Hotels across the world offer countless services to delight their guests, but one hotel in China has introduced something so unusual that it has set social media abuzz.
While most hotels rely on a wake-up
call, this establishment sends a live lion cub into guests’ rooms to rouse them from sleep. This extraordinary, and somewhat risky, service has gone viral, leaving people both fascinated and alarmed.
What Is The ‘Morning Call Service’?
The Happy Countryside Resort in Jiangsu Province, China, has launched a special ‘morning call service’ in which a staff member brings a lion cub into guests’ rooms between 8 am and 10 am. The interaction lasts around seven minutes.
According to the hotel, this service is offered in 20 designated rooms, each costing 628 yuan (about Rs 7,800) per night.
Viral Video Sparks Reactions
Once a video of the service went viral, viewers were astonished. The footage shows a child holding and playing with the lion cub inside the room. As questions poured in online, the hotel clarified that it has permission to keep lions and has officially registered the service with the authorities.
According to the South China Morning Post, a female staff member stated that the experience is fully booked until the end of November and is popular with guests.
One online user even remarked, “Amazing! Now my son will never sleep in late.” Others suggested adding bear and tiger cubs as well.
Praise And Criticism Online
Although many people are praising the service, a large number of users are calling it dangerous and irresponsible. “They are cute, but it’s scary… after all, these are wild animals,” someone commented.
On November 11, Beijing Youth Daily published an editorial criticising the service. The newspaper raised several concerns: Does placing the animal in a room for a few minutes qualify as an ‘animal performance’? Can the lion cub’s safety be guaranteed? And is this service violating animal rights?
