Many may allege that budget stay aggregator OYO has effectively backtracked on respecting the privacy of adult consensual relationships with its latest check-in policy for partner hotels. According to the new rules, first introduced in Meerut, all couples would be asked to present a valid proof of relationship at the time of check-in.
OYO has cited its alignment with local social sensibility as the reason for the latest changes, which empowers hotels to decline couple bookings based on their discretion.
The changes came into effect in Meerut, and reports suggest that OYO might expand it to other cities. “OYO has received feedback in the past from civil society groups, especially in Meerut, urging action to address this issue,” PTI said, quoting people familiar with the policy change.
“Residents from few other cities have [also] petitioned for not allowing unmarried couples to check-in at OYO hotels,” they added.
“OYO is committed to upholding safe and responsible hospitality practices,” weighed in OYO North India region head, Pawas Sharma. “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,” said Sharma.
This could potentially create problems for live-in couples, some of whom may even allege infringement of their rights with the advent of these new rules. For context, the Supreme Court has observed live-in relationships to be valid as back as 1978 (Badri Prasad vs. Dy. Director of Consolidation case) and provided Article 21 protection for live-in couples in 2010 (S. Khushboo vs. Kanniammal & Another).
In the 2018 ‘Lalita Toppo vs. State of Jharkhand & Another’ case, a woman in a live-in relationship “for a significant period” was entitled to claim maintenance under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 as well.
In most of these cases, there was no documented evidence per se of marriage, yet the court deemed them as consensual couples. How OYO partner hotels will ensure proof of marriage under these circumstances is yet to be known. In a country where marriages occur under various laws that change with religion and so on, the question arises of whether married couples need to carry proof as a document during their travels just to secure a hotel stay.
According to OYO, the latest initiative is in line with it transforming it outdated perception and projecting the brand as one that provides safe experience for families, students, business, religious and solo travellers.
