Law enforcement officers seal up a "stairwell room" in Beijing on September 25, 2023 after finding that the rooms did not meet fire safety standards. Photo: Beijing Daily

A fast-chain hotel in Beijing reportedly was selling "stairwell rooms" to consumers during the National Day holidays, which failed to meet fire safety standards, and was temporarily suspended by authorities. The incident triggered wide discussion among netizens over the rising price of hotel rooms amid a strong recovery in domestic travel during the upcoming holidays.

Local fire authorities received a report claiming that one hotel under the chain Greentree Inn Express was marketing a "stairwell room," which is only six square meters in size and has closed windows. Officials moved quickly to temporarily suspend bookings for these rooms on Monday, according to media reports.

The room can accommodate one 1-meter-wide single bed with guests only able to use a nearby public toilet. Guests would also need to walk down a section of stairs to reach the bed. It was available for booking for up to 650 yuan ($88.92) each night during the holidays on some booking platforms, according to media reports. Booking information has subsequently been taken offline. 

Based on Trip data, a large room of the chain hotel was booked for around 360 yuan a night on Tuesday.

All three rooms are currently empty, with no beds and only one air conditioner, according to media reports.

The individual in charge of the hotel told the media that there was a security issue with the rooms, and they are working to fix it. The person said that the rooms were launched in July, with the price ranging from 100 yuan to 200 yuan a night, catering for lower budget travelers.

Experts have noted that these kinds of rooms violate fire regulations and put the public safety at risk. 

A recent Trip's report confirmed a strong recovery in domestic travel during the upcoming holidays, with increased bookings volume as of September 13, up 88 percent compared with the previous week, more than four times the same period in 2022, showing a positive trend in the tourism industry. 

Amid renewed public enthusiasm for travel, many netzines also found that most hotels have increased the prices during the holidays. For instance, a room in a five-star hotel in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province was booked about 700 yuan each night on Tuesday, but was only available for 2,000 yuan each night on October 1.

In Lishui, East China's Zhejiang Province, a homestay owner was shocked to find that the room which was originally sold 680 yuan per day, was adjusted to a special price of 2,780 yuan during the holidays on one booking platform, without their knowledge. The owner immediately took the listing of the rooms down, as they don't want to let the guests think they were trying to rip off customers.

The topic gained more than 240 million views on Chinese X-like Sina Weibo as of press time, with many netizens calling for strengthened regulation on booking platforms and relevant business.

"Experts say unreasonable price hiking may involve infringement and fraud. In the event of fraud, consumers can demand compensation equal to three times the purchase price," one said.

Some local authorities have strengthened inspection activity to take appropriate action against any hotels found to be violating regulations, to protect consumers' rights and build a consumer-friendly business environment. 

On September 22, Zhoushan authorities in Zhejiang issued the reminder to ensure fair and transparent pricing in the tourism industry, and the price should be true and accurate, reflecting the actual cost of the services they have provided.