Celebrities Are Pissed About Beverly Hills Hotels Owned by the Sultan of Brunei

For perhaps the first time in over a century, the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air have provoked the wrath of Hollywood. In addition to being stomping grounds for the rich and famous, the two luxury hotels are also owned by the Sultan of Brunei — the same tiny East Asian country that recently imposed harsh Islamic laws that target homosexuality and women.

The Beverly Hills city council passed a resolution Tuesday night condemning the hotels’ connection to the government of Brunei, and urged the country to relinquish ownership of the hotels.

“Mayor Bosse has requested that the City Council approve a resolution condemning the government of Brunei’s laws that impose harsh penalties including death by stoning for homosexuality and other behaviors,” reads the resolution. “This resolution also encourages the government of Brunei to divest itself of The Beverly Hills Hotel.”

This follows a high-profile demonstration staged outside the Beverly Hills Hotel on Monday that included celebrities such as Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres. Richard Branson, Sharon Osbourne, Bo Derek, Mia Farrow, and Sara Gilbert have also joined onto the #stopthesultan boycott campaign.

Brunei Imposes Controversial Sharia Law Nationwide. Read more here.

Skip the Bel-Air & Beverly Hills Hotels of Dorchester Collection owned by the Sultan of — mia farrow (@MiaFarrow)May 6, 2014

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"It's not a political issue. This is not something that's debatable… It's people being stoned to death," Jay Leno told CNN.

A week ago, the oil-rich Islamic country announced plans to introduce Sharia law nationwide, becoming the first East Asian country to do so. The controversial laws will be implemented in stages, with the final phase including punishments such as death sentences, flogging, and amputations — for offenses including adultery, sodomy, and alcohol consumption.

Other groups have ended their affiliation with the hotels, including the Feminist Majority Foundation, which announced it would no longer be holding its annual Global Human Rights Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Leno and his wife are co-chairs of the awards.

The Sultan of Brunei has owned the Beverly Hills hotel since 1987. Control of the hotel was later taken over by the Dorchester Group, a luxury hotel operator that is also owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, an arm of Brunei’s Ministry of Finance.

The Dorchester Group’s CEO, Christopher Cowdray, opposed the protests and political backlash, arguing that boycotting the hotels won’t change Brunei’s laws or cause the country to give up ownership of them.

"The Beverly Hills Hotel has done absolutely nothing wrong," Cowdray told CBS News. "All they are doing is hurting a local business."

Cowdray added that he feels, “totally unfairly picked on.”

Despite Cowdray’s hurt feelings, it is unlikely any of the protesters will feel much sympathy for the billionaire hotel mogul or the oil-rich Sultan of Brunei.

Follow Olivia Becker on Twitter: @obecker928