Gay Couple Sue Hotel After Refused Double Room

No double room at the inn? Not if you're gay at the Chymorvah Private Hotel

Gay couple Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy are suing the Christian owners of a Cornish hotel for refusing to allow them to share a double room late last year.

The civil partners from Bristol have issued a County Court claim in Mr Hall’s name for damages of £5000, alleging ‘direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation‘.

The couple booked a double room at the Chymorvah Private Hotel in Marazion, Cornwall, in Mr Hall’s name. However, when they turned up in September 2008 and it was apparent they were a gay couple the hotel manager, Bernie Quinn, refused to allow them to stay in the room, telling them that it was only available to heterosexual married parters.

The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 makes it unlawful to refuse anybody facilities or goods on the grounds of their sexuality. The gay couple then informed Mr Quinn that he was in breach of the law and informed the police.

The hotel’s Christian owners, Peter and Hazelmary Bull, have had a rule refusing to allow unmarried couples to share a double room for decades. They defend their policy saying that they ban all unmarried couples from sharing a bed. However they do not allow gay civil partners to do so.

A month before Hall and Preddy checked in, the hotel was written to by gay rights organisation Stonewall warning them that the rule they had in place was in breach of the new law. However the Bulls, now backed by the Christian Institute, refuse to change their policy, and Hazelmary Bull stated “In 26 years we have never had a problem with it.”

A spokesman for Stonewall said “we look forward to the hotel changing its policy to reflect equality, the 21st Century and the law.”

The Christian Institute recently backed registrar Lilian Ladele who refused to carry out same-sex civil partnership ceremonies at Islington Council.