A ‘single lady’ was allegedly denied stay in a Hyderabad hotel recently. She then decided to let the world know about her woes.
Nupur Saraswat, an artist from Singapore, took to Facebook to inform the world how a hotel in Hyderabad had refused her entry even though she had a confirmed booking.
She wrote, “So, I am standing outside a hotel in Hyderabad which didn’t let me stay because they realized I was a “single lady” even after confirming the online booking. Yup, massive bag in hand, gross from the journey – just standing outside the hotel. Somehow they decided I was safer on the streets than in the hotel. Funny huh, how patriarchy works?”
She continued, “This was my first experience with this form of discrimination. Also, first experience with Goibibo. I just want to let you all know that I was extremely lucky to have arrived early in the morning and had the sense to put up this post just when it happened so my inbox flooded with well-wishers, and one of them took me in.”
The hotel in question was Hotel Deccan Erragadda. Saraswat argued that women in similar predicament while arriving late in the night could have been in greater danger of safety risk.
Saraswat said, “Maybe you’ll arrive in a 11 PM flight and they will refuse to let you stay. So here’s my sincere plea – share this post. Make a scene. Make Goibibo listen. Let them know that women travel solo now and we won’t stay indoors “for the sake of our own safety”. Ask them why they ask us our genders? What is the purpose if not to avoid this?”
Saraswat’s post has gone viral with more than 1100 shares, close to 2,000 likes and almost as many comments.
Soon after her post, many social media users posted the screenshot of what appeared to look like the hotel policies of Deccan Erragadda (see below). The hotel policy indeed appears to suggest that it doesn’t welcome ‘single lady’ as its guests.
Goibibo informed on Twitter that it took women’s safety seriously and had made full refund to the passenger.
It said, “We take cognizance of women safety, as a result we immediately refunded and gave an upgrade to the traveler for a peaceful stay. For hotels who have such policies we are taking it up seriously and taking strict action against such erring hotels.”