While social media is busy debating whether all Indians get a bad reputation abroad due to the uncivilized behaviour of some, a Swiss hotel’s message to Indian guests seems to suggest that the answer is ‘yes’.
Indian billionaire Harsh Goenka shared a picture of a notice displayed specifically for Indian guests at Hotel Arc-En-Ciel in Gstaad, Switzerland.
Hotel's special instructions for Indian guests
The notice, addressed to "Dear guests from India", laid out a series of instructions covering everything from breakfast etiquette and restaurant behaviour to noise levels in hotel corridors and balconies.
(Also read: ‘Visa rules getting tougher’: IPS officer blames ‘uncouth’ behaviour by some Indians abroad)
One of the requests asked guests not to take food from the breakfast buffet outside the dining area.
"Everything you will find on the buffet is freshly prepared and comes from local producers. Please do not take anything with you, the food is for breakfast only," the notice read, adding that guests could order a paid lunch bag instead.
The hotel also urged guests to use only the serving cutlery provided at the buffet and reminded them that other visitors wanted "an appetizing buffet" as well.
“Be quiet in the corridor”
{{/usCountry}}The hotel also urged guests to use only the serving cutlery provided at the buffet and reminded them that other visitors wanted "an appetizing buffet" as well.
“Be quiet in the corridor”
{{/usCountry}}Another section addressed dining etiquette, stating that guests who wished to share a meal would be charged an additional service fee for extra plates and drinks.
“Our restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. We offer various dishes and also vegetarian dishes. If you want to share a dish for 2 or more persons, we have to charge CHF 5.- per additional person for the service and plate and CHF 1.- for a drink,” it said.
The notice further requested guests to keep noise levels down in common areas.
"There are other guests from all over the world in the hotel. They also appreciate the peace and quiet and therefore we ask you to be quiet in the corridor and not speak too loud on the balcony," said Hotel Arc-En-Ciel in Gstaad.
‘I was appalled’: Harsh Goenka
Sharing the image on X, Goenka said he had personally come across the notice and was shocked by it.
"A Swiss hotel once displayed a list of special rules exclusively for Indian guests which I personally saw and was appalled," he wrote.
He added that he had come across various videos of Indians dancing in public abroad and turning quiet spots into picnics — all actions that annoy others.
Referring to viral videos that frequently circulate online, Goenka wrote: "Today, videos of garba in restaurants, loud conversations in airports, and turning aircraft cabins into picnic spots keep doing the rounds."
He also recalled an incident in Davos involving an Indian businessman who allegedly blasted Punjabi music in a club loud enough for the town to hear, describing it as "soft power" despite irritating others.
Drawing a comparison with Japan, Goenka said the country had earned worldwide admiration through courtesy and civic sense.
"If India wants to be a true global superpower, the world should remember Indians for its excellence, consideration and respect for others. Our civic sense seriously needs to be upgraded," he concluded.
(Also read: 'We were not aware': Indian woman caught shoplifting during group trip to Japan)