SINGAPORE: Imagine arriving in the vibrant city of Singapore, known for its impeccable cleanliness and efficiency, only to find yourself in a hotel horror story.
This was the unfortunate reality of a Malaysian tourist who crossed the causeway from Malaysia to Singapore on 19 July, expecting a memorable vacation.
The tourist’s adventure began with a booking at a three-star hotel on Sims Avenue through a popular platform, where she paid S$333 for a 4-day, 3-night stay. Little did she know, she was about to encounter an unexpected cast of characters – mice.
Malaysian tourist rodent nightmare begins
Upon arrival, the tourist and her friend were assigned a windowless room that reeked of an unpleasant odour, prompting an immediate request for a room change. The second room, initially free of any peculiar smells, seemed like a relief. However, this respite was short-lived.
Returning to their room at 1 am after a day of exploring, the duo was startled by strange noises. To their horror, at least three mice appeared, scurrying through cracks in the door and showing no fear of their human guests.
The tourist’s friend valiantly tried to shoo them away with slippers, but the mice were undeterred, even jumping onto the bed.
The hotel, fully booked and unable to offer a room change, provided two rat stickers as a solution. This left the Malaysian tourist and her friend to spend a sleepless night, only finding rest when the mice finally retreated at dawn.
The ordeal took a turn for the worse when, upon closer inspection, the room’s pillows revealed a shocking state of disrepair – yellowed, mouldy, and stained with blood.
A second room change did not improve their situation, as the new room also had a strong, unusual smell, and more rat traps were offered. Frustrated and exhausted, they requested a refund and a check-out, but the hotel staff only promised that the manager would contact her.
After waiting in vain for two hours, they called the police, who confirmed receiving their report and facilitated a conversation with the manager, though no agreement was reached.
Sleeping on the streets of Singapore
In the dead of night, amidst the rain, the tourists left the hotel, dragging their luggage in search of another accommodation. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find a hotel and ended up at Marina Bay Sands until morning, leaving the tourist to remark:
“It was one night when I was sleeping on the streets in Singapore.”
The saga of the refund continued with the hotel manager directing the tourist to the booking platform and the platform advising her to negotiate with the hotel. This left them caught in a bureaucratic tug-of-war, a stark contrast to the holiday she had envisioned.
The Malaysian tourists’ experience serves as a cautionary tale for travellers, highlighting the importance of thorough research and the need for hotels to uphold cleanliness and customer service standards, even in the face of unexpected challenges.