‘Bengal or Bangladesh, same thing’: Noida hotel rebuffs New Town family

In another bizarre incident of ‘confusion’ between ‘Bengali’ and ‘Bangladeshi’, an OYO hotel in Sector 44, Noida, reportedly turned away a techie from New Town, Kolkata, who had come to stay with his 14-year-old, a national-level skater here to participate in a championship in the city.

Per a 13 August report in the Times of India, the family had booked their room online but the receptionist at the property cancelled their reservation due to instructions from the local police to refuse guests from Bangladesh, Punjab or Jammu and Kashmir until 15 August — for ‘security reasons’.

In vain did the father insist they were Bengalis from West Bengal and not from Bangladesh. The receptionist replied “it was the same thing”.

Multiple calls to OYO were finally ‘rewarded’ with the rare offer of a refund within 7–10 days. The family had to rush to find another hotel, and could only get a room in Sector 49. The property they had originally booked was chosen for its proximity to the skating rink the child was to competing at. This other property was not so close.

In a twist in the tale, however, Noida DCP Yamuna Prasad was adamant that no such instruction could have come from the police. “Hotels are told to check ID and visa documents of people from Bangladesh but there is no directive to disallow stay to even Bangladeshi residents if they have proven papers,” Prasad reportedly told TOI.

As for OYO, it issued an apology and said the offending property — Meera Eternity — had been immediately delisted from the booking platform and inquiry initiated. The property is, however, still listed as a 'Collection O' property on Tripadvisor.

‘OYO has neither received or given any such guideline to hotels on its platform. OYO does not promote any form of discrimination,’ the platform said in a statement.

That will be small consolation to the stressed family who had to rush for the early event registration, frazzled by this experience.