Christian hoteliers who turned away gay couple see business slump

The Christian couple who lost their appeal against a ruling that their policy of restricting double rooms to married couples discriminated against a gay couple have seen business at their Cornish hotel slump.

Hazelmary Bull said that occupancy at the seven-bedroom Chymorvah hotel in Marazion, which she runs with her husband Peter Bull, fell last year to 25% from an average of 75%, caterersearch.com reports.

“We are very disappointed with the result of the appeal,” she said. “All the way through this case we have fought for the principle to be allowed to operate the Christian lifestyle we believe in. We did not prevent the couple from sharing a room because they are gay but because they are unmarried. It is a policy we have operated for the 26 years we have been running the hotel and we have never had a problem before.”