"Paid 320,000 Won for Nosebleed on Hotel Blanket... But the Blanket Returned Home After 3 Weeks Had a Twist"

"Hotel Side 'Blood Stains Won't Come Off' Demands Compensation"
"Received and Washed, Stains Came Off Cleanly"

A child spilled a nosebleed on the hotel bedding and paid 320,000 won in compensation, but a netizen posted a complaint saying that the hotel's response during this process was unsatisfactory. Photo by Nate Pann capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] A post expressing dissatisfaction with the hotel’s handling of a situation where a child’s nosebleed on hotel bedding resulted in a 320,000 KRW compensation fee has been shared online. The author claimed that after receiving the blood-stained blanket and washing it, not only was the blood completely removed, but there was also a yellow stain that had not been there originally.

On the 26th, an online community Nate Pann featured a post titled "Child’s Nosebleed on Hotel Blanket Leads to 320,000 KRW Compensation." The author, Mr. A, who stayed with his family at a hotel in Gangneung on the 3rd, explained the situation, saying that his child suddenly had a nosebleed and they wiped it with a towel, but bloodstains remained on the blanket.

Mr. A said, "Our family travels once or twice a month, and even at American hotels, nosebleeds were not a problem, so we just checked out the next day. But on the way home, we received a call saying we had to pay 300,000 KRW because the blanket was unusable."

He added that the hotel told them, "Since the blood on the blanket could not be removed, it is treated as damage according to internal regulations, and you must either pay or bring the exact same blanket." He said, "In the end, they asked, 'Shall we send you the blanket since it will be discarded anyway?' so I agreed and waited for the blanket."

A netizen claimed that after paying 320,000 won in compensation for a nosebleed stain on hotel bedding and receiving the blanket back, there was a "yellow stain" on it that was not caused by them. Photo by Nate Pann capture.

However, the blanket arrived three weeks later, and Mr. A said that besides the child’s nosebleed, there was an unidentified yellow stain on the blanket’s filling. He also said that the package from the hotel included the towel used to wipe the child’s nosebleed.

Mr. A expressed frustration, saying, "There was a stain that looked like either urine or vomit, which was very strange. If it were my child’s urine, it should have been on the outer sheet as well, but it wasn’t. They made us pay over 300,000 KRW for the nosebleed but gave us a blanket like this." He also said that contrary to the hotel’s claim that the blood could not be removed, washing it at home completely removed the blood from the blanket and towel.

When Mr. A protested, a hotel representative explained via text message, "We do not wash items individually by hand; instead, we sort them first and then wash them in bulk. Blood can bleed out and cause cross-contamination to other linens. Due to COVID-19, workers consider bloodstains hazardous and refuse to handle them in the laundry. Therefore, contaminated linens are treated as damaged and discarded." The representative also said, "Because of the late-night message from Mr. A, both I and my pregnant wife have suffered severe mental stress. Regardless of the hotel issue, we will file a formal complaint."

Mr. A said, "It’s not about just 320,000 KRW. I have personal liability insurance that covers everything except 20,000 KRW." He added, "I think this hotel is wrong for making not only me but many families, couples, and friends who visit to create good memories leave with bad feelings after being hit with tens of thousands of won on the way home."

Netizens who read the post responded with comments such as, "At first, I thought they should take responsibility if a nosebleed happened, but it looks like the hotel is trying to unfairly charge them," and "Blankets aren’t permanent-use products but consumables. Such costs should be included in the hotel fee, so it’s ridiculous to ask for extra payment."

On the other hand, some criticized Mr. A, saying, "The hotel asking for compensation is a problem, but the author isn’t blameless either. If the child had a nosebleed on the blanket, they should have reported it at checkout and resolved it on the spot."