Hyatt Kathmandu accused of turning away earthquake victims

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Nepal on April 25 was the deadliest quake in the last 10 years, leaving over 5,500 people dead and 10,000 injured while damaging 70,000 homes and destroying another 530,000 destroyed. Groups and individuals around the world have been rallying to offer support; however, criticism is being directed toward some on Nepal soil.

One such operator is the 5-star Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu, accused of refusing entry to displaced locals trying to access the property's 37-acre gardens to relieve congestion on the capital's streets. Ang Tshering Lama, founder of Angs Himalayan Adventures, is being particularly vocal, claiming the resort barred him visiting an American friend who was a hotel guest. While Lama eventually was allowed onto the grounds, others weren't, leading him to call for a boycott of the hotel on Facebook.

His post juxtaposes guests who appear to to be lounging on a manicured lawn next to locals crowded together in the city. Search "Hyatt Regency Kathmandu" on Twitter and you'll see many are on board with the boycott. Since the original Facebook post (which has currently been shared almost 800 times) was written, Hyatt has reportedly now invited over 1,000 people to stay on its lawn, as well as donated $100,000 to relief organization Mercy Corps.

After originally publishing this article, Hyatt followed up with a comment to the allegations, stating:

"We are unsure of what experience Ang had that caused him to publish his initial post.”

On its website, the hotel released a statement, saying:

The staff at the hotel has worked tirelessly since the quake struck to support guests, colleagues and neighbors. Confirming everyone’s whereabouts was the first priority, followed by ensuring their safety. The next step was doing what they could to help guests get home, so that staff could start to focus more on the relief effort. The hotel is also readying support for colleagues and their families.

With many pointing the finger at Hyatt, we were curious to see how other local organizations and big brands were helping with disaster efforts. Along with Nepal's government offering free bus services out of Kathmandu and relief agencies and local nonprofits like SOS Children's Villages finding space, food and medicine for those in need, Nepal's airport and its adjacent military airfield are supplying shelter and medical treatment (while Indian airlines like Air India, IndiGO and Spicejet offer extremely reduced and free relief fares to Kathmandu).

Local hotels are also supporting their people, like the Radisson Hotel Kathmandu, whose parent company the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is soliciting donations, matching them up to $10,000 and giving shelter and food for those in need. Needless to say, the sentiments expressed to this property on social media are quite different from what you see with Hyatt above.

Large tech companies are also using their power to help out. Nepalese locals can use Facebook's SafetyCheck feature to mark themselves "safe," Google is offering extremely discounted Google Voice calls and help locating missing loved ones through Google Person Finder, and Uber and Paytm are matching user donations.

Sadly, in many rural parts of the country those in need are still without food and medicine, as avalanches have blocked road access. While the worst is hopefully over, relief workers are battling against bad weather, damaged infrastructure, and a scarcity of manpower and funds. If you'd like to help, a number of relief organization are soliciting donations, such as Habitat for Humanity International, which is putting together emergency shelter kits, International Medical Corps, who is providing medicine, drinking water tablets and hygienic supplies, and Oxfam, which is supplying food and water.

Jessica Festa is the founder on the solo and offbeat travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, and the online responsible tourism and culture magazine, Epicure & Culture. She's constantly searching for local experiences beyond the guidebook. You can follow her travels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.