A heated discussion erupted on the social network Threads after a young man shared his conflict at the Al Qasr Halal Hotel in Almaty. He claims that when booking, he was not warned about the need to provide a marriage certificate to check in with his girlfriend, reports infohub.kz.

The user, who wished to remain anonymous, said he intended to spend the night at the hotel with his girlfriend but was confronted with the requirement to prove their marital status. When it was pointed out that the rules stem from the word "halal" in the hotel's name, he responded that he could not have anticipated such a practice in Kazakhstan.

The young man emphasized that he planned to spend time with his future wife, with whom he has been in a relationship for 2.5 years. According to him, after a conflict with the manager, they were eventually checked in.

Opinions among users were divided. Some reminded that Kazakhstan is a secular state and such rules in public establishments are unacceptable. "Even if I had a marriage certificate, I would call the police without showing anything. Because the hotel takes too much upon itself, humiliating its guests with an inappropriate request," wrote one commenter.

Others believe that the establishment has the right to set its own rules, but it must inform guests before booking. "They are doing the right thing; I would do the same in my hotel so that people don't come to us for casual affairs!" and "Private businesses can set their own rules, including these. The issue is that there was no warning before booking. So if they have such a concept, they should have indicated it in the name, like 'Name. Halal Hotel'," some Kazakhstani users argued.

Kursiv LifeStyle contacted the hotel administration. They confirmed that their internal rules require joint check-in only for married couples. To confirm, guests can present either a marriage certificate from the civil registry office or a nikah certificate. "This way we protect ourselves from guests bringing in women of easy virtue," the administration explained.

Additionally, the hotel enforces two more prohibitions: on cigarettes and alcohol. The no-smoking rule is stated in 2GIS. Perhaps the conflict could have been avoided if the service had also warned about the other two rules.

Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that an unusual boutique hotel with round windows is planned to be built in Almaty.