China cans hotel's red panda 'wake-up call' service

Authorities in China have banned a hotel from offering a red panda 'wake up call' service.

HONG KONG — For fans of the red panda, it would have been the ultimate experience — a wake-up call from one of the furry creatures on your hotel bed.

But that was until pictures and videos went viral on Chinese social media, prompting a crackdown by authorities in the country.

In one video verified by NBC News, Huang Wei, who booked the “wake-up call” service at the LocaJoy River & Holiday Hotel in China’s southwestern Chongqing city, was filmed partially under his blanket and can be heard telling the staff the panda playing on the bed was “really cute.”

The creature then eats food placed on the 28-year-old interior design store manager's hand by a member of the staff. “He’s not scared of the cold,” the staff member says, adding that its thick fur meant it was not affected by the room’s air conditioning.

“I usually have a terrible morning temper, but today I’m so happy to be woken up by a red panda,” Huang wrote in a caption on the video that was posted last week on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote.