Travel booking platform OYO recently launched a new check-in policy for partner hotels, starting from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. As per this policy, unmarried couples will no longer be allowed to check in to OYO's partner hotels.
Not only this, couples will be asked to present a valid proof of their relationship at the time of check-in, including online bookings. The travel booking platform has empowered partner hotels' discretion to deny couple bookings based on their judgment as per the local social sensibility.
Based on the ground feedback, the company may expand this directive to other cities as well. Needless to say, OYO's latest check-in policy left netizens divided. While some users poked fun at the platform's policy, others raised the much more serious issue of fundamental rights.
"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'."