"Refund Denied": The Consequences for Woman Who Flooded Hotel Room

Turned on Faucets in Retaliation After Refund Refusal Post Check-In
Flooded Room and Lobby Ceiling... Ordered to Pay About 600,000 Won in Damages

An incident occurred in China where a woman, furious after being denied a refund for her hotel stay, intentionally flooded her hotel room. As a result, the hotel suffered damages worth several million won, and the woman was ordered to pay compensation amounting to as much as 280 times the room rate.

An overflowing hotel sink. Photo by SCMP

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on November 10 (local time), a female guest at a hotel in Hainan Province, China, suddenly demanded a full refund of her deposit on October 28, citing a "change of plans" immediately after checking in. The hotel explained its internal policy that cancellations are not allowed after check-in and refused the refund.

The woman then claimed she was dissatisfied with the condition of the room. The hotel offered her a complimentary room upgrade, but she declined. Ultimately, after failing to receive a refund, the woman filed complaints with the police and local authorities. While waiting for the police, she left the room with both the sink and shower faucets running as an act of retaliation. Water overflowed throughout the night, flooding the entire second-floor room, and seeped through to the ceiling of the first-floor lobby, causing significant damage.

A hotel representative stated, "The water was left running from 2 a.m. until morning," and "the walls and floors were soaked, resulting in damage to the entire room." The hotel estimated the damages at around 20,000 yuan (approximately 408,000 won) and reported the woman to the police. After an investigation, the woman admitted to her actions. She later reached a settlement with the hotel to pay a total of 30,000 yuan (about 613,000 won) in compensation.

Given that the woman had booked the room for one night at 108 yuan (about 22,000 won) through an online platform, the compensation amounts to roughly 280 times the cost of the stay.

Upon hearing the news, internet users commented, "She ended up paying almost 300 times the room rate she didn’t want to pay," "The compensation is actually too lenient," and "Failing to control your anger leads to bigger consequences. The law is a good deterrent."

Meanwhile, there have been similar cases in Korea where malicious use of accommodation facilities caused damage to property owners. In 2023, at a shared lodging in Mapo-gu, Seoul, a Chinese tourist couple, after being denied a refund, used as much as 120 tons of water and 640,000 won worth of gas before leaving. When the landlord, who received a utility bill totaling 840,000 won, sent a protest message to the couple, they responded by threatening to escalate the matter through the Chinese embassy if further contact was made, sparking controversy.