors at any point during his five months of detention in the hotel APOD. While detainees were allowed to visit each other’s rooms in accordance with a prearranged ‘buddy system’, this was limited to one nominated ‘buddy’ who was located on the same floor of the hotel. The only shared facility at the Brisbane APOD was a common room on the women’s floor that could be accessed by female detainees for a scheduled social group that took place for two hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons each week. No access to this common room was available at any other times, with a number of individuals expressing frustration at the fact that they were only allowed to access this common room for limited periods and for the purpose of participating in the social group. There were no other shared facilities at the Brisbane APOD that could be accessed by detainees. There were no shared facilities available to male detainees within the Brisbane APOD at all, and no outdoor space available for any detainees. The Brisbane APOD did not provide any dedicated space within the facility for exercise. While there was a limited supply of gym equipment that could be requested by individuals for use in their rooms, detainees informed us that this was often not available due to demand. The Brisbane APOD did not have any prayer rooms or communal spaces for worship. To provide detainees with the opportunity to access outdoor space and to exercise outdoors, daily excursions were conducted to BITA. The daily excursion allowed detainees to spend approximately 60 – 90 minutes in a designated outdoor space at BITA, which was used exclusively by the Brisbane APOD detainees during this time. The space itself contained no recreational equipment or other features, with one individual describing it as being ‘just an area where you could walk around a bit and smoke’. Another individual described the space as being ‘the size of half of a basketball court and surrounded by fences’. The Use of Hotels as Alternative Places of Detention (APODs) • 2023 • 29