Archive · 16 Nov 2025
China Hotel's Lion Cub Wake-Up Service Sparks Outrage, Criticism
Imagine a hotel in China that has a special service where a baby lion, called a cub, comes to your room to wake you up.
You can even play with it for a few minutes!
This costs extra money and you have to sign a paper agreeing to be careful.
The hotel says a worker is always watching the cub.
However, some people are very upset about this.
They think it's not good for the cub to be brought into rooms like that, even for a short time.
They worry about the cub's safety and if it's being treated fairly.
This is similar to a time before when a hotel had a baby red panda do the same thing, and the government stopped it because red pandas are also protected animals.
A hotel in China is offering a wake-up service involving interaction with a lion cub.
The service is available in 20 rooms, priced at 628 yuan per night, and lasts about seven minutes.
Guests must sign an agreement, and the cub remains supervised by a hotel employee.
Critics have labeled the service a 'wrong move,' questioning its impact on animal welfare and potential violation of rights.
Lions are a first-class protected species in China, drawing parallels to a previous incident where a red panda service was shut down.
- Who
- A hotel in China
- What
- Offering a wake-up service where guests can play with a lion cub in their room
- When
- Daily from 8 am to 10 am, with criticism emerging around November 11
- Where
- In China, with a similar past incident in Chongqing
- Why
- To provide a unique guest experience, though this has led to criticism regarding animal welfare and potential legal violations.
Hotel's Defense
Critics' Concerns
Animal Welfare and Display
Hotel's Defense
The hotel states the cub is always supervised by an employee and guests are advised to exercise caution, implying safety measures are in place.
Critics' Concerns
Critics question if the short duration and in-room nature of the interaction constitute animal display and raise concerns about potential violations of the cub's rights and safety.
- Hotel Service
- Lion cub wake-up service in 20 rooms
- Price
- 628 yuan (approx. Rs 7,804) per night
- Service Hours
- Daily from 8 am to 10 am
- Duration
- Approximately seven minutes per interaction
- Requirements
- Guests must sign an Asiatic Lion Wake-Up Service Agreement
- Cub Supervision
- Always under the supervision of an employee
- Lion Protection Status
- First-class protected species in China