OYO, a major travel booking platform, has made an important change to its check-in policy to promote safer and more responsible hospitality practices. Under the new rule, unmarried couples will now need to provide valid relationship proof, such as ID cards or photographs, to book rooms at OYO partner hotels. If such proof is not provided, hotels may decline the booking in consideration of local social norms.
This new policy is currently being implemented in Meerut and will be expanded to other cities after gathering feedback. According to OYO, the decision was made after discussions with local civil society groups in Meerut. Surveys also revealed that many residents in other cities support the idea of restricting room bookings for unmarried couples in OYO hotels.
Pawas Sharma, OYO’s North India Region Head, explained the reasoning behind the policy. He said, “We are committed to promoting safe and responsible hospitality practices. While we respect personal freedom, we also recognize our responsibility to work closely with law enforcement and the community.” Sharma noted that the policy is not permanent and could change over time. The main goal, he added, is to ensure a safe environment for families, students, business travelers, and solo guests.
In addition to this policy change, OYO is taking other steps to improve the guest experience and promote safety. The company is encouraging longer stays and repeat bookings, organizing joint seminars with police and hotel partners to enhance safety measures, and blacklisting hotels involved in unethical activities. OYO is also cracking down on unauthorized use of its brand.
As these changes are rolled out, OYO aims to strike a balance between respecting personal freedom and ensuring safety and social responsibility in its services.
