Summary in Plain Language
Recently, the announcement from the InterContinental Hotel in Hefei refusing to sell breakfast at low prices on the online platform Xianyu has become a hot topic, exposing the hidden issue of hotel breakfast fraud that has been going on for several years. Breakfasts from chain or five-star hotels, which normally cost dozens or even hundreds of yuan, are being sold for just a few or a dozen yuan on Xianyu. These aren’t leftover items that guests can’t finish and resell; instead, they are the result of sellers making up false claims to maliciously complain about the hotels or even using fake room numbers to defraud them, all at zero cost. Hotels had been avoiding conflict out of fear of negative reviews and affecting other guests’ experiences, but the fraud has grown worse. Now the industry has realized that this is not just petty theft but a form of extortion and is taking collective action to address it.
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Detailed Analysis
1. Absurdly Low Breakfast Prices
Anyone who has stayed in a hotel knows that mid-range hotels like Yado and Qianji charge over 40 yuan per breakfast, while five-star hotels like InterContinental and Sheraton typically charge between 100 and 200 yuan. On Xianyu, prices have been slashed in half: InterContinental breakfasts are sold for 20 yuan, and breakfasts from Qianji and Hanting hotels are as low as 7 yuan. Some sellers have even sold over 7,000 breakfast items, with more than 2,000 people waiting in line to buy them. Many buyers who thought they were getting a bargain have run into problems—some were caught by servers in the restaurant and had to leave in embarrassment; others found that the room numbers provided by the sellers didn’t exist, resulting in a loss of their money. At first, it was thought that guests were giving away extra breakfasts they couldn’t finish, but it’s clear that’s impossible, as there are no thousands of guests who would spend their days just reselling breakfasts across all hotel brands.
2. The Low Prices Are the Result of a Cost-Effective Scam
The sellers don’t have any real hotel rights and rely on two tricks to make a profit:
- The simpler trick involves providing random room numbers to buyers, who then check in at the restaurant. Many hotels have loose verification procedures, and as long as the buyers get through, the sellers make a profit. If caught, they can simply refund the money with no loss.
- The more sophisticated trick involves sellers collecting buyers’ names and phone numbers, pretending to be genuine guests, and calling the hotel with false complaints (e.g., claiming a blocked drain or dirty sheets). The hotel, to avoid trouble, often gives two free breakfasts as a compromise. A girl was nearly deceived when a seller used her phone number to complain about a damaged room, causing an awkward situation for her and the hotel.
These sellers make a substantial profit. One seller was found to have sold over 30,000 breakfast items, earning a net profit of over 150,000 yuan.
3. Why Did Hotels Tolerate This?
Many wonder why hotels didn’t address the issue earlier. The reason is practical: the cost of ingredients for breakfasts is low, and dealing with fake guests could damage the hotel’s reputation. Additionally, hotel bookings rely heavily on OTA platforms, and a single negative review could drop their rankings significantly. Therefore, hotels preferred to give away a few breakfasts to avoid conflict. However, this allowed the fraud to thrive.
4. Hotels Are Now Taking a Stand
The InterContinental Hotel in Hefei’s decision to deny access to breakfast bought on Xianyu indicates that the industry has realized this is a serious form of extortion. This year, the Ministry of Public Security has classified such behavior as online soft violence and a target of anti-crime efforts. There have been cases where people threw objects in their orders to extort money, and a post-00s girl deliberately scratched her skin to get free accommodation. These sellers’ total earnings far exceed the threshold for extortion. Hotels used to handle complaints individually, but now they realize that allowing this fraud to continue will harm legitimate guests.
5. Xianyu’s Lack of Action
Xianyu previously blamed its large user base for the issue, saying it couldn’t verify all transactions. However, it’s clear that the platform was aware of the fraud and simply didn’t want to bother with it, fearing it would affect its business. Now that hotels are taking a firm stance, it’s clear that these sellers are part of a organized extortion gang.
In conclusion, the issue is not just about individual guests taking advantage of small discounts; it’s a serious form of fraud that requires concerted action from all parties involved.