China hotel guest pays 280 times the $20 rate after flooding room in anger
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The guest was upset that her request for a cancellation and refund at the budget hotel in Hainan was denied.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
A woman in China – in an act of petty retaliation – flooded her hotel room after her request to cancel her reservation was denied, ultimately paying 280 times the rate of her original booking.
A report in the South China Morning Post said the woman had to pay 30,000 yuan (S$5,500) for all the damage she caused to a room that would have cost her just 108 yuan a night.
The guest, whose identity was not revealed, had booked the room at a budget hotel in China’s southern island province of Hainan for a one-night stay.
She checked in late on Oct 28 but soon asked to cancel her reservation and demanded a full refund, citing a “change of plan”.
When the hotel refused, explaining that cancellations were not permitted after check-in, the woman insisted that the room was shabby and poorly soundproofed.
The hotel manager, identified only by his surname, Xiong, said staff offered her a free upgrade, but she declined.
She then contacted the police and a local government hotline to complain.
While waiting for the police to arrive, the woman turned on the bathroom sink and shower, flooding the room.
She also threw the bedding into the shower area and poured shower gel over it, the hotel said.
Staff discovered the damage only when water began leaking from her second-floor room into the lobby below.
The taps reportedly ran from about 2am until sunrise, causing severe damage to the walls and floor. The hotel estimated repair costs at about 20,000 yuan.
The police later questioned the woman, who admitted to her actions and agreed to pay nearly 30,000 yuan in compensation.
Under Chinese law, intentionally damaging private property can carry fines or detention, and damage exceeding 5,000 yuan may lead to criminal charges.
Online, the case drew widespread attention – and some pointed commentary.
“She ended up paying nearly 300 times the hotel room rate she wanted to avoid,” one user wrote.
Another added: “Anger can cause great consequences if we do not put a leash on it. The law can be a good leash.”
