The terms sharia hotels and halal-certified hotel restaurants have turned out to be a misunderstanding for some lay people. Hotels with restaurants that have BPJPH halal certificates are often equated with sharia hotels certified by DSN MUI. If a hotel has more than one restaurant and only one is BPJPH halal certified, Muslim consumers quickly assume that they can easily and freely choose a restaurant because the halal guarantee covers all the food the hotel provides. What are the real facts from the perspective of LPH LPPOM auditors?
Amid the rapid development of tourism in Indonesia, the concept of accommodation and culinary based on Islamic values is increasingly in demand. One trend that continues to steal attention is the existence of Sharia hotels and halal-certified hotel restaurants. Although often considered similar, the two have fundamental differences that are important to understand.
According to Halal Auditor LPH LPPOM, Desy Triyanti, the scope of halal-certified hotel restaurants includes all aspects related to food and beverages in restaurants certified halal by BPJPH. This includes raw materials, processing, facilities and equipment used.
“So if the halal hotel restaurant, the scope includes the menu, raw materials, facilities, or area, and equipment. When a restaurant already has a halal certificate, that is the guarantee that the restaurant has met the halal certification criteria,” explained Desy.
With halal certification, hotel restaurants guarantee that all products served have met Islamic Sharia standards, from selecting raw materials to processing. This gives Muslim consumers a sense of security and confidence that the food and beverages they enjoy are truly halal.
Sharia hotels offer a broader and more comprehensive approach than halal-certified hotel restaurants. “If a Sharia hotel refers to a fatwa from the National Sharia Council. Sharia hotels provide accommodation, food, drinks, and supporting facilities, all of which must be in accordance with Sharia,” said Desy, who has worked at LPH LPPOM as an auditor for over 5 years.
Sharia hotels apply Islamic principles throughout their operations. For example, guests will find the Qur’an in every room, hotel staff will be dressed according to Sharia, and services will prioritize Muslim guests’ comfort. However, Sharia hotels remain open to non-Muslim guests as long as the management concept continues to follow the fatwa of the National Sharia Council.
The Sharia Hotel standards are clearly explained by the Head of the Sharia Industry, Business, and Economics Division, The National Sharia Council of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (DSN MUI), Dr. Moch. Bukhori Muslim, Lc., M.A. According to him, DSN MUI has Fatwa No. 108 of 2016 concerning Guidelines for Organizing Tourism Based on Sharia Principles.
“This fatwa is the basis for the standards for organizing sharia hotels. Simply put, there are four main points that must be considered in meeting the criteria for sharia hotels,” he explained.
- Food and Beverages: All food and beverages served must be halal and proven by the existence of a BPJPH halal certificate, in accordance with Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024 concerning the Implementation of the Halal Product Assurance Sector. LPH LPPOM offers an easy and fast restaurant halal certification process.
- Services: Sharia hotels must provide a proper place of worship, maintain cleanliness, and have SOPs to ensure services are in accordance with Sharia. For example, they must filter television broadcasts to avoid immoral content.
- Management: Sharia hotels must pay attention to employee welfare and ensure that they understand Islamic law principles. For example, they must provide special time for Friday prayers for male employees.
- Financial: The hotel’s source of income must come from halal activities. Hotel income derived from the sale of alcohol or non-halal food is considered not a halal source.
Although it seems challenging, implementing this standard can be done as long as the hotel commits to it. Halal certification of restaurants may take time, but the process will be clearly guided by existing SOPs.
Looking at these various aspects, the difference between a Sharia hotel and a halal-certified hotel restaurant lies in the scope of services. Halal-certified hotel restaurants focus on the culinary aspect, while Sharia hotels offer a comprehensive Islamic concept, covering accommodation, services, and management. In 1 regular hotel (non-sharia), some halal restaurants and restaurants may not have been certified halal (even selling haram menus). For this last condition, Muslim visitors must be careful and ask about the BPJPH halal certificate owned by the restaurant.
By understanding these differences, Muslim consumers can be wiser in choosing services that suit their needs and beliefs. This also encourages business actors to continue to improve the quality of services based on Islamic law.
To facilitate the hospitality industry in the halal certification process, LPH LPPOM opens a discussion room through the Customer Care service at Call Center 14056 or WhatsApp 0811-1148-696. In addition, business actors can also explore the flow and process of halal certification easily and quickly by attending the Introduction to Halal Certification (PSH) LPH LPPOM class, which is held routinely every week https://halalmui.org/pengenalan-sertifikasi-halal/. (YN)
