Meet the Woman Who Sleeps in Hotels for a Living

Just one of three hotel testers for Chinese travel website Qunar, Zhuang Jing’s work provides authoritative, independent reviews for potential guests.

The hours are long, the work is tough and the pillows are soft. It sounds like an easy job, but for one Beijing-based hotel tester, every aspect of her stay is scrutinized as she sleeps her way around China.

Zhuang Jing is a ‘Hotel Test Sleeper’ for Qunar, a Chinese travel website. Just one of 7,800 applicants, Zhuang was hired back in 2010 to sleep in and review hotels for the company. From the location, facilities, cleanliness and in-house dining options, Zhuang is responsible for rating all aspects of a hotel.

The kicker? Zhuang has only one night to make her assessment and if that wasn’t enough, she must also be able to carry out her review discreetly, without the knowledge of hotel staff.

Zhuang’s assessment of a hotel is incredibly thorough. In addition to considering the basic amenities, she also pays careful attention to the quality of a hotel’s plumbing, air conditioning, water pressure, Wi-Fi and, of course, its price.

Armed with a digital camera and laptop, Zhuang records her honest reviews, providing potential guests with independent and authoritative information. One of just three of Qunar’s hotel testers, after five years on the job, she has slept at and reviewed well over 200 hotels for the company.

While her role really is about quality control, Zhuang must consider how the facilities of each hotel satisfy the needs of a variety of travelers. “My job is to role-play travelers of different types, different ages and genders at different scenarios, and see how each hotel fits their particular needs,” she explained to the Daily Mail.

[Photo: Reuters]