Oyo Clarifies Check-in Policy for Partner Hotels, No Room for Unmarried Couples

As the controversy raged over Oyo's revised policy for partner hotels, directing them not to allow unmarried couples to check in, the hospitality major said on Sunday that the initiative is aimed at providing a safe experience for families, students, business, religious, and solo travelers.

Earlier, starting with Meerut, Oyo gave a directive to its partner hotels to ensure this directive with immediate effect and based on feedback, the travel booking major may extend this to more cities.

Under the new policy, all couples will be required to produce valid proof of relationship at the time of check-in, including online bookings.

Oyo has given its partner hotels the discretion to refuse couple bookings based on their judgment, in line with local social sensibility.

In a statement, the company said Oyo is committed to upholding safe and responsible hospitality practices.

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. We will continue to review this policy and its impact periodically," the company said in a statement.

It added that the initiative is part of Oyo's programme to change outdated perception and project itself as a brand providing a safe experience for families, students, business, religious, and solo travelers.

The facility also aims to increase longer stays and repeat bookings while providing customer trust and loyalty.

Last year, Oravel Stays, parent of Oyo, announced an acquisition of Motel 6 and Studio 6 chain that consists of almost 1,500 facilities in the US and Canada from Blackstone, NYSE: BX. The cash deal stood at around $525 million.

With the acquisition of G6 Hospitality, the parent company of the two budget lodging chains, Oyo will become a major player in the US and Canadian hospitality industry, which is already dominated by Indian Americans.