(Yicai Global) Jan. 9 -- Health authorities in Shanghai have fined seven international luxury hotels, including the Bvlgari, the Four Seasons, and the Ritz-Carlton, CNY2,000 (USD292) each -- less than the price of a single night's stay at some -- after staff were caught cleaning toilets, showers and cups with the same dirty towels and sponges.

Punishment is not the ultimate goal, a spokesperson from the Huangpu district health commission said, according to an article published in state-backed The Paper. 

The commission has organized two training sessions for star-rated hotels, and 320 such events for non-starred ones, the report said. The focus in these sessions has been room cleaning, disinfection of items, and customer service. Authorities have also given the hotels self-inspection forms to encourage them to pursue a higher level of service.

A guest outed the hotels for unhygienic room cleaning practices in a 12-minute video posted on WeChat in November after taking hidden camera footage at luxury chains such as the Conrad, Shangri-La, Sheraton, Bvlgari and Le Royal Meridien in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou, and Nanchang. 

Providing consumers with clean and comfortable accommodation is the foundation of hotel services, and online reviews affect the popularity of chains, the health commission's spokesperson said, adding that aggressive marketing may cause them to neglect quality.

The other four hotels fined were the Mandarin Oriental in Pudong, Le Royal Meridien, the Puli Hotel and Spa, and the Waldorf Astoria.

Editor: Emmi Laine