A business traveler identified as Xiao Lin has recounted a disturbing experience at a H World Group property, where her room was left wide open for over eight hours without authorization while approximately 200,000 yuan worth of belongings, including cameras and lenses, were inside. Upon returning to the hotel, she discovered the door ajar and was met with a series of evasive and contradictory explanations from the front desk, ranging from "ventilation purposes" to blaming housekeeping, and finally claiming the manager was unavailable and the computer system was too slow to review surveillance footage.
After police reviewed security camera recordings, it was confirmed that no unauthorized individuals entered the room and nothing was stolen, but the situation escalated when a regional supervisor allegedly warned Xiao Lin during a phone call, stating, "Pushing this further won't be friendly to you." This remark left her feeling threatened and shaken, leading her to declare, "I will never stay at a H World Group hotel again, including all H World Group brands."
Where the trouble began
Xiao Lin had checked into the H World Group-operated HWORLD-S (01179) property near Guangzhou's Tongfu West Metro Station for a business trip. The following day, she left for an appointment and returned to find her room exposed to the hallway. The housekeeper had entered to clean in the afternoon but left mid-task due to an urgent matter, forgetting to close the door, leaving the room open from 4 PM until midnight, a span of over eight hours without anyone noticing.
Frustrated by the front desk's four attempts to dodge responsibility, Xiao Lin escalated her complaint to a regional manager, who apologized but then made the threatening remark. She emphasized that she seeks no compensation, only an honest acknowledgment of the management failure and a sincere apology, rejecting the fruit platter and milk the hotel offered as a gesture of goodwill.
The company's response and lingering doubts
The H World Group (HTHT) official customer service team expressed regret over the incident, stating, "We take this very seriously. The hotel apologized immediately upon receiving the guest's feedback and accompanied her to file a police report. Surveillance confirmed no other guests entered the room and no items were lost." They added that "those responsible have been disciplined according to internal regulations, and the property will launch a special service safety review and rectification."
However, Xiao Lin disputes the company's account, noting, "There has been no follow-up communication, no apology, and no notification about the disciplinary actions taken against the staff involved. I'm very disappointed." She claims the hotel has not coordinated with her on any resolutions, leaving her in the dark about the outcome.
Why just 10 ASX 200 shares?
This incident comes at a challenging time for H World Group, which recently reported a 11.0% year-over-year increase in first-half revenue to 13.1 billion yuan, with a global network of 13,500 hotels and 1.3354 million rooms as of June 30. The company has raised its full-year revenue growth guidance to 4%-8%, up from the previous 2%-6%, signaling optimism despite underlying concerns.
The company has faced a series of public relations crises this year. In February, a guest at a H World Group-affiliated Orange Crystal Hotel found a used pregnancy test in a toothbrush box, calling it "a severe hygiene and safety incident" that exposed flaws in the cleaning process. The same month, another consumer reported receiving a threatening message from a Nanjing Orange Hotel after canceling a reservation, with text implying sexual violence, though the property denied the staff sent it. In April, a guest claimed a post-checkout feedback call led to privacy leakage and subsequent divorce, though H World Group denied any wrongdoing, stating the call was a routine follow-up that never connected.
Additionally, the Beijing Consumers Association summoned H World Group earlier this year over contract clauses that allegedly restricted consumer rights, mandating a comprehensive review and corrective actions.
Industry analyst Zhang Shule commented, "The unclosed door itself is a service failure. While it may be an isolated case, it reflects management issues for any hotel. A proper apology and handling would typically resolve such matters. However, the evasive explanations and absurd 'ventilation' excuse are unacceptable to consumers." He added, "The camera equipment is just a trigger; for any guest, door security issues could cause material or emotional losses. If H World Group truly uses language like 'pushing further won't be friendly to you,' it demonstrates a failure to admit responsibility and an overbearing attitude typical of 'bullying customers with size,' which reveals indifference and arrogance toward consumer rights."
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