Christian hotel owners who turned away gay couple turn business into religious retreat

A Christian couple who lost a court case and subsequent appeal for refusing to allow a gay couple to stay in a double bedroom at their Cornwall hotel are turning their business into a religious respite centre.

Hazelmary and Peter Bull were ordered to pay £3,600 in damages after turning away civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy from the seven-bedroom Chymorvah hotel in Marazion. They were found guilty in January 2011 at Bristol County Court of being the first to be in breach of the 2007 Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations.

Now, the couple are transforming the property into a not-for-profit organization catering for Christians only.

Mrs Bull told the Daily Telegraph that guests booking into the hotel would be expected to abide by Bible-based beliefs which includes regarding any sex outside marriage as a sin.

Following the Bull's failed appeal at the High Court against the original court case, funded by The Christian Institute, Mrs Bull told Caterer and Hotelkeeper that she and her husband had fought the court case because they believed they should be allowed to operate the Christian lifestyle in which they believed.

"We did not prevent the couple from sharing a room because they are gay but because they are unmarried," she said. "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."

Following the court case, business at Chymorvah slumped from an average annual occupancy of 75% to 25%.

Christian hoteliers who turned away gay couple see business slump >>