douyinA hotel in central China is going viral for its unusual “pet sleep-accompanying” service, letting guests pay to have a dog stay with them for the night, with compensation on offer if the pup bites.
The Biguiyuan Phoenix Hotel in Wuhan, Hubei province, launched the service in July. Guests can book a pet-themed room for 499 yuan (around $70 USD) and, after signing an agreement, choose from 10 friendly dog breeds including Golden Retrievers, Huskies, and West Highland Terriers.
Some of the dogs are raised by the hotel itself, while others come from professional pet training institutions. All are vaccinated, health-checked, and trained before being “employed” as overnight companions. The hotel even joked that the furry staff members are paid 100 yuan ($14) per day.
Hotel’s dog rental service is already a hit
So far, over 80 people have tried the service without any complaints. One family from Shandong province said the experience was the highlight of their trip, with their child beaming while walking the dog through the hotel garden.
“They said the dog brought joy to them during their trip,” the hotel manager said.
HandoutA lawyer has warned that under Chinese law, the hotel is fully liable if the dogs hurt guests — unless gross negligence is involved. Guests who harm the dogs, however, face being blacklisted.
There’s no word on if this service will make its way overseas, but we have seen concepts like this before, such as the ever-popular cat cafes where customers can enjoy food while playing with adorable kitties.
The service is part of a growing trend of quirky rentals in Asia. Another hotel in China used Red Pandas — an endangered animal species — as a special feature to wake up guests before the government put an end to it.
In Japan, a company lets customers rent grandmas for home-cooked meals, cleaning, babysitting, and emotional support.
