China to examine hotels with hygiene issues

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) is looking to send examination teams to a string of hotels that were exposed by the media as allegedly having serious hygiene problems.

A janitor cleans a hotel washroom. [Photo:VCG]

According to previous media reports, cleaners in several posh luxury hotels were caught on cameras washing cups, sinks and mirrors with dirty rags, towels and sponges, causing public concern and drawing the attention of the ministry.

Led by the ministry, the teams will work with local culture and tourism departments and other related authorities, the China Tourist Hotel Association and experts to mainly examine the hygiene, fire control and security work of the hotels, the MCT said in a statement released Monday.

It further asked all hotels to carry out self-examination and rectification based on the problems in their management and services, improve their credibility and personnel management, stick to quality standards and comprehensively enhance their management level and service quality.

Most of the exposed hotels are part of big international hotel chains, such as Conrad Beijing, Le Royal Meridien Shanghai and Shangri-La Hotel Fuzhou.

Some of the hotels have apologized and received punishment from local authorities following the MCT's call on Nov. 15 for culture and tourism authorities at all levels to tighten monitoring on tourism service quality.