The Beverly Hills Hotel is probably one of the most iconic hotels in the world. Over 100 years old, the Los Angeles hotel has hosted countless celebrities, business meetings, royalty and dalliances. You even might have seen it on the cover of The Eagles’ Hotel California if you or your parents were around in the ’70s. At any rate, Sharon Osbourne urged people via Twitter to boycott the hotel because of a policy enacted by ont of it’s owners. The Sultan of Brunei.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah last week unveiled a proposed penal code for the Southeast Asian nation that includes stoning muslims to death for being LGBT. Adulterers would also be stoned to death, while limbs would be severed for theft, the BBC reports. It’s already a very conservative country – the sale and consumption of alcohol is forbidden there. The enactment of the laws has been temporarily postponed, but is expected to be announced in the “near future.” Here’s what Osbourne urged via Twitter:
Please join me in BOYCOTTING @BevHillsHotel, @HotelBelAir and all @DC_LuxuryHotels. http://t.co/Vr53tTuCld
— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) April 28, 2014
Before that, she’d urged her fans to boycott the Beverly Hills Hotel and the other hotels in the Dorchester Collection, all of which are owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, via a lengthier Facebook post:
The Dorchester Collection is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, a man who just approved imposing the death penalty by stoning for those convicted of homosexual acts in his country. He’s also approved the stoning of people convicted of adultery and the amputating of limbs for those caught stealing. These are the actions of a barbarian. Is this man going to start stoning certain hotel staff members and clientele now?
I’ve never met the Sultan of Brunei, but I’ve met a couple of his children, one who in my opinion is a fabulously gay, adorable, and loving human being.
My life is full of fond memories of times spent at each of these hotels over the years, and I’m sure many people reading this feel the same way, but I will no longer frequent any of the hotels owned by The Dorchester Collection. I implore all of you to stay away as well. Otherwise, all we are doing is feeding a madman’s empire. I know that his hotels are loved and frequented by millions of people, but if we all take a stand together we might help this situation. Would you please join me in boycotting The Beverly Hills Hotel and all Dorchester Collection Hotels?
Osbourne is joined by others, including Virgin CEO Richard Branson and Beth Grant from The Mindy Project, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
