Da Lat hotel owner fined for discriminating against tourists over Covid fear

By Phuoc Tuan February 1, 2023 | 10:04 pm PT

The facade of Dream Flower Hotel in Da Lat. Photo courtesy of the hotel

A female hotel owner in Da Lat was slapped with a fine of VND8 million ($343) for offending and discriminating against a group of tourists due to fears over Covid infections.

On Wednesday, Da Lat authorities issued the fine and apologized to the tourists.

On January 29, Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, 57, owner of Dream Flower Hotel on An Binh Street, refused to let the group of six tourists check into their rooms though they had already paid for the rooms.

The hotel owner claimed they were foreigners and she feared contracting the virus from them. In addition, she also was alleged to have offended them by insulting their birth origin.

The tourists filmed the hotel and posted their story on social media, triggering a public backlash and prompting local tourism officials to step in.

Le Anh Kiet, a local tourism official, said the incident tainted Da Lat's tourism image.

The hotel just opened its doors in December last year.

Situated on a plateau around 1,500 meters above sea level, Da Lat enjoys year-round cool weather and is famous for its French colonial heritage.