Hotel's Water Seepage Crisis During Guilin Floods: Swift Change for India Travelers

July in Guilin is usually filled with a damp charm, but the continuous heavy rains since June 2024 had caused the Li River's water level to rise alarmingly. I stood at the office window, holding my phone, my heart heavy, as I learned that the Shangri-La Hotel had just announced a temporary closure. My Indian tourists, the Sharma family, were landing in Guilin in just two hours.

My traveler, Sharma, is a senior executive at a tech company in Mumbai. He had repeatedly emphasized in his emails that he wanted "the best experience." I took a deep breath and called the Sheraton Hotel, our backup. This well-established five-star hotel was once a Guilin landmark. Although its facilities were slightly outdated, its service reputation was still decent. The front desk manager confidently assured me, "Our suites are absolutely fine, your clients will have a great experience."

An Angry Voice Message

"Is this really a five-star hotel?!"

The next morning, Sharma's voice message was filled with suppressed anger. It turned out that water stains were seeping through the ceiling seams in their suite, and the carpet was soaked. The compensation offered by the hotel was a plate of wilted fruit. His wife, Neeta, sounded choked up on the phone, "Our children almost slipped while walking barefoot in the water......"

I deeply sympathized with Sharma's situation. A customer-centric approach is what Asia Odyssey Travel values most, and it's also the principle I've always followed in my work. If the rest is not good, the travel will become a nightmare. After receiving the negative feedback that day, I quickly reviewed every available five-star hotel.

But as I stared at the hotel list on my computer screen, my fingertips grew cold. Guilin's hotels were almost fully booked by tour groups, let alone high-end rooms.

Suddenly, a post on my WeChat Moments caught my eye. A newly opened hotel by the Li River was in its trial operation, and the owner was a senior colleague from a travel agency I had worked with before. I quickly grabbed my phone and contacted the tour guide. On the other end, the tour guide was rushing around, holding an umbrella, with the sudden Guilin downpour drumming on it. The sound from the phone was like a countdown drumbeat.

The Clock reads 1:00 PM. The Sharma family moved to the new hotel. That evening, before resting, Sharma messaged me that the hotel was excellent and had no water seepage issues like the previous one. I let out a long sigh and put down my phone.

Their subsequent Guilin trip went smoothly. Despite occasional rain, the downpours were not heavy.

Hotel Conflict Turns into a Happy Ending

Three days later, on their way back, Sharma handed the tour guide a box of Indian spices. On the box was a sticky note with his children's wobbly Chinese characters: "Thank you, I drew a rainbow over the Li River."

After returning to Mumbai, Sharma sent me feedback: "Good morning Cindy. As we proceed towards our next destination on our vacation, we sincerely thank you for your kind assistance and managing our expectations and to ensure that we have a comfortable, memorable time spent here in Guilin. Really appreciate your customer-centric approach. We will certainly refer Odyssey to our friends and family. Thank you once again."

The rain will eventually stop, but some trust, like the water of the Li River, becomes clearer with each wash. This is probably why I'm so passionate about this job weaving human connections that are even more enduring than the scenery amid unexpected changes.