Hostel guest requests refund after stranger takes her bed

Hostel guest requests refund after stranger takes her bed

2026-11-10

A visitor to Kaohsiung was shocked when she found someone else sleeping on the bed she booked at a youth hostel after she got back from a concert. The hostel staff made the unexpected guest leave, as he had not paid for a bed, but asked the customer to change the sheets herself. She later complained and the hostel said it would give her a full refund.

A hostel guest pulled back the curtain on her bed and was shocked to find a stranger sleeping there.

Ms. Lin
Hostel guest
I saw that the curtain to my bed had been drawn and then noticed someone’s leg on the end of the bed.

Ms. Lin traveled to Kaohsiung for a concert and booked a stay at a youth hostel. But when she got back after the concert, there was a stranger in her bed. She said the hostel staff did not handle the situation well.

Ms. Lin
Hostel guest
He apologized to the staff and then left, and they just let him leave. They said they would give me a new bed sheet and pillowcase, but left the bed as it was when the guy left.

The hostel only changes its lock code once a week, so a guest from the night before was able to get back in. Although the staff made him leave, they asked Ms. Lin to change the sheets herself. Unhappy with the still-warm, messy bed, she requested a different one, but was told it was fully booked. Furious, she called the police.

Hostel staff
Anonymous
Guests have to make the bed themselves here, and we gave her new sheets right away. If she had an issue, she should have told me then, but she called the police. I think that according to regulations, I can’t give her a refund.

Voice of Yin Ma-chien
Kaohsiung consumer ombudsman
Handing the guest fresh sheets and asking them to change the bed themself is a shortcoming in service. Given that the guest had already checked in, this lack of service is grounds for a discount. If the hostel and guest cannot reach an agreement on the amount, we urge the guest to file a complaint with the city’s consumer service center as soon as possible.

Ms. Lin said she would gather evidence and continue to push for a refund. The hostel later said it was willing to give the money back, hoping to put the dispute to rest.

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