TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Evergreen Laurel Hotel in Paris has apologized for a recent incident involving the removal of a Chinese flag in its lobby.
In a TikTok video posted on Tuesday (Aug. 13) by Chinese travel influencer, “Instructor Zhang (張教官)” said the hotel had displayed the flags of nations that participated in the Olympics, RTI reported. However, Zhang noticed the Chinese flag was missing and reported it to hotel management. He offered to provide one to be displayed but was refused.
Zhang later spoke with a Chinese chef who worked at the hotel and discovered the flag was originally displayed but was ordered to be cut down by the hotel's Taiwanese general manager, surnamed Su (蘇). The chef's protests were reportedly ignored.
The incident sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media, with many Chinese netizens calling for a hotel boycott.
In response, Evergreen Laurel Hotel issued a statement expressing regret that guests had raised concerns about the hotel's Olympic-themed decorations, acknowledging that they failed to provide the best experience for their guests. The hotel pledged to continue improving its services to ensure a better experience for all visitors.
The Paris hotel is one of a string of global accommodations owned by Taiwan’s Evergreen International Corporation.
