Give guests 23 hours’ stay, Tiong urges hotels

 

Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing acknowledged the problems faced by hotels, but said he will negotiate with other ministries to allow foreigners to work in the industry.

PETALING JAYA: 

Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing has urged hotel operators to adjust their check-in and check-out times to ensure that their guests get at least 23 hours of accommodation.

Acknowledging the hotels’ lack of manpower, resulting in a slower turnover in preparing rooms, Tiong promised to negotiate with the human resources and home ministries to allow an intake of foreign workers in the hotel industry.

He said 23-hour stays per night was a common practice abroad, with guests allowed to check in at 2pm and check out the following day at 1pm, for example.

This is a common practice and does not affect the hygiene standards or quality of stay (in these hotels). I understand if hotels want to save costs and garner more profits (by having later check-in and earlier check-out times),

 he said in a Facebook post.

“But this isn’t only about your profits. Customers need to be made to feel that every dollar spent is worth the service they receive. Otherwise, they will experience a dissatisfactory stay.

This, in turn, gives a clear perception that hoteliers only prioritise profits and not the quality of their service.

He said this was conveyed to industry players during a meeting on Thursday.

The issue of check-in and check-out times surfaced last month after a hotel guest took to social media to complain about only being allowed to check in at 4pm, and being told the check-out time was 11am.

Tiong also said he had raised the issue of short-let accommodation, such as Airbnb, and its impact on the hotel industry at a Cabinet meeting this morning.

He said the matter will be discussed further in a meeting chaired by deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

My ministry will work with other ministries, such as the housing and local government ministry, to formulate a strategy and resolution to this issue,

 he said.

The hotel industry has repeatedly called for short-term rental accommodation to be regulated given its impact on the sector. In July 2023, the tourism, arts and culture ministry released guidelines for such accommodation in strata buildings.

Penang has banned all forms of short-term rental accommodation at residential units on the island since May 2023. - FMT