A consumer court in Chennai has held The Leela Palace Udaipur guilty of invading guest privacy and delivering deficient service, directing the luxury property to pay ₹10 lakh in compensation to a Chennai-based couple. The ruling followed a complaint that housekeeping staff unlawfully entered the couple’s occupied room using a master key while both guests were inside the washroom. The hotel denied wrongdoing, arguing that the guests had not displayed a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.
The order was passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chennai (North) after examining a complaint filed by a Chennai-based advocate who had booked a one-day stay at the property on January 26, 2025, paying approximately ₹55,500. The complainant alleged that despite the guests calling out “no service,” a housekeeping staff member entered the room and peeped through a broken washroom door, causing acute embarrassment and mental distress.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred during the couple’s stay in a “Grand Room with Lake View” at the hotel near Lake Pichola. According to accounts cited in the media, the couple immediately raised the issue with the hotel reception but did not receive a timely or satisfactory response. The delay in addressing the complaint, they argued, compounded the distress caused by the intrusion.
In its findings, the Commission concluded that permitting staff to enter an occupied room without proper verification amounted to a serious lapse in service and a clear breach of a guest’s right to privacy. The court observed that internal standard operating procedures cannot supersede a guest’s fundamental expectations of safety and dignity. It also noted that the staff member entered the room within less than a minute of ringing the doorbell, which the Commission deemed unreasonable, particularly given that the washroom was in use.
Along with the ₹10 lakh compensation, the Commission directed the hotel to refund the room tariff of about ₹55,000 with interest at nine per cent per annum from January 26, 2025, until payment is made. The hotel was also ordered to pay ₹10,000 towards litigation costs, with the entire amount to be settled within two months. The complaint was filed against Schloss Udaipur Private Limited, the entity that operates the hotel.
The Commission rejected the hotel’s defence that the absence of a “Do Not Disturb” sign justified the entry and that staff had merely followed internal protocols. It held that the staff should have first verified room occupancy with the reception rather than entering directly. The court further took note of the hotel’s failure to produce documented standard operating procedures, raising concerns about staff training and adherence to basic hospitality etiquette. It also criticised delays in providing CCTV footage and recorded that the camera outside the room in question was non-functional.
Responding to the ruling, The Leela Palace Udaipur denied any lapse, stating that the housekeeping staff entered only after ringing the doorbell and in accordance with internal guidelines. The hotel maintained that there was no “Do Not Disturb” sign displayed and that the door latch and double lock were not engaged. It added that the staff member exited immediately upon realising the guests were inside the washroom.
The hotel also said it had issued letters of apology to the couple purely as a goodwill gesture and clarified that these should not be interpreted as an admission of fault. Emphasising its service ethos, the hotel stated that guest privacy, dignity, and safety are central to its hospitality philosophy and that it remains committed to providing respectful and world-class service while taking guest complaints with the utmost seriousness.
