A hotel in China is sparking discourse for offering a special morning service where guests can pay extra to get woken up by lion cubs.
The Happy Countryside Resort in Niujiao Village, China, is going viral on Chinese social media platforms after the hotel posted a video showing one of its employees waking up guests with a lion cub.
In the video, the staff member guides the cub into a hotel room, where a child staying at the resort picks up the animal and plays with it.
Local news outlets state the hotel, which opened in 2023, offered a “lion wake-up service” for a limited time from September 15, 2025 – November 15, 2025. The offer has since been suspended at the time of writing.
A China hotel’s lion cub wake up service is going viral on platforms like Douyin.
There were only 20 “Asiatic Lion Wake-up Service” slots open per day, and guests were instructed to call the front desk in advance to book their time with the cubs. According to reports from Sina Finance, handlers were on-site to make sure both the cubs and the guests were safe, with slots being limited to seven minutes each.
This exotic animal alarm clock ties into the rest of the resort’s theme, which includes villas, a wetland garden, and even some rooms styled after “primitive caves.”
Responding to concerns from the media, a female employee at the resort assured guests that they are legally in the clear.
“It is legal for us to provide this service,” she said. “We are qualified to raise lions and we have registered this service with the authorities.”
finance.sina.comWhile hotel staff says the lion cub wakeup service is completely legal, experts in the space are wary.
However, legal experts say the hotel could be on the hook if any injuries were to occur. Speaking with Legal Daily, Beijing wildlife lawyer Luo Juan said the service “raises several legal risks,” citing potential stress and harm for the cubs, the guests incurring possible wounds, and the resort offering “misleading promotions.”
Juan also explained that, even if the guests were to sign a waiver, China’s Civil Code could still stand if a visitor gets clawed by one of the cubs.
Parents divided as Chinese hotel lets children play with lion cubs
Responses to the lion cubs have been mixed. As per the South China Morning Post, one user expressed anxiety about the potential danger the cubs and their sharp claws pose to young children.
“Although they look cute, I would still be frightened. After all, they are wild animals,” they commented online.
“This is very good. It will make sure my son will not linger in bed or hesitate to wake up,” another joked.
South China Morning Post, BaiduParents are divided about the safety of the lion cub service.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time a hotel in China has put exotic animals on offer for guests who are willing to pay extra; in June 2025, Chinese authorities put a stop to the Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Hotel’s red panda wakeup service, which let guests interact with the endangered species for $280 – $450 USD.
However, other hotels in the country have gone with a more ethical version of this idea, such as the Biguiyuan Phoenix Hotel in Wuhan, which lets guests pay around $70 USD to have one of ten domestic dog breeds stay with them during the night.
