JB hotel apologises after male staff 'barged' into Singapore woman's room

A hotel in Johor Bahru has apologised and offered a guest a full refund after a male staff member "accidentally" opened her room door.

In a now-deleted post to Facebook page Complaint Singapore on Nov 13, a woman from Singapore recounted "numerous issues" she faced during her two-night stay at Hako Hotel Mount Austin with three other friends.

She said the bathrooms would flood whenever they showered, and they had to open the drain covers to drain the water as "nothing was done" to solve the issue despite them informing the hotel's reception.

The woman added that the soundproofing in the hotel was poor, and that a male staff member had opened the door of the room her female friend was staying in.

The friend in question, surnamed Lin, told Shin Min Daily News that their group of four had stayed in two separate rooms from Nov 8 to 10.

"I had just taken a shower and finished changing when a male employee suddenly pushed open the door. I was shocked and yelled at him to get out," she said.

Lin, 33, told her friend in the next room about what had happened, and the pair reported the incident to the front desk.

When questioned, the male employee reportedly said he had knocked on the door before entering the room. There was no response from Lin, so he thought the guest had checked out.

Lin told the Chinese evening daily that the 'Do not disturb' light switch was turned on at that time, and the male employee should have confirmed with the front desk staff if the guests have checked out.

She added that the room's door could not be locked as the lock was faulty.

Hotel apologises, promises to enhance procedures

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Hako Hotel Group management said on Monday (Nov 18) that they "deeply regret" the incident. 

"We understand that a guest’s sense of privacy and security is paramount, and we are truly sorry for any discomfort or distress this situation may have caused," they  said.

"We remain steadfast in our promise to learn from this incident and are actively enhancing our procedures to ensure such an occurrence will not happen again."

The hotel's management told AsiaOne that they conducted a thorough investigation by reviewing CCTV footage as well as collecting statements from the guests and their staff members. 

The investigation found that the male staff had "accidentally and briefly opened the door without stepping into the room". There was no ill intention or a forceful entry, they said, adding that the guest had confirmed the above information.

AsiaOne understands that the hotel has offered the guest a full refund.

The guest also told AsiaOne that she has accepted the hotel's apology as well as their promise to take precautionary measures, but declined to comment further.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com