Famous Yeosu Hotel Gives Towel Marked 'Geolle' to Guest... Controversy Escalates

The word "geolle" found on a towel provided in the guest room
Hotel promises "comprehensive overhaul and prevention of recurrence"

A netizen found a towel labeled "geolle" (rag) in a hotel room in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do. Instagram capture

A hygiene issue at a well-known accommodation in Yeosu, Jeonnam has sparked outrage among internet users. The controversy arose when the word "geolle" (meaning "rag" in Korean) was found written on a towel used to wash a child, which had been provided by the hotel.

On August 5, a post and video titled "A Famous Yeosu Hotel That Gave Us a Rag" was uploaded to a social networking service (SNS). The author explained that they had traveled all the way to Yeosu to create memories with their children and had high expectations for the hotel, which even had a water park. However, while wiping their child's body, they discovered the word "geolle" written on the towel. Angered by this, they threw the towel and formally lodged a complaint with the hotel.

The author stated that as the post spread, the hotel immediately recognized the situation and promised a complete overhaul of its hygiene and customer service systems, as well as strengthened internal training. The author also heard that Yeosu City Hall conducted a prompt hygiene inspection and added that they received several sincere apologies.

Apology statement from a hotel in Yeosu, Jeonnam, involved in a controversy over rag towels. Instagram capture

In an official apology, the hotel stated, "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience our guest experienced, and we deeply regret the condition of the room and the discomfort caused. This is a matter that cannot be taken lightly, and we are treating it with utmost seriousness." The hotel added, "We are implementing measures such as strengthening customer service training for all staff, revising the room inspection process and checklist, and improving the system for receiving customer feedback."

The hotel continued, "We believe that a hotel should be more than just a place to stay?it should be a cherished part of one's travels. Taking this incident as an opportunity, we will re-examine our fundamentals and thoroughly improve our operations to ensure that such an incident never happens again."