Unflushed toilet, used cutlery: Park Hotel Alexandra apologises after SHN guests raise cleanliness concerns

[UPDATE 8:57pm]

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), which leads the SG Clean certification programme in the hotel sector, said its appointed auditor KPMG is following up with Park Hotel Alexandra.

Tan Yen Nee, STB's Hotel & Sector Manpower Director, said that at the point of certification, KPMG had ascertained that the hotel met the criteria, which included a checklist encompassing temperature and health screening guidelines, cleanliness and disinfection practices, as well as protocols for suspected and confirmed Covid-19 cases.

Like all SG Clean certified establishments, Park Hotel Alexandra will be subject to random audits to ensure adherence to the checklist, she assured.

"We welcome feedback on SG Clean certified tourism establishments and will continue to review the SG Clean checklist to keep guests safe and minimise risk of a resurgence of community transmission.

"We will also continue to work with our hotels to ensure that Stay-Home Notice Dedicated Facilities adhere to the proper hygiene and service standards."

They might be spending 14 days in a four-star hotel, but it was no luxe staycay.

People serving out their stay-home notices (SHN) in Park Hotel Alexandra complained of dirty toilets, used cutlery, as well as dust and hair, Today reported, citing interviews with at least four guests on Monday (Sept 21).

In response, the hotel told the online news outlet that it was "disappointed" to hear of the cleanliness lapses and sincerely apologised for the affected guests' unpleasant experience.

It is investigating the issue and eager to rectify the situation and avoid any recurrence, it said.

The guests' complaints included:

• A mouldy toilet floor
• Hair and dust found in multiple rooms
• Urine stains around the toilet
• Faeces in an unflushed toilet
• A used, unwashed teaspoon
• Coffee stains on a table
• A used cotton swab lying on a shelf
• A dirty hairdryer 

One guest, identified only as Sony, 53, said he suspected that the rooms were not cleaned after the previous guest had left, adding, "You do a 14-day stay-home notice to protect your family.

"But then you're put in a hotel that's not disinfected, and if the previous guest had Covid-19, how do we feel?"

Another guest who complained of a dirty room, Kolar, 32, said he had to submit his request for a new room via the Ministry of Manpower's SHN Self-Help Portal and could only switch rooms after receiving the authorities' approval.

Kolar had checked in on Friday (Sept 18) but only received the approval to move on Sunday night, he said. By then, he and his wife had already cleaned and disinfected the room with their own supplies. 

Park Hotel Alexandra is actually an SG Clean certified hotel.

Rolled out on Feb 16, the SG Clean certification programme aims to audit and certify publicly accessible places, including schools and businesses, to reflect their commitment to high cleanliness and public hygiene standards.

"What makes a hotel SG Clean certified are the extra precautionary steps: ensure general well-being of anyone entering the hotel premises by temperature screening; increase frequency of disinfecting the common areas and guest rooms [now hourly, from every four hours previously]; documenting and recording all preventive measures; and proper management of suspect/confirmed Covid-19 cases," Park Hotel Group's executive director Shin Hui Tan had said back in March.

Prior to the pandemic, the hotels under the group already had procedures for cleaning and sanitsing their rooms and facilities that were aligned with worldwide standards, Tan had also said.

AsiaOne has reached out to the Singapore Tourism Board, the lead for the SG Clean certification programme in the hotel sector, for more information.

All incoming travellers, as well as returning Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who left the country after March 27, are required to bear the costs of their stay at the dedicated SHN facilities (if applicable) and the cost of their Covid-19 tests.

A 14-day SHN stay typically costs $2,000, while a Covid-19 test costs $200.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com