Hotel demands payment for stained bedsheets or towels in Nha Trang — is this legal and how to respond?

In August 2026 a guest at the Mercure in Nha Trang said she was being asked for 1.5 million VND for soiled bedding: her son had food poisoning, she called housekeeping herself in the morning, everything was photographed, and then an administrator demanded compensation. When asked how the amount — close to the price of a night's stay — was calculated, the administrator gave no answer.

Travelers who stayed at the Annova hotel wrote in August 2026 that, according to other guests, the hotel charged 600,000 VND for dry-cleaning a mattress after tea was spilled on it.

A guest of the Panama hotel described a case from the previous year: a purple stain appeared on a white sheet, even though he had not slept in the room that night. Reception demanded 800,000 VND for the supposedly ruined linen; arguing was largely useless, but the amount was reduced to 690,000 VND.

It can go differently. In June 2026 a guest at Tui Blue injured her elbow and blood stained the sheet and pillow overnight. The bedding was simply replaced; an administrator called to check that she had not been a victim of violence, wished her a speedy recovery, and no charge was made for the linen.

An experienced participant called such demands the hotel's own initiative and said they are common in Nha Trang: guests are told dry-cleaning is needed rather than ordinary washing, plus extra fees. In his view, an unscheduled change of soiled bedding is normal staff work, not an extra service, since linen is washed in bulk. He suggests writing a review of the hotel: sometimes it helps, and the hotel apologises and asks for the review to be removed.

On the legal side, participants said in August 2026 that if the house rules you signed do not mention such a fee, then, in one participant's view, you do not have to pay it — the cost of linen is already included in the nightly rate. Another participant allowed that a charge may be justified if linen is torn or stained with blood, but not for ordinary sand and dirt after the beach. These are travelers' opinions; in a dispute, ask the hotel for a written explanation of the amount.