Chinese social-media feeds lit up after authorities in Hainan confirmed that a tourist identified only as Chen must pay nearly 30,000 yuan in damages for flooding a budget hotel room that cost 108 yuan for one night. Police opened the case when the hotel in Sanya’s Haitang District reported the incident on October 28.
“She complained that the room was in poor condition and poorly soundproofed,” reported the Straits Times, adding that Chen tried to cancel moments after checking in through an online platform, citing a “change of plans.” Staff offered a complimentary upgrade and warned that a cleaning fee would apply if she departed, but she refused.
Hotel manager Hung told local media that the property clearly states cancellations are not allowed once check-in is complete. Staff repeated the upgrade offer, yet Chen called both the police and the local emergency hotline while continuing to demand a refund.
“The faucet was left running from 2 a.m. until morning. As a result, the walls and floors were severely damaged,” said hotel employee Xiong, according to Kompas. Investigators found that Chen also opened the shower at full blast, dumped bed sheets and blankets onto the soaked floor, and poured shower gel over them.
Water soon cascaded through the lobby ceiling. Night-shift workers traced the leak to Chen’s second-floor room, where they discovered ankle-deep water. Flooring, wallboard, and furniture needed replacement. Initial repairs were estimated at 20,000 yuan, but a police statement quoted by the South China Morning Post placed final compensation at 30,000 yuan after lost revenue and extra costs were added.
Chen admitted to the vandalism during questioning and paid the bill. Under Chinese law, deliberately causing property damage above 5,000 yuan can trigger criminal charges, though police treated the incident as a civil dispute because the hotel accepted a lump-sum payment.
“She ended up paying nearly 300 times the accommodation fee she didn’t want to pay,” wrote one online user, according to the Straits Times. Another commented that anger can carry heavy consequences without legal restraints.
Several Chinese outlets likened the episode to a 2024 case in South Korea, where tourists allegedly left taps and gas burners running in a Seoul guesthouse after being denied a refund, wasting utilities worth hundreds of thousands of won. Commentators said both events underscored a growing problem of “revenge” damage by disgruntled travelers.
The Sanya hotel has since reopened the refurbished room, and authorities have not indicated further criminal proceedings against Chen, whose costly protest now circulates across Chinese travel forums as a cautionary tale.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.