Shanghai residents checked into the Shanghai Jin Qiao Haichang Penguin Wanxin Hotel with their 4-year-old child, only to find out that the child developed a high fever and had to be hospitalized the next day, diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. The hotel in question had previously experienced abnormal levels of formaldehyde, sparking concerns about the quality of hotel renovations and indoor air quality among the public.
According to a report by Shang Guan News on October 28th, Mrs. Yuan, a resident of Shanghai, checked into the Shanghai Jin Qiao Haichang Penguin Wanxin Hotel near the Haichang Park with her child in early September. Mrs. Yuan expressed that upon checking into the hotel, which had only recently opened, she immediately noticed a strong odor of renovation, causing her to worry about excessive formaldehyde levels. To her surprise, on the second day of their stay, her child was hospitalized due to a high fever and swollen lymph nodes, diagnosed with Kawasaki disease.
Kawasaki disease is an acute febrile illness characterized by systemic vasculitis, most commonly affecting infants and young children, possibly related to factors such as infection and immunity.
Mrs. Yuan stated that the doctor mentioned, “Children have a higher breathing rate and volume than adults, so exposure to areas with excessive formaldehyde for a night can have a certain impact.”
Upon contacting the 12345 hotline, Mrs. Yuan learned that abnormalities had been detected during a quick formaldehyde inspection conducted by the Pudong Health Supervision Center at the hotel on September 4th.
In a recorded conversation provided by Mrs. Yuan with the Pudong Health Supervision Center, the center stated that in the previous inspections, there were not many cases of excessive formaldehyde at the hotel, and subsequent third-party testing showed that formaldehyde levels were within the acceptable limits.
Regarding the third-party testing result of “no excessive formaldehyde,” Mrs. Yuan expressed doubt. She mentioned that many consumers had left feedback mentioning the strong renovation odors in the hotel and experiencing obvious discomfort after staying, such as chest tightness and eye irritation, symptoms of inhaling excessive formaldehyde.
Investigations revealed that comments on online platforms like Ctrip and Dianping did include doubts from many consumers who stayed at the hotel regarding the renovation odors, some directly stating that formaldehyde levels were excessive.
Upon seeing these comments and based on her own experience staying at the hotel, Mrs. Yuan became even more suspicious that harmful substances were indeed exceeding the limits in the hotel rooms.
The report stated that when journalists contacted the Wanxin Hotel, the staff mentioned that the hotel’s owner is a company under Haichang China, and the owner did not allow interviews to be conducted. Subsequently, journalists visited the Shanghai Jin Qiao Haichang Penguin Wanxin Hotel on-site and found that there were no apparent renovation odors in the hotel lobby and elevators; instead, a pleasant fragrance was detected.
The front desk staff at the Shanghai Jin Qiao Haichang Penguin Wanxin Hotel stated that the hotel had undergone third-party testing multiple times before and after opening, and the air quality had always met the standards. The hotel stated that the windows and doors of temporarily unoccupied rooms were being kept open for ventilation.
According to the report, a random visit by an undercover guest revealed that there was a slight renovation odor in the room, which was tolerable.
The above news quickly became a hot topic, sparking discussions among numerous netizens.
Some netizens believe that it’s better to avoid hotels with odors from new renovations as much as possible.
Others believe that a child contracting Kawasaki disease is not necessarily solely caused by staying at a hotel.
Netizens lamented the difficulty of consumer rights protection in such cases.