Chennai: A consumer disputes panel in Chennai has held a luxury hotel in Rajasthan’s Udaipur responsible for violating guest privacy and directed it to pay Rs 10 lakh in damages to a couple.
The hotel has denied the charges though, saying that internal protocol was followed by hotel staff.
The Chennai (North) District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission passed this order against The Leela Palace Udaipur where the Chennai-based couple were staying.
A complaint was registered by an advocate from the Tamil Nadu capital, who along with her husband, had booked a one-night stay at the hotel on January 26, 2025, paying Rs 55,500 for a “Grand Room with Lake View” near Lake Pichola, as reported by The Hindu.
In her complaint, the advocate said that a housekeeping staff member allegedly unlocked and entered their room using a master key while both guests were inside the washroom.
The couple claimed that despite repeatedly shouting that no service was required, the staff member entered the room and peeped through a damaged washroom door, causing them severe mental distress, it was alleged.
The couple reportedly took up the matter immediately with the hotel’s reception, but they were dissatisfied with the response they received. The matter was later taken to the consumer court, which found the hotel’s actions to be a serious lapse in service.
The Commission observed in its order that permitting staff to access an occupied room amounted to a grave breach of privacy and safety. It stated that internal operating guidelines cannot supersede a guest’s right to privacy. The panel also took note of the fact that the staff member entered the room within a minute of ringing the bell, calling the action unreasonable, especially when the washroom was clearly in use.
Apart from the Rs 10 lakh compensation, the Commission directed the hotel to refund the room charges with nine per cent interest from the date of stay and to pay litigation costs of Rs 10,000. The entire amount is to be paid within two months, it has been reported. The complaint was filed against Schloss Udaipur Private Limited, which manages the hotel.
The Commission rejected the hotel’s defence that no “Do Not Disturb” sign was displayed, stating that staff should have confirmed occupancy with the reception before entering. It also criticised the hotel for failing to submit its standard operating procedures, questioned staff training practices, and flagged delays in sharing CCTV footage, noting that the camera outside the room was not functional.
The Leela Palace Udaipur, however, has denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, the hotel said its staff acted according to internal protocols after ringing the doorbell and maintained that the latch and double lock were not engaged. It claimed the staff member exited immediately upon realising the guests were inside and said apology letters issued to the couple were purely a goodwill gesture, not an admission of fault, the report states, as highlighted by Hindustan Times.
