The World's Dirtiest Hotels

I am writing this entry specifically for the guys at Comfort Hotel. I recently started writing free (read, people!!) reviews for hotels and places I have been to for TripAdvisor. I was browsing thru their site couple of days back and I noticed they have nothing on Banting. The only Banting they have are Banting, Toronto. So I went like ooook, so no one has introduced this small town and its mushrooming hotels. Mind you, the people at TripAdvisor recently released their World's Dirtiest Hotels and guess who made it twice in along with Thailand? Yup, we did.


For you lazy readers, just scroll and check out the list:


Dirtiest Hotels - Asia
(based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews)


1. Phi Phi Don Chukit Resort, Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand


2. Raj Residency, Chennai (Madras), India


3. Goldkist Beach Resort, Singapore, Singapore


4. Mahkota Hotel Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia


5 Centaur Hotel, IGI Airport, New Delhi, India


6. Tatami Hampton Hotel, Hong Kong, China


7. Pearl of the Pacific Boracay Resort & Spa, Boracay, Philippines


8. First Hotel Bankok, Bangkok, Thailand


9. Seri Costa Hotel-Resort, Melaka, Malaysia


10. Royal Peacock Hotel, Singapore, Singapore




Damn embarrassing, and I read all the reviews for the 2 hotels in Malacca. Let me tell you, it was disgusting. I got so pissed I looked up on the net and emailed Mahkota Hotel this:


From: xxxx
To: reservation@mahkotahotel.com.my; klso@mahkotahotel.com.my; sgso@mahkotahotel.com.my
Sent: Fri, January 29, 2010 2:59:26 PM
Subject: Labeled Dirtiest Hotels in Asia

You must be very proud of yourselves.


http://www.tripadvisor.com/DirtyHotels-g187070


Regards
xxxxxx

If you felt that I was exaggerating, look at the pictures travelers posted. It's enough to gross you out.


Ok, now back to Comfort Hotel. I called up their Jalan Meru branch and the Chinese guy over the phone didn't understand a word I was saying. When I said free review his tone of voice changed. Sigh. So I called up their Shah Alam branch. The guy on the counter (god bless Rahman) was a dear chap who actually understood what freelance meant and I told him specifically I write for TripAdvisor. He thought I owned it (I had to correct him and read him the link)


I told him if he can pass the message to the manager or Mr. Chum Kim Hing and his wife, Madam Lim Sook Bee. So I left 2 messages-one with Rahman @ Shah Alam branch a written message for a skeptical looking lady whom I spoke to when I went to the Banting branch. I used layman terms with her. Words like "free publicity" and "free review" which I think she must have misinterpreted as "free night stay" because after I was done, she pretty much showed me the door. But stubborn as I am, I gave her my details and blog address (for good measure) And 3 emails to them. Hopefully they can reply me. Then I called up their HQ hotel @ Jalan Goh Hock Huat and managed to get their HQ contact numbers (which I hope will be open on Monday so I can ring them up, if they haven't call/email me yet by then!)


All this for a goddamn free review which some people misunderstood that I, a white-collar employee working at a corporate American company would charge them. Here I am trying to wash my karma by by giving back to the society but again I am misunderstood.


And I also took the courtesy to email TripAdvisor about their hotel and hurrah! They replied me stating they had listed the hotel and is up for it's 1st review! I hope as hell I get permitted to review them. If they disapprove, I will email TripAdvisor and request them to remove Comfort Hotel from their listing. No one should get a free listing and deny travelers to review them. What do you think readers? I am doing the right thing, yeah?