A Chinese whistle-blower posted a video online to reveal the dirty secrets of some top Chinese hotels, in which staff members aren't following hygiene protocols in cleaning rooms, using the same towel to wipe toilets or drinking cups. The video was released on Wednesday, and the video uploader claimed he spent over 2,000 nights in 147 five-star or luxury hotels where he found out that hygiene problems were the most common among these chains.
The whistle-blower claimed he placed a secret camera in separate hotel rooms and then posted the 11-minute video on Weibo, according to the South China Morning Post.
The first hotel on the clip appears to be Conrad Beijing, a high-end establishment wherein rooms cost more than 1,800 Yuan (US$260) per night. The video shows a woman cleaning, who then picked up a dirty towel on the floor and used it to wipe the mirrors, glasses, bathroom basin using it. Another staff also used a dirty towel to wipe a coffee mug.
In another shot from the clip, believed to be a Park Hyatt hotel room, a staff member dried a cup using her apron. Staff at the Sheraton Hotel in Guiyang was seen cleaning in one of the hotel rooms while using only one towel in cleaning the cups, basin, bathroom mirror, as well as the toilet.
Other luxury hotels believed to be on the video include Bulgari in Shanghai (rooms cost up to 4,500 Yuan a night), a staff lifting a plastic cup lid from a bin and wiped it on their T-shirt; while staff members at Shangri-La Hotel in Fuzhou were said to be using one towel in wiping bathroom basins and cups.
The video received over than 66,000 likes and about 30,000 comments after 12 hours being posted. The majority of the online users went to Weibo accounts of the said hotels, noting they couldn't imagine why staff members from well-known hotels have such behaviors. One particular Weibo user even complained they had high-end advertisements, but failed to attend to basic hygiene.
Meanwhile, in response to the video, a staff member at the Conrad Beijing said their managers were aware of the clip posted online, they are now investigating the incident and will make a statement. On Thursday, Park Hyatt Hotel's Weibo confirmed the authenticity of the images but also said they didn't represent the hygiene standards and practices of the hotel. Shangri-La Hotel in Fuzhou said the clip was genuine, but hygiene standards had not been upheld. Still, they apologized to the customers and noted they would retrain staff members.
The Shanghai Tourism Bureau said they would conduct an investigation and staff members involved will be facing disciplinary action if the video was proven to be genuine, while Beijing Tourism Bureau also said they will talk to the hotels involved and will be sending inspectors to conduct an investigation as well.
