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The Beverly Hills Hotel Is Under Fire Because of Brunei’s Sharia Law

Celebrities and Hollywood executives are calling for a boycott of the famous Beverly Hills Hotel due to the actions of its owner, the sultan of Brunei, Hossanal Bolkiah.

By Brian Feldman
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Celebrities and Hollywood executives are calling for a boycott of the famous Beverly Hills Hotel due to the actions of its owner, the sultan of Brunei, Hossanal Bolkiah. Last week, the sultan imposed Sharia law in the country. The Beverly Hills Hotel is managed by the Dorchester Collection, which is owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, which is owned by the sultan.

Several events scheduled to be held at the hotel have been cancelled in the wake of the sultan’s decree. An annual fundraiser for the youth organization Teen Line scheduled for Wednesday was promptly cancelled—so close to the proceedings that the charity forfeited a $60,000 down payment. Sony has since offered up their lot as a replacement location.

The Motion Picture & Television Funds annual Night Before The Oscars event is also relocating, and The Hollywood Reporter has pulled its Women in Entertainment breakfast from the locale after two decades. “The recent despicable decisions by the Sultan of Brunei make it impossible for us to consider moving forward in any way with any hotel that is part of the Dorchester Collection,” said Janice Min, president of the company that publishes THR.

The Feminist Majority Foundation, which also cancelled an event at the hotel, held a rally outside the building on Monday. Jay Leno was in attendance.

“We believe this boycott should not be directed to our hotels and dedicated employees,” Dorchester Collection chief executive Christopher Cowdray told the Times. "Today’s global economy needs to be placed in a broader perspective.”

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.