A new check-in policy for partner hotels was recently introduced by travel booking platform OYO, beginning in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Unmarried couples will no longer be able to check into OYO’s partner hotels in accordance with this policy.
Couples will also be required to show official documentation of their relationship, including bookings made online when they check in. The travel booking platform has given partner hotels the authority to reject a couple’s reservation if they feel it violates local social norms.
The business may decide to extend this directive to more cities in response to feedback from the ground. Naturally, OYO’s most recent check-in policy caused controversy among internet users. Although some users made joke of the platform’s policies, others brought out the far more important matter of fundamental rights.
Oyo has given partner hotels the authority to reject a couple’s reservation if they feel it violates local social norms.
“Palak paneer without paneer,” a user commented. “Won’t apply for their IPO,” another user said. “Maggi without masala,” a third user said in jest.
“Local social sensibilities. Lol where are these so called social sensibilities when children die of hunger, poor dies due to lack of medical attention they need, and 1000 more issues but these local social sensibilities rise up when couples rent out a place,” a fourth user noted.
“How are such discriminatory policies even allowed? It’s one thing when local hotels deny rooms for arbitrary rules but when such a large chain openly makes it a part of their policy they should be stopped,” a fifth user commented.
“OYO has become shit over time but this “rule” is clear violation of fundamental rights under Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty) and Article 14 (Right to Equality) as it discriminates based on marital status,” yet another user wrote.
A user, however, said: “It is not a violation of fundamental rights. Fundamental rights do not apply in private contracts, only unconscionable terms from a contract can be struck down. Furthermore, it is the service provider’s choice to choose its customers. What OYO has done is simply changed its platform’s policy. If you don’t like it, you can just book rooms through other platforms. Nothing in this change is ‘illegal’.”