H World Group's hotels have again been implicated in privacy-related incidents. A negative review for an Orange Hotel recently attracted attention, with a guest claiming that a post-check-out call from the hotel requesting a positive review led to a privacy leak and subsequent divorce. In response, H World's customer service stated that an investigation confirmed the hotel conducted a standard follow-up call after checkout, but the call was not answered, and there was no situation as described in the review where the call exposed an "affair."
Multiple employees from H World-affiliated hotels indicated that there are protocols requiring phone follow-ups to solicit positive reviews. Staff must document whether each guest was reached, agreed to provide a positive review, and if unreachable, calls must be attempted three times.
This follows a recent privacy controversy at H World's Ji Hotel, where a social media account named "Ji Hotel Dalian" posted screenshots of guest order notes containing personal information, raising significant privacy concerns.
The recurring privacy issues may be linked to H World Group's heavy reliance on a franchised management model and potential oversight shortcomings. The group's latest financial report reveals that, as of December 31, 2025, H World China operated 12,740 hotels, with 12,229 being franchised or managed under franchise agreements—meaning nearly 96% of its hotels in China are franchised.
Regarding the specific incident at the Orange Hotel in Datong, Shanxi, the guest's post-checkout review claimed the hotel's call for a positive review exposed their travel details and privacy, leading to divorce. The review on the H World app garnered over 36,000 likes, with other users commenting on the situation.
The involved hotel responded to the review, apologizing for the guest's experience but clarifying that the follow-up call was part of standard service procedures, was not answered, and denied any coercion,诱导, or privacy breaches. Both the hotel staff and H World's customer service reiterated that their investigation found no evidence supporting the guest's claims.
However, numerous online users reported receiving similar calls or messages from various H World brands, including Orange Hotel, Mercure, Ji Hotel, Starway Hotel, and HanTing, requesting positive reviews, with some even receiving WeChat friend requests. Some自称 hotel employees commented that such calls are mandated by company policy, despite staff reluctance, as they receive no commission and face potential customer complaints.
A former Ji Hotel employee described a detailed process where night staff select customers from the system, record their names and phone numbers, and day staff then make three call attempts to solicit reviews, documenting outcomes.
This is not an isolated case. In April, a "Ji Hotel Guest Notes Showcase" post on social media, sharing personalized guest requests from order notes, sparked public outcry over privacy. H World responded that it was an employee's违规 action, leading to account deletion and internal discipline.
The high proportion of franchised hotels—96% in China and over 47% internationally—highlights the group's dependency on this model. In the fourth quarter of 2025, H World China opened 406 new franchised hotels but closed 246, including 20 leased or owned and 226 franchised properties.
Revenue from leased and owned hotels is also declining. Q4 2025 revenue for these properties fell 3.2% year-over-year and 6.3% quarter-over-quarter to RMB 3.3 billion. Full-year 2025 revenue decreased by 6.5% to RMB 12.9 billion.
In February, the Beijing Consumer Association summoned H World for talks, pointing out clauses that potentially limited consumer rights and demanding comprehensive self-inspection and rectification. As H World continues its rapid expansion through franchising, it faces increasing pressure to enhance guest services and privacy protections alongside growth.
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