An Emerging Laundry Trend in China: Do Laundry in an Hourly Rate Hotel Room

Currently in China, a unique laundry method is popular among young people. That is booking an hourly rate hotel room to do laundry in the hotel. This novel trend quickly went viral on social media. It becomes a high-profile topic in autumn and winter and provides new insight into the needs of the global self-service laundry market.

Consumer group

Many students who live in the dorm of universities and young people who rent a flat consider the hourly rate hotel room as a temporary laundry room. They often go to the hotel as a team and share the bill together. After that, they can make full use of the washers, dryers, and detergents the hotel provides for customers for free to wash and dry all kinds of large clothes or bed sheets they bring to the hotel.

High performance-price ratio

For example, Wu, who studies in Wuhan, thinks that doing laundry in the hourly rate hotel room is really cost-effective. Booking an hourly rate hotel room for 4 hours only costs 130 yuan. Several students can wash many clothes in these four hours. However, washing the same amount in the laundromat will cost much more. Also, the commercial laundry equipment in hotels has higher efficiency and better washing and drying effects, which is better than the laundry on campus.

Controversy

The reasons why the mode of “ doing laundry in an hourly rate hotel room” is popular lie in its convenience and cost-effectiveness. However, it also brings about controversy. Some customers have concerns about the hygienic condition of the communal washers in hotels.

Hotel countermeasures and views

As for this, many hotels introduce large commercial intelligent washers and dryers and run the programs of inner drums self-cleaning and sterilization every time before the washers and dryers are used.

Staff at one express hotel said that the use of laundry services by guests in both hourly rate rooms and day rental rooms has helped increase overall hotel occupancy. They are happy to provide this kind of service to enhance customer loyalty.

Potential of Chinese self-service laundry market

According to the survey, about 60% of 3-star and 4-star hotels in China have been equipped with self-service laundry equipment. The coverage of laundry in the newly established hotels is 73%. Also, more and more young people are apt to share guidance on the Internet. For example, picking hotels in remote regions or hotels that are not in the peak season of tourism can increase the probability of finding an available self-service laundry. This kind of lifestyle not only satisfies young people’s laundry needs and saves money but also shows the activeness and potential of the Chinese self-service laundry market.

Implications for global participators of the commercial laundry industry

For global participators of the commercial laundry industry, the emerging trend of “doing laundry in an hourly rate hotel room” is undoubtedly a signal that is worth paying attention to. It may indicate many untapped needs and the possibility of innovating service modes in the global self-service laundry market, which is worth doing deep research on and mimicking, so as to get the commercial strategy, which is suitable for local customers and service innovation.

Conclusion

As a manufacturer of commercial coin-operated washers and dryers, Kingstar pays close attention to the dynamics of the global self-service laundry market and the changes in needs. The rise of this new trend not only provides precious insight into the market for us but also shows the bright prospects of the self-service laundry market in terms of meeting customers’ various needs. We cling to the belief that with the continuous advancement of technology and continuous development of the market, self-service laundry equipment will gain wider applications and be promoted around the world.