Are OYO rooms safe for unmarried couples in India?

No matter how much progress our country makes, the bitter truth remains that it will continue to stay very outdated in a lot of matters. And sadly, live-in relationships are one of them. To date, members of the older generation frown upon the dating concept, what to speak of live-in relationships!

Amidst such scenarios, couples who are looking for some special intimate moments to mark special occasions; as well as those in long-distance relationships who meet after a really long time are left confused about what to do. The only option left with them is to book a hotel room, but how safe are these rooms in the first place?

OYO for couples:

As per guest feedback, there is a lot of moral policing and interrogation once the hotel staff finds out that the couple checking in their hotel is unmarried. This last-minute inconvenience not just ruins the entire experience, but also gives couples a scare! And nothing can be worse than being denied entry into a hotel at the last moment.

Thanks to the latest additions on the OYO app, unmarried couples can now check into their rooms without any hassle!

OYO came up with its new feature ‘OYO for couples’ in the year 2016. Under this new addition, couples can search for hotels exclusively under the ‘relationship mode’ on the website and app, and get results of hotels that are okay giving rooms to unmarried couples. Once the bookings have been made, they can check-in by showing their local ID proofs. These couple-friendly rooms are located across 100 cities, making life for couples a little easier. 

No law in the country can prohibit unmarried guests from staying at a hotel. Neither can those who stay in the same city as the hotel’s location be denied a stay in the hotel. Unfortunately, due to the social stigmas that surround us, a lot of couples do not allow such bookings. With big names like OYO involving themselves in making a positive change in society, couples can breathe a sigh of relief. And the best part is that these hotels are completely safe. 

Ensuring safety for you and your partner in an OYO room:

Though you and your partner are safe in an OYO room, it is best to take some extra precautions. Here is how you can make sure that you and your partner can enjoy a comfortable stay in an OYO room, without having to worry about moral policing and invasion of privacy.

• Book only an OYO room that is open to couples. Make sure you select the appropriate filters and then take your time to book a hotel.
• The location of the hotel is very important. Don’t book a hotel in a shady place, where there are higher chances of you ending up in trouble. Go for a premium hotel in a good location. Though the prices for the same might be higher, you will definitely have a much better experience.
• Make sure that you spend some time checking out the reviews and guest feedback on the hotel that you are booking. Also, go through all hotel policies carefully before making a booking.
• Absolutely make sure that you inspect the room the first thing you do when you enter the room. It is better to be safe than sorry; so look out for any suspicious items around you.
• Know your rights and don’t be scared to practice them if the need arises. As an adult, you have every right to book a hotel room with another consenting adult, and no law restricts you from doing that.

Things to keep in mind about OYO rooms in this pandemic:

This COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt created havoc on the hospitality industry, which definitely includes the widespread OYO hotel chains.

With the confusions that have been raging around for a while that whether these OYO rooms are safe during the pandemic or not, the founder of OYO, as well as the customers’ reviews, have cleared the confusions.

OYO rooms are safe now, in this pandemic as well. 

• Recently, OYO has partnered with the Apollo Hospitals to offer sanitized beds and other hygienic facilities in some COVID-19 exclusive hotels across 6 cities in India(Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata) for the service towards the COVID-19 suspected patients.

You also need to keep in mind some safety precautions before and after checking into an OYO room:

• Make sure to sanitize yourself, your partner, and your personal belongings before and after checking in!
• Don’t forget to wear a mask and try to avoid physical contact with the hotel staff and other outsiders.
• Prefer the food buffets over other arrangements, to minimize any kind of food contamination.
• While sneezing and coughing, try to cover your face with a tissue and then dispose it of in a safe bin.
• Make sure that your room has proper ventilation.
• Check carefully whether the bed and the other stuff in the room are cleaned and sanitized well.

So, that’s enough I guess. In this pandemic, lovemaking and safety go hand in hand. Hence, don’t forget about you and your better half's hygiene. 

And if you are still worried about all these, then don't hesitate to share your worries with the BeMyCharm team, who is always there to provide you a 24x7 expert guidance!

Stay happy and stay safe! ☺

DISCLAIMER
All views expressed on the site are my own and do not represent the opinions of any entity whosoever with which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated