Source: OT-Team(G)，红网; 南方都市报
A scandal involving a housekeeper swapping a guest's Hong Kong dollars at the Capella Hotel in Sanya has continued to spark widespread public attention.
Capella Sanya, one of Hainan's top luxury resorts, has issued a second public apology after a guest's claim that a hotel housekeeper swapped her Hong Kong dollars led to legal trouble in Macau. The incident has stirred widespread concern and debate online.
According to the latest statement from the hotel, the housekeeper involved was employed by an outsourced company. The staff member's actions allegedly resulted in 19 counterfeit HK$1,000 notes being placed among Ms. Duo's belongings during her stay in July 2024. Unaware of the swap, Ms. Duo later used the fake notes while traveling in Macau, where she was detained, deported by local police, and blacklisted by a local hotel.
The Capella Hotel acknowledged that its internal management lapse indirectly caused Ms. Duo's ordeal. "We fully understand Ms. Duo's pain and anger," the hotel stated on May 8. "We express our deepest apologies and are willing to take responsibility within the scope of the law." However, it also noted that "despite efforts to coordinate all available resources, some of Ms. Duo's current demands are beyond what we can deliver."
The controversy has escalated on social media. On the same day the hotel issued its new statement, Ms. Duo posted multiple screenshots of her private conversations with Capella representatives. She accused the hotel of breaking promises and warned that she would release the full chat history. Many online commenters criticized the hotel for trying to steer public opinion while omitting key facts. Others questioned the appropriateness of the commercial discussions that had taken place between the two sides.
Capella disclosed that on August 16, 2024, Ms. Duo messaged the hotel's general manager via WeChat. At that time, she said she did not seek financial compensation but hoped to have her white liquor brand sold at Capella Sanya and its sister hotels in China. Five days later, on August 21, she made another request: that the hotel assist her in removing her criminal record in Macau and lifting her from a local hotel blacklist.
In response, Ms. Duo clarified on social media that she had formally withdrawn her liquor-related proposal on August 21, 2024, and no longer expected the hotel to promote her brand.
Capella's statement further revealed that on September 4, 2024, a representative of Ms. Duo sent a formal compensation proposal via email, copying her on the message. The proposal requested several forms of restitution, including one complimentary night in a two-bedroom villa, three nights in a four-bedroom villa, and a large-scale promotional collaboration. The suggested partnership included co-branding between Capella and the liquor brand, a cylindrical liquor display 8–10 meters in diameter in the hotel lobby, 500 complimentary room nights in standard rooms, and three days' use of Banquet Hall 2 free of charge.
Earlier, on April 26, the Hainan Provincial Bureau of Culture and Tourism confirmed the authenticity of Ms. Duo's complaint in an official notice. The court had already sentenced the housekeeper to 18 months in prison and fined them 5,000 yuan for theft. However, Ms. Duo stated that Capella had yet to provide any compensation, despite bearing some responsibility.
Capella's initial public apology was released on April 28, saying the hotel had conducted multiple rounds of negotiation with the guest and had since "reviewed and optimized internal management procedures."
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