The Dorchester Collection, London, has released a statement in response to the fashion and entertainment community’s planned protest and boycott of the group’s hotels over a new law in Brunei that advocates the stoning of gay individuals committing sexual crimes and flogging for abortion. The collection of hotels is owned by the Sultan of Brunei through the Brunei Investment Agency and officials in Brunei have said that the legislation will come into effect “in the very near future.”
Reiterating its commitment to diversity, The Dorchester Collection CEO Christopher Cowdray said in a statement, “Dorchester Collection continues to abide by the laws of the countries we operate in and does not tolerate any form of discrimination of any kind. The laws that exist in other countries outside of where Dorchester Collection operates do not affect the policies that govern how we run our hotels. Dorchester Collection’s Code, endorsed by the company’s ownership, emphasises equality, respect and integrity in all areas of our operation, and strongly values people and cultural diversity amongst our guests and employees.”
The Beverly Hills Hotel in California issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on April 19, when asked about a LGBT advocacy group cancelling its plans to host a conference. “We do not tolerate any form of discrimination of any kind,” the statement read. “We are also against any law in any other country around the world that punishes people for their religious beliefs, ethnicity, race or sexual orientation. The laws and policies that govern how we run our hotel have nothing to do with the laws that exist in any other country outside of the United States. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and strongly value people and cultural diversity amongst our guests and employees.”