Newsstand - Cubans unwanted at Scandic hotel in Norway

A Cuban delegation has been rejected at a Scandic hotel in Oslo, Norway. The reason is the american boycott of Cuba, and since the hotel chain is now american owned, the new owners decided to follow the american boycott. However, this behaviour is illegal according to Norwegian anti-discrimination laws.

See here: http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1588997.ece

Scandic's logic makes no sense here. Given their thinking, the US would have deported all of the Cuban refugees who came to our shores.

Embargos are a silly idea, anyway. Americans can't get Cuban cigars, so what do they want more than anything? You guessed it, Cuban cigars. Talk about free advertising...

In any case, Scandics actions should be condemned. Hilton Corporation is a multinational Corporation and is subject to the laws of the country in which it operates. Of course, it is hard to blame Hilton for the actions of an independantly franchised hotelier.

If it's an official delegation, it's not discrimination. The hotel said it wouldn't deny Cuban tourists.

However, I agree embargos are rarely the way to go.

Apparently it is illegal for any American owned hotel chain, within American borders or outside, to accept Cuban nationals.

This is under US law.

Don't blame Scandic for it. They are just following the American legislation as Scandic is owned by Hilton.

/E

Apparently it is illegal for any American owned hotel chain, within American borders or outside, to accept Cuban nationals.

This is under US law.

Don't blame Scandic for it. They are just following the American legislation as Scandic is owned by Hilton.

/E
They are also violating Norwegian law. Even if they are forced to choose between disobeying American or Norwegian law, Norway ought to throw the book at them if they choose to obey the American law.

An antiracist Norwegian organization has apparently reported the Scandic action to the Norwegian police (sorry, in Swedish only):

Brottsanmälan mot hotell Scandic
En antirasistisk organisation (Antirasistisk Senter) har gjort en brottsanmälan där man hänvisar till att hotellet brutit mot lagen då det avvisat kunder på grund av deras nationalitet.
link (http://internytt.yle.fi/sok.php?id=89488&sokvariant=arkivet&lookfor=scandic&advanced=yes&starttid=&sluttid=&antal=10)

This issue is also discussed in this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=643608) in the HHonors forum.

Actually I don't think Scandic rejected the Cubans because of their nationality but because of their relation to the Cuban government. I don't know if this kind of discrimination/boycott is lawful in Norway.

Apparently it is illegal for any American owned hotel chain, within American borders or outside, to accept Cuban nationals.

This is under US law.
/E

Then, I wonder, where does the Cuban delegation "camp out" when it has official business @ the UN in NYC or the WB or IMF in DC ?

Then, I wonder, where does the Cuban delegation "camp out" when it has official business @ the UN in NYC or the WB or IMF in DC ?

I believe a certain radius around the UN Building in Manhattan qualifies as an independent territory, with its own "laws" & police force. I imagine such delegations would stay somewhere like the UN Millenium Plaza.