Chinese resort draws attention with exotic lion cub wake-up experience

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A hotel in China is getting attention for a unique and controversial service: guests can pay to be woken up by lion cubs in the morning.

A resort in China, called The Happy Countryside Resort in Niujiao Village, is getting a lot of attention online after sharing a video of a staff member waking up guests with a baby lion.

The video shows a staff member leading a young bear into a hotel room, where a child staying at the resort happily picks it up and begins to play.

A local hotel that opened in 2023 briefly offered a unique service – a wake-up call featuring a lion – between September 15th and November 15th, 2025. However, this service is currently unavailable.

The park offered a unique experience called “Asiatic Lion Wake-up Service,” but only 20 slots were available each day. Guests needed to call ahead to reserve a short, seven-minute visit with the lion cubs. According to Sina Finance, trained staff were present to ensure the safety of both the cubs and visitors.

This unique alarm clock fits the resort’s overall exotic theme, which extends to its villas, wetland garden, and rooms designed to look like ancient caves.

A resort employee addressed media questions and reassured guests that everything is legally sound and they have no issues to worry about.

She confirmed that offering this service is perfectly legal. They’re fully qualified to care for lions and have officially registered their business with the relevant authorities.

Legal experts warn the hotel could face legal issues if anyone gets hurt. Luo Juan, a wildlife lawyer in Beijing, told Legal Daily that the practice creates several risks, including stress and potential harm to the cubs, possible injuries to guests, and potentially misleading advertising by the resort.

Juan pointed out that even with a signed waiver, China’s laws could still apply if a guest was injured by a cub’s scratches.

Parents divided as Chinese hotel lets children play with lion cubs

People have had varying reactions to the new lion cubs. According to the South China Morning Post, some are worried about the risk their claws could pose to young children.

People commented online that even though these animals are adorable, they’d still be scared because they’re wild.

“This is fantastic! It’ll definitely get my son out of bed and moving in the morning,” one person playfully commented.

This isn’t the first time a Chinese hotel has offered unusual animal experiences to guests for an added fee. Back in June 2025, officials stopped the Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Hotel from offering a ‘red panda wakeup service,’ where guests could interact with these endangered animals for a price between $280 and $450.

Other hotels are trying a similar concept, but in a more compassionate way. For example, the Biguiyuan Phoenix Hotel in Wuhan offers guests the chance to spend the night with a dog – one of ten different breeds – for about $70.

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2025-11-17 23:19