"Hotels Free To Set Own Rules" — MOTAC Responds To '4PM Check-In, 11AM Check-Out' Issue
A Malaysian recently expressed his dissatisfaction with some hotels' late check-in and early check-out times.
By May Vin Ang — 26 Sep 2024, 03:02 PM
On 22 September, a social media user called out some local hotels for implementing "outrageous" late check-in and early check-out times
"If they want the public to support Tourism Malaysia, the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) should intervene in this issue. Checking in at 4pm and checking out at 11am is outrageous to me," wrote Hakim, a user on X.
"Or, should we campaign to boycott hotels with such policies? Who agrees? Any opinions on this?" he asked.
His X post garnered over 1.6 million views, 5,400 reposts, and 200 comments, with netizens sharing his frustration towards the issue
"Agreed. Should go back to original standard of 12 noon check-out and 2pm check-in. Two hours buffer for the management to do cleaning, etc, is more than suffice. We are not in the COVID-19 era anymore... Way past it to accommodate such incompetence and manipulation to customer service," said a user.
"Hotels should hire more staff to speed up the cleaning time after check-outs, not delay check-in. Hotel prices are becoming less worth it," agreed another.
Looking at the replies, Hakim added he was not surprised more Malaysians are holidaying in Thailand, given their nice rooms and attractive prices.
Responding to the viral post, the Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) said hotels in Malaysia are free to set their own check-in and check-out times
In a statement on 25 September, MyBHA president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel explained that hotels and homestays are not bound by any laws regarding check-in and check-out times, and if they chose the hotel, it is a policy that customers are expected to adhere to.
"Check-in and check-out times depend on the internal rules and policies set by each hotel.
"Even though the usual check-in time is around 2pm, there are situations where hotels have to delay until 4pm or later due to certain constraints such as full rooms or shortage of staff.
"When the hotel is full, they need more time to clean the rooms and that may cause delays in the check-in process," he said, adding that instead of disappointing customers at registration, some hotels rather change the check-in times to suit the situation.
Sri Ganesh added that hotel profits are decreasing due to lack of regulation of online prices. "When the hotel is not making a profit, how can they hire more workers?" he reasoned.
Meanwhile, MOTAC responded that it understands customers' concerns, but it also has to consider the opinion of industry players
"MOTAC is monitoring this issue more closely and is also paying serious attention to relevant hospitality industry operators to provide clarification on this matter," it said in a statement yesterday.
The ministry added that statements by MyBHA and the Malaysian Tourism Federation have already provided further clarification.
"MOTAC would also like to advise the public to always read and understand the terms and conditions set by hotels before making a reservation. This step is important to avoid any misunderstandings or dissatisfaction, especially regarding the pricing and services provided," it said.
As of writing, the statement has garnered over 400 comments with many netizens disappointed with the ministry's response
"All you do is monitor. That's all you do for years. The people have told you what the problem is, but you just monitor, look and see, and nothing happens," said a netizen.
Another said, "Thank you for a media statement that doesn't bring any good. Don't blame us if we go holiday in Hat Yai after this."
