Hotel in Dubai apologises for racial profiling of visitor
Dubai-based Nigerian woman left traumatised after five-star hotel staff refuses to serve her, asks her to leave
By Mazhar Farooqui, Editor
July 15, 2015
Image Credit: Supplied
DUBAI: A-five-star hotel in Dubai has issued a written apology to a black woman who was shocked and outraged when its staff refused to serve her and showed her the door.
The incident took place at Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach on July 8 when Nigerian Hannah Fanni visited the hotel’s popular West Beach Bistro & Sports Lounge with her American friend, also black.
Hannah has accused the hotel of racial profiling saying its “management policy” reminded her of 1930s America. “They suspected us of being prostitutes and targeted us solely because of the colour of our skin. I have lived here for 10 years and have never been treated in such a disrespectful and despicable manner,” said Hannah, who heads an events management company.
Night out
“My friend had just graduated and we were hoping to enjoy a girls’ night out at the bar but came back traumatised. First the waitress refused to serve us and then a security guard ordered us to leave the hotel,” she recalled.
“At one stage he was ready to engage with us physically which is classified as assault and sexual harassment in UAE. He kept telling us that the bar didn’t allow unaccompanied women. I found it strange because there were several tables occupied by women. When I pointed to them, he said he was merely following orders.”
Hannah said as things got heated, the bar manager intervened.
“I showed him my business card. When he saw it, his face contorted in panic as it dawned on him that they had racially profiled the wrong people. But instead of making amends, he said the security guard had asked us to leave as some black women had come in earlier and solicited their guests.
“I was stunned. Just because some black women had approached their guests, the hotel assumed we were also prostitutes.”
Humiliation
Hannah said realising their mistake the hotel tried to offer them freebies, but they felt so humiliated they left immediately.
“On the way out, I stopped at the front desk and sought to speak to the duty manager but he refused to meet us. Instead a female staff came out and tried to hush up the matter saying ‘Obama is the President of US’ as if that had anything to do with us.
“I want the management of the hotel to realise that this isn’t 1930. This is 2015. You cannot walk up to random black women and tell them you will not serve them because they are black. I am completely flabbergasted that in this day and age the policy of an international chain is to not allow people into their bars because of the colour of their skin,” said Hannah, who had since dashed out emails to senior management of the hotel seeking an apology from the staff involved.
The marketing and communications manager at Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach told
XPRESSthey have apologised to Hannah for the “unfortunate incident”. An email from her read: “The incident occurred purely due to the misunderstanding of the employees and we would like to clarify that there is no such management policy existent in the hotel. Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach welcomes and respect each and every guest and this incident in no way reflects our true standards of service. An official apology letter from the hotel management and employees involved has also been sent to the guest.”
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