A new policy by a hospitality chain in India requiring couples to prove their marriage to check into its hotels in the northwestern city of Meerut has sparked a fierce debate over conservative values encroaching on personal freedoms in the world’s largest democracy.
Advertisement
The OYO Hotels chain, which runs a budget hotel booking platform, announced earlier this month “new check-in directives” allowing partner hotels in Meerut to deny bookings from unmarried couples. Under this policy, hotels have the discretion to turn away couples who cannot provide proof of marriage.
The policy is currently only in place in Meerut, which is about an hour’s drive from the capital New Delhi, but could be extended to other places based on the response, the hospitality chain said.
OYO also said its move was a response to “feedback” it had received in the past from civil society groups in the Meerut area.
In a statement to the media, Pawas Sharma, who serves as OYO’s regional head for North India said: “OYO is committed to upholding safe and responsible hospitality practices.
Advertisement
“While we respect individual freedoms and personal liberty, we also recognise our responsibility to listen to and work with the law enforcement and civil society groups in the micro markets we operate in.”