Sharing a hotel room

Sharing a hotel roomText
Tried, but can't get a proper answer to this question from travel agencies or hotels in India, so like to know if any of you can help me out. I, foreign woman, plan to travel this summer with an Indian man (we're not married, just friends) through India, didn't decide yet where to go. Does anyone of you, not theoretically, but from your own experience, know if it's possible we share a room? We went to Mumbai last summer, booked a hotel room in advance. They very well knew beforehand it was for a foreign woman and an Indian man and when making the reservation it was ok, but when we arrived we were forced to take two separate rooms; the staff showing us a letter from the police saying it's not allowed for a foreigner to share a room with an Indian. Is it the same all over India? I know sometimes even married couples, being foreigner/Indian or even both being Indian are not allowed to share a room (the Indian couple I know about was on their honeymoon in Agra). So, is this hotel policy all over India, maybe even a law? Appreciate your (serious :-)) replies, thanks.

The cheaper hotels do tend to have a problem but you could book at slightly better hotels where they will look the other way and accept you as married couple. I doubt this is a law though.

Thanks LAwoman, intend to stay in more upscale hotels anyway (by the way, the hotel in Mumbai was Bentleys, apart from the 'sharing' problem not a hotel to be recommended).

Agnes,

I experienced this 2 times, but only in Mumbai / Colaba.
We are two males.
Not allowed to share a room because of Indian/Western.
Two single rooms where fine, but we did not do.

Robert

Know what you mean, I remember some of the hassles my friend (German) and I (Indian) had faced. It was funny when I heard and experienced it at first, and downright annoying after we got turned down at two more hotels. Eventually we got two rooms, one crappy one and one nice one !

1) This tends to happen in the smaller hotels
2) This is a practice to avoid police hassle
3) What had happened/happening is 'apparently' Russian/easter European prostitutes are a big thing. And Indian men hook up with them in these hotels. The police raid some of the hotels trying to bust this racket… as much as you are legit couple, friends, acquaintance etc... They twitch their eyes when you ask for a same room!
4) Having said that I haven’t heard about this practice in Goa or in the southern parts.

er, so is there ever a problem if the person a white westerner is travelling with is of indian origin but not actually indian. i am travelling with my girlfriend who is half indian by origin (her grandfather left india when he was 20, so it's a tenuous link that remains with india) but is british by nationality. do the police/hotel owener/whoever object to the idea of white/non-white or just the idea of someone of indian nationality staying with a white westerner? thanks.

Depends also on who's the 'man' in the relationship! If he looks like a guide (and she looks like a pro), you got a problem!

Didnt want to scare you guys ! it isnt as bad as it sounds.. it depends on how you handle the discussion.. thats it.. and like i mentioned this was only in some dodgy hotels in delhi... more so near the airport ! i dont seriously think that you would have issues anywhere else...

er, ok, i don't really understand that answer but thanks anyway. forgive me for being not in the know but please explain how who the "man" is makes a difference, and what you mean by looking like a guide. at least, i understand what you mean by "pro" and i can safely say she doesn't look like one! but ok, i get your general point.

I think #4 is right.
It's about prostitution in Colaba.

#5
If your girlfriend is foreigner, but from Indian origin I presume there is no any problem.

I know some Dutch women, from Indian origin, who went to India with a white Dutch boyfriend.
No any problem I heard from them.

Btw:
I stayed a couple of times in hotels in India where you could rent the rooms for one or more hours.
For unmarried Indian couples.
As a western white male I don't recognize those situations.
My Indian friend does, that's why I know.

Robert

ps Agnes,

Misschien kun je een trouwring omdoen en zeggen dat je getrouwd bent volgens de Nederlandse cultuur.
Of twee kamers accepteren, maar een betalen, afdingen.
In India is alles mogelijk.

#4: Thanks for your reply. I know it's about prostitution and avoiding police hassle. But what's really annoying: booking a hotel room at Bentleys in advance, telling beforehand it's for a foreign woman and an Indian man, they say it's ok, but when you arrive are forced to take 2 separate rooms. Can only hope we won't face this problem when travelling this summer (and if so, we'll book 2 rooms, a tacky one and a nice one :-)).
#6: EXCUSE ME???? If he looks like a guide???? Tell me, what does a guide look like?? My God, really.....
I know how the average 'pro' looks like (even then you can be mistaken though), but did you ever hear of a pro booking a hotel room in advance for a couple of days?
#8: I don't know if this is also an issue when one of you is a white westerner and your partner half Indian. I'm Dutch and my friend has the Indian nationality. You don't know me, but you're absolutely right: I'm not a rangdi, a pro, and certainly don't look like one. Thanks.
Robert: ik heb je een PM gestuurd, groetjes.

I'm a white, Danish guy and my gf is from Nagaland (meaning she is an Indian national but looking Southeast Asian rather than Indian). Only once ever have we been turned down when trying to book a room over the phone. Never been turned down on arrival at a hotel, even after showing one Indian and one Danish passport. So it's hardly a legal requirement that you cannot share a room., but rather as others say it is probably more to avoid the hotel being turned into a brothel.