Weird smell and mould: Woman says Tiong Bahru hotel room doesn't match photos

Getting worked up over a staycation almost defeats the purpose of the activity itself.

But who could blame TikTok user Deknees after her experience at Link Hotel? 

Upon checking in, she was shocked at how her hotel room didn't match the online photos.

On Jan 6, she shared a video warning others not to stay at the four-star hotel in Tiong Bahru.

Things weren't great when it came to hygiene and cleanliness. The ceiling and walls had mould and stains while the room gave off a rather "weird smell", she said. 

The woman was also greeted by two clothes hangers instead of an actual wardrobe.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@de_knees__/video/7185195178196585729[/embed]

Apart from the bed looking "a bit different" from photos online, other amenities were not up to scratch either.

According to her, the room was supposed to come with an "HD quality" TV but what she got seemed far from that. 

"Look at the lines, they look like it's from the 1960s," she said, in reference to the television screen.

Link Hotel's website states that every room is furnished with a flat-screen TV with cable and satellite channels.

Deknees mentioned that "the pictures look very nice" and gave off "villa vibes", which was a plus point for her.

The price was another reason why the hotel felt like a good option, Deknees admitted.

She paid between $160 and $180 for the hotel room. A quick check on Link Hotel's website suggests that she had either booked the Superior Room or Deluxe Room.

"But props to the marketing team cause they really catfished us," Deknees said in her video.

Ultimately, the woman left the hotel as the vibes felt "very sus" and headed for JW Marriott Hotel to get her staycation going. 

In comparison, a night at this five-star establishment starts at around $500.

AsiaOne has reached out to Deknees for more information and she has not responded at the time of writing.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Link Hotel stated that investigations have been conducted and actions against the relevant department head have been taken.

The hotel said it has also reached out to the guest in question to "bring this issue to a close".

On Google reviews, Link Hotel scored an average rating of 3.6 upon five from over 500 guests.

It appears that some of them have had similar experiences to Deknees'.

One claimed "the whole hotel is dirty" while another alerted potential guests to not be fooled by images on its website.

However, there were those who had pleasant stays at Link Hotel with some pointing toward its good service.

In the comments section of the TikTok video, netizens gave their two cents on Deknees' complaints.

Some felt that she had set her bar too high, given how little she paid for the hotel room.

"If you go for cheap, don't expect good. Simple," a TikTok user wrote.

Another netizen suggested that the hotel is more suited for flings and friends with benefits, not a staycation with a partner.

ALSO READ: A night at one of Singapore's worst hotels, according to Tripadvisor - Is it really that bad?

amierul@asiaone.com

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