Manager's remarks further damage hotel's reputation

The hotel where the woman was attacked. [Photo/VCG]

The man suspected of assaulting a young woman in a Home Inn hotel in Beijing on April 3 has finally been detained. However, the comments by the hotel manager in a TV interview have provoked further public ire at the hotel's response to the incident. China Daily's Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

"There was no murder, no rape, no arson, that's all speculation," the manager of the Home Inn involved said in a TV interview.

What silly remarks! That is not the point. It is both common sense and a legal duty for hotels to provide safe conditions for their customers. Home Inn has failed to do so, since video from the security cameras in the hotel concerned show a female guest being assaulted in one of its hotels. This is a major scandal and Home Inn should apologize, compensate the victim, and let the public feel its sincerity about doing its utmost to protect its guests.

Of course, Home Inn can choose to disregard public opinion and insist that people are bad-mouthing it. But Home Inn did not apologize until three days after the scandal happened.

The public are not legal enforcers and they can neither fine Home Inn nor close the involved hotel. But people can vote with their feet. They can choose not to stay in a Home Inn any more. If Home Inn continues allowing its employees to utter such silly, irresponsible remarks, that will only further damage public confidence in Home Inn. We live in the Information Age and no company, however big and powerful, can afford to ignore public opinion.