Guests of cheapest hotel in Wuxi

Wu Xi is located in east China’s Jiangsu Province and enjoys rapid economic development. In 2013, its per capita GDP reached 124,000 yuan (more than 20,000 dollars). However, even in such a thriving city, there was a hotel called Datian’an which charged only 6 yuan for a night.

Gu Qimei, 64, began to run the Datian’an hotel in 2000. At that time the hotel charged only 5 yuan per night and offered a cooker and kitcheware to its guests for free. The hotel business became tougher as water and electricity bills increased. The hotel raised its price to 6 yuan in 2010.

Guests of the hotel are mainly engaged in small businesses such as selling balloons, wood combs, leather belts, and roasted yams. The low price is one of the main reasons why guests choose the hotel. Another reason is that the hotel is full of human warmth. The guests treat the hotel as their home and consider each other as friends. There are rarely any arguments or conflict there.

The hotel is shabby. It has only 8 rooms and 38 beds. The beds and the tables in the rooms are old. The guests share toilet facilities.

With the development of Wuxi, Datian’an hotel has been closed and will be demolished. The end has come for the cheapest hotel after 33 years.