These 9 hotels are owned by anti-LGBT Brunei and should be avoided
A security guard confronts demonstrators protesting the introduction of laws targeting women and LGBT people in Brunei, outside the Sultan-owned Beverley Hills Hotel (David McNew/Getty Images)
There are several hotels around the world that you should avoid as they are owned by the anti-LGBT east Asian country, Brunei, which is set to introduce a ‘death by stoning’ law as a punishment for homosexuality.
Hotels that fall under the Dorchester Collection are owned by the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), which is a government-owned corporation.
Homosexuality is illegal in Brunei, punishable by up to ten years in prison. The country is also reportedly planning to introduce further anti-LGBT laws that could see people stoned to death for homosexuality.
Which hotels are owned by Brunei?
The supposedly ‘luxurious’ hotel operator Dorchester Collection (owned by the Sultan of Brunei) manages nine five-star hotels through Europe and the US.
The Dorchester is among nine five-star hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, which is a government-owned corporation of the anti-LGBT country Brunei. (Getty)
If you do not wish to financially contribute to businesses run by a country which supports the stoning of LGBT+ people, we suggest you put the following hotels onto your boycott list.
Hotels owned by Brunei:
- The Dorchester, London, UK
- The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, USA
- Plaza Athénée, Paris, France
- Le Meurice, Paris, France
- Principe di Savoia, Milan, Italy
- Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, USA
- Coworth Park, Ascot, UK
- 45 Park Lane, London, UK
- Hotel Eden, Rome, Italy
Staying in these hotels will merely line the pockets of an anti-LGBT country’s government. So, whether you’re travelling to London, Beverly Hills, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles or Rome, you now know which hotels not to go to.
Who is boycotting these anti-LGBT Brunei hotels?
Such disturbing news has brought about a trending hashtag on Twitter, #BoycottBrunei, in which people are discussing which companies and businesses to avoid due to ties with the anti-LGBT Sultan of Brunei.
Among those to take part in the online discussion is Queer Eye‘s Bobby Berk. The interior designer and TV personality shared an article regarding the country’s new laws against homosexuality.
Brunei owns the @BevHillsHotel & @HotelBelAir #BoycottBrunei
“New Brunei Laws to Punish ‘Homosexual Acts’ by Stoning to Death https://t.co/ifSQQwfXVY
— Bobby Berk (@bobbyberk) March 27, 2019
With it, Berk wrote: “Brunei owns the @BevHillsHotel & @HotelBelAir #BoycottBrunei
“New Brunei Laws to Punish ‘Homosexual Acts’ by Stoning to Death.”
Demonstrators protest the punishment of women and LGBT people announced by the Sultan of Brunei near the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, in Beverly Hills, California (David McNew/Getty)
His advice was well received, with one user replying: “Thank you for speaking out against international homophobia!
“One of the ways I have been exerting any influence I can is by not giving money to businesses who discriminate. Perhaps more will boycott Bev Hills Hotel or Hotel Bel-Air! #BoycottBrunei”
George Clooney has also said that he will boycott the hotels: “Every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery.”
He continued: “Brunei is a Monarchy and certainly any boycott would have little effect on changing these laws. But are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations? Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens?”
