Ryan Sheepwash and Jeremy Alexander had dreams of a destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, but the Vernon couple says those dreams were quickly dashed by a case of discriminatory booking practices due to their same-sex relationship.
The couple visited Sheraton Buganvilias Resort and Convention Centre in the Mexican city and inquired about booking their wedding there for February 2026. They were quoted $970 USD per night for 30 rooms over three nights, totalling $72,750 USD. The couple was told they had to submit a deposit for 50 per cent of the room bookings, which amounted to $36,375 USD.
They were also told the earliest available date to have their wedding was in March 2027.
Sheepwash and Alexander had suspicions and wanted to find out if they were being priced out of the resort intentionally, and so they had their heterosexual friends request a quote for the same number of guests and the same wedding date.
The straight couple was offered multiple dates in 2026, including the dates Sheepwash and Alexander had requested. More than that, the fees their straight friends were offered were drastically lower, at just $424 USD per night with a required deposit of only $1,700 to secure their wedding date. That deposit is 20 times less than the deposit Sheepwash and Alexander were required to pay up front for their same-sex wedding.
鈥淲e were shocked by the difference,鈥� said Sheepwash. 鈥淭o confirm our suspicions, we had our friends ask for another quote for March 2027, and they received a much lower rate and required deposit than us鈥攁gain. Our wedding planner was on the email thread for both of their quotes, meaning she was aware that the same dates were offered at a significantly lower price.鈥�
After their heterosexual friends received their quote, Alexander followed up with Sheraton to check if any cancellations or potential openings had become available for 2026. Their wedding planner reiterated that no dates were available for 2026, despite having offered multiple 2026 dates to the straight couple, who had not provided a deposit.
This is not the first time Sheraton has engaged in exclusionary tactics. In 2019, the resort for denying a same-sex couple's wedding. At that time, Marriott International, Sheraton's parent company, issued an apology and committed to ensuring it would not happen again.
Alexander and Sheepwash say that past apology rings hollow given that the resort appears to have shifted to more covert forms of discrimination against same-sex couples.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 just a coincidence or misunderstanding,鈥� said Alexander. 鈥淲e were given outrageous prices and pushed an additional year out, while a straight couple could book our ideal dates at a fraction of the cost. It鈥檚 clear that Sheraton Buganvilias has responded to past backlash not by fixing the problem, but rather by finding new, subversive ways to keep same-sex couples from booking.鈥�
The couple shared a on social media which contains the disparate quotes given to themselves and their heterosexual friends and calls out the hotel and resort company for discrimination. They are calling on Sheraton and Marriott International to improve their booking practices and ensure that all couples are treated equally regardless of sexual orientation.
In a statement from Marriott International obtained by The Morning Star, a spokesperson said Sheraton Buganvilias "has been active in the LGBTQ community in Puerto Vallarta for years, not only hosting LGBTQ+ weddings and groups but also supporting Pride events."
Alexander said he'd like to see Marriott release statistics on the number of same-sex weddings it's hosted at the resort to back up that claim.
A resort representative called Alexander to offer a formal apology and said the situation is being investigated.
The couple is still in search of a new venue for their wedding.
