Jetwing Hotels CEO Hiran Cooray, in a personal statement posted on Facebook yesterday defended the company’s decision to sell a ‘line room’ experience, saying it was initiated at the request of former tea plucker turned housekeeper Meena Amma who ‘is not forced to run the line rooms, but she is willingly and lovingly doing it.’

Responding to the storm that has been brewing on Facebook ever since the ‘experience’ sold at starting price of USD 97.00 per night came to light, Cooray said, ‘We do not seek to romanticize their lives, which have historically been very difficult,’ but maintained that ‘it was on her request that we refurbished two line rooms within the grounds.’

He said Meena Amma, who had been a loyal employee of Jetwing for 12 years, had ‘wanted a property to manage in the style and life she knows best’ and ‘I could not say no’. Cooray said Meena Amma was not forced to run the line room, but did so ‘willing and lovingly’, to ‘speak plainly about her life and experiences’ to visitors from across the world.

He added that guests that arrive at Jetwing were fascinated by the tea pluckers lives, which was why two line rooms within the grounds were refurbished by the hotel chain and said that Meena Amma had been ‘hurt and upset’ at the comments, saying she was ‘happy to do this’ and that it was ‘her pleasure to extend (our) renowned service to all guests.

Cooray reluctantly offered his apologies, ‘I apologise if that (that we seek to romanticize their lives, which have historically been very difficult) was the impression that people have in their heads at present,’ but said that many of the comments online had been ‘sensationalist’ and had failed to take into account any views that could have been solicited from the company.