'Feels like refugee camp': Man tries staying in $12 shared dorm in Kuala Lumpur

All he wanted was a cheap place to stay in Kuala Lumpur, but a Malaysian man got more than what he bargained for.

TikToker Ian Lim, also known as ianlim.xk, decided to try staying in a RM40 (S$12)-per-night shared dormitory during his solo trip to the Malaysian capital last month. 

Instead of enjoying his holiday, the lifestyle content creator from Penang described his shared dorm experience as "living in a refugee camp" with cramped living conditions.

He shared his experience in a 134-second TikTok video posted on January 10.

Refugee camp or shared dormitory?

It all looked fancy enough at first, with the RM40 a night shared dormitory located in a condominium building within "walking distance of KLCC".

However, Ian started to have his suspicions when he wasn't given an access card to gain entry into the apartment block.

Rather, he was forced to sign in at the front desk as if he was visiting a friend living there. Also, he had to be escorted to his 12th floor accommodation by a security guard.

While it turned out to be a decent-sized apartment, complete with a balcony, reception and living room area, Ian didn't have the luxury of having the whole place to himself, having to share the unit with 10 other guests. 

Instead, he was limited most of the time to his bunk bed in the master bedroom which housed as many as "10 [bunk bed] units in one single master bedroom".

Things didn't get better in the modest ensuite toilet which had to shared by all 10 guests.

Unsurprisingly, the tight squeeze in his accommodation of choice left Ian feeling like he's "taking refuge from some place" and dubbed the sleeping area as "the refugee camp" in his video.

His nightmare didn't end here though. To Ian's disgust, he discovered that his bed sheets were dirty and the provided towel "smells like cockroaches". 

In the comment section, netizens empathised with Ian with some questioning if it was legal to run a dorm in an apartment.

Other commenters pointed out that in certain parts of the world like Hong Kong, it was quite common to experience such cramped living conditions.

Nonetheless, Ian managed to find a bright spot during his stay, commending the friendly staff and even giving the place a rating of "10/10 for the service". 

In the end, Ian summed up his RM40 a night shared dorm experience as "not the best experience, but can't argue with the price. 

Cheap but not good 

On January 5, TikTok user Deknees posted a video warning others of her horrifying staycation at the Link Hotel in Tiong Bahru. 

The Singaporean woman claimed that her room was vastly different from the rooms advertised on the four-star hotel website. 

Besides the lack of basic furnishings like a wardrobe, the ceiling and walls had mould and stains while the room gave off a rather "weird smell". 

Deknees paid between $160 and $180 for the hotel room and felt that the competitive price was one of the reasons she picked the hotel in the first place.

ALSO READ: Scary alleys and smelly pits: Singapore travellers warn of dodgy Seoul Airbnb apartments

timothywee@asiaone.com

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