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What it's like to be a hotel tester in China

Talia Avakian

2015-08-17T18:02:00Z

Zhuang Jing checking for hairs on bed — Zhuang Jing will regularly scope the bed to look for any hairs and stains. Reuters/Jason Lee

Zhuang Jing is a professional hotel test sleeper in Beijing, China.

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Back in 2010, she was selected as one of three winners out of a total of 7,800 candidates to start working for online company Qunar as a hotel tester.

She has slept in countless hotels, documenting her experience with the room and staff of each to help travelers make the best choice on where to stay.

We've put together this collection of photographs from Reuters that take you through a day in her life, revealing what it is hotel testers look for when they write their reviews.

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Zhuang Jing will sleep at selected hotels without disclosing her job. The entire process takes place secretly so that she can objectively review the hotel without any special treatment.

Zhuang Jing walking

Once inside, she starts her testing process. For Zhuang Jing, it's crucial to pay attention to the smallest of details. Here, she checks the quality of the room's toilet paper.

Zhuang Jing checking toilet paper

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She'll also test out the products in the bathroom. Here, she samples the hotel room's body wash.

Zhuang Jing checking body wash

Cleanliness is definitely a factor when reviewing rooms, which is why Zhuang Jing will regularly scope out any glasses in the room to check for stains and durability.

Zhuang Jing checking glass

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If the room comes with appliances like water boilers and coffee machines, she'll check these as well.

Zhuang Jing checking tea cup

Next comes the testing of the bed.

Zhuang Jing checking bed

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The bed testing is a detailed process. After doing a scan, Zhuang Jing will sit down on the bed to test the mattress' hardness, its comfort, and its texture.

Zhuang Jing sitting on bed

Next, she'll take a close look at the mattress, examining its structure and its cleanliness.

Zhuang Jing checking mattress

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Sheets are also carefully examined for hairs and stains. Here, a single hair is found on the bed.

Zhuang Jing checking for hairs on bed

Finally, Zhuang Jing will take the bed for a full test drive by sleeping in it. Later, she'll review if the bed caused any discomfort.

Zhuang Jing sleeping in bed

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Testing the hotel's Wi-Fi is also part of the job. She will test the network connection inside the hotel's rooms and facilities, as well as in its public areas.

Zhuang Jing checking wifi in public area

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For Zhuang Jing, the job requires high concentration since she's staying in the hotel for one day and needs to be able to observe each detail while also recording it with a camera or digital video recorder.

Zhuang Jing taking photo of teacup

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Throughout her stay, she'll test everything from the air-conditioner temperature, water pressure in the shower, and piping drainage in the room, to the pricing and taste of the hotel's restaurants. Her reviews often include photographs of where she stayed, as well as microblogs or video posts with descriptions of the entire experience.

Zhuang Jing taking photo of bathroom slippers

For Zhuang Jing, the job is an enjoyable one as she gets to role-play as travelers of different types and ages, and try out different scenarios to see how each hotel fits their needs.

Zhuang Jing using laptop

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