On the 9th, Chinese media outlet Guancha.cn published an editorial asking, 'Is it acceptable to place the blame on just one cleaner?' regarding the successive reports of hygiene issues in Chinese hotels.

According to reports, at the Vienna Hotel (Weiyena Jiudian) in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, despite stating that room cleaning takes about 40 minutes, the cleaner finished the work and left in only about 7 minutes. Camera footage showed the cleaner wiping cups with the same towel used to wipe the toilet. The cups were not disinfected, and the towels were folded and put back in their original place without being changed.

Also at the Ji Hotel (Quanji Jiudian) in the same city, washing, disinfection, and hygiene management of guest amenities were not carried out as stipulated. Furthermore, at the Hanting Hotel (Hanting Jiudian), also in the same city, cigarette burns, hair, and yellow stains were found on the inner material of the duvet cover.

In Guangzhou, at several chain hotels including Vienna Hotel, Hampton by Hilton, and City Comfort Inn, it was revealed that the policy of "changing linens for each guest" was not thoroughly enforced. At Hampton by Hilton, not only were bed sheets, pillowcases, and towels not changed, but there were also cases where used cups remained in the room.

At the Atour Hotel in Shenzhen, a large amount of hair and noticeable dirt were found when the mattress was lifted. Furthermore, cleaners were wiping the floor and toilets with guest bath towels, and when an undercover reporter requested disinfection of cups, it was not addressed.

The article pointed out, "What is alarming is that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred." It stated, "Each time a problem is exposed, hotel brands grandly promise things like 'increasing inspection frequency,' 'expanding the recruitment of experience monitors, and making supervision systems public.' However, once public interest wanes, similar problems recur repeatedly, like cockroaches that won't die no matter how many times you hit them."

Furthermore, quoting industry insiders, the article conveyed, "While it superficially appears to be a management oversight by some hotels, its true nature is no longer at the level of individual employee error, but reflects structural problems arising from a combination of cost-cutting pressures, increased management complexity due to a chain of outsourcing, and a decline in execution capability down to the operational level."

Professor Liu Junhai, director of the Business Law Research Institute at Renmin University of China and vice president of the China Consumers' Association, pointed out, "Hotels with hygiene problems are infringing upon consumers' rights to know, right to choose, right to fair transaction, and right to security." He also stated that "hotel operators prioritize cost reduction, failing to make sufficient investment and tacitly condoning rule-breaking cleaning methods by employees," and indicated that "there are also loopholes in the supervision and management system." (Translation/Editing by Kitada)