Homosexual couples are still welcome at London's ‘Islamic’ hotel — but alcohol is not
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Version 0 of 1. The Bermondsey Square Hotel in London, which last week announced it would stop selling alcohol, has reportedly "introduced Sharia Law" — but it will continue cater to same-sex couples. Dubbed "Hotel Sharia" by the Daily Mail following its takeover by a multimillionaire Muslim businessman and the introduction of its new alcohol policy, the Bermondsey Square Hotel insists it will continue to take gay and lesbian guests. "We always have, and continue to, welcome guests of all shapes, sizes and denomination. All guests are welcome," Robert Holland, the hotel’s general manager, told Huffington Post UK. Following the new alcohol policy, and rumours that the hotel plans to also take pork off the menu, questions emerged over whether they would follow Sharia’s anti-gay strictures. Comparisons were made between this and the case of the B&B in Cornwall, which was successfully sued for turning away a gay couple due to its owners' Christian values. The hotel has yet to confirm or deny claims that it will be otherwise run in accordance with Sharia law, with one staff member telling The Independent the new owner doesn't want to "make a profit from alcohol". Bespoke management, which runs the hotel, has hit out at the Daily Mail’s characterisation, calling it "misinformed". @alastairmck @B2Hotel Hi Alastair. The pieces you may have read are misinformed and unfortunately have chosen to make a story from nothing. There are also unconfirmed reports that the hotel will soon phase out pork, with one employee telling The Independent they "aren't sure" how long they’ll keep selling it. Local website SE1 has claimed that, after Christmas, the hotel bar, which used to be run by Masterchef star Gregg Wallace, will stop serving pork. |