Hotels don’t always make headlines for turning away guests. But there are notable exceptions. Like the Metro Hotel in Surrey, England, which showed a wounded veteran the door because of a misguided “no military” policy.
The would-be guest, Corporal Tomas Stringer, 24, was forced to spend the night in his car. The denial sparked an outrage in England — and an apology from the property.
There was no such public outcry last year when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were turned way from a St. Tropez nightclub in front of dozens of onlookers, although the power-couple were reportedly “left fuming.”
The actor’s security started begging: “Are you serious? It’s Tom Cruise.” But the heavies were having none of it, telling Tom’s people: “Non, non, non!”
To add insult to injury, the club did allow P. Diddy in that evening.
Nor was there the same level of public outrage when a gay couple was denied a hotel room in South Carolina last year. Jason Pickel and Darren Black Bear reportedly were searching for a home in the Sumter, S.C., area, and needed a place to stay during their search. When calling the Affordable Suites of America, a long-term stay hotel, they asked about pricing and other details on the room.
According to Pickel, the property wouldn’t even allow them to make a reservation.
She asked who the room was going to be for, and I said for my partner and I. She said, ‘Oh, we don’t rent to multiple people of the same sex.’
I said, so you don’t rent to gay couples? She said, ‘No, we don’t rent to gay people at all.’
How do you deal with a discriminatory hotel? State lodging laws may help. For example, South Carolina’s statutes say an innkeeper may only deny lodging to a person under a specific set of circumstances, including inability to pay or if a hotel believes the guest “may be dangerous to other persons.”
Citing these laws at the time of arrival — if not the time of booking — may be helpful to ensuring you have a problem-free visit.
