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March 10, 2017

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Undercover B&B probe is damning

AN undercover investigation by the city’s consumer rights watchdog has highlighted problems with safety, sanitation and truthfulness in some of the city’s top bed-and-breakfasts.

The operation covered 40 B&Bs ranked highly on 10 online booking sites in the downtown districts of Huangpu, Xuhui, Jing’an and Changning.

The investigation found 33 did not have fire extinguishers, 38 had no medical kit or evacuation map and the doors or windows of seven could not be locked from the inside.

Some properties were dirty and none had disinfection or cleaning signs, the commission said. And the information they had posted on travel platforms was inaccurate.

A B&B known as HomeFun in Xuhui District listed on Booking.com was said to be just 600 meters from Xintiandi Metro Station, but it was actually 2.5 kilometers.

It also said it had a fully equipped kitchen, but when investigators visited there was no equipment and the kitchen could not be used.

The photos of another B&B named Mijing shown on tujia.com showed a property clean and with lush greenery, but the investigation found it was dirty, old and in messy due to a lack of maintenance.

Some properties listed the wrong address, some falsely said they had parking. Others had air conditioners or refrigerators that did not work.

“B&Bs help foreign and out-of-town tourists integrate into Shanghai and get a better understanding of the city and its culture,” said Ning Hai, commission deputy secretary-general.

“But there are some drawbacks in the emerging industry and businesses should ensure accurate information and improve their management.” Ning said.


 

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