KUALA LUMPUR: Hotels should adjust their check-in and check-out times to ensure that their guests enjoy at least a 23-hour stay, says Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said he had brought this matter up at a recent meeting with hotel operators.
“I raised my proposal during a meeting with representatives from the hotel industry association in Parliament on Oct 17,” he posted on Facebook on Saturday night.
Such a 23-hour stay policy, added Tiong, is common internationally with guests checking in at 2pm and checking out at noon the next day or by 1pm at the latest.
“This is common and does not affect the cleanliness or quality of their stay,” Tiong said.
The minister said while hotels may be concerned about costs and profits, customer satisfaction was also critical.
“I understand if hotels want to save on costs and get more profits, but this matter does not only involve profits for industry players.
“Guests also want to feel that they are getting their money’s worth for the service,” he said, adding that any dissatisfaction could lead to a perception that hotels prioritise profits over service quality.
“If guests are satisfied with what they have paid for, the operators would surely be happy with higher profits,” said Tiong.
Some people recently claimed that certain hotels had adjusted their check-in time to 4pm and check-out time to 11am the following day.
They also claimed that extra charges were imposed for checking out beyond 11am, saying that this was unfair given the short lodging times.
In an immediate reaction, hotel operators said the timing is always set in black and white when customers make their booking.
In his FB post, Tiong also promised to personally engage with the Human Resources and Home Ministries to address any staffing shortage that might result from fulfilling this requirement.
He said hotel operators had raised their concerns that with such a policy, the process of cleaning and preparing the hotel rooms would take a longer time, especially when they are short of staff.
He added that he had given them his guarantee that he would help them discuss the recruitment of foreign workers with the two aforementioned ministries.
“At the moment, the hotel industry does not enjoy any priority when it comes to applying for foreign workers.
“In fact, the source countries are very limited and this affects their manpower,” he said, adding that he would discuss solutions with the related departments, including allowing hotel operators to recruit foreign workers directly.
Tiong said he had also directed the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage to introduce certified training courses for hotel room cleaning and housekeeping, aimed at increasing the service quality and professionalism of Malaysian tourism workers.
Other issues brought up by the operators were the lack of a standard operating procedure, including the unlimited number of guests which can lead to noise affecting the quality of hotel stays, he said, adding that he had also brought up the issue of short-term rentals of homes.
“This will be discussed further in the coming Cabinet tourism development committee meeting to be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“My ministry will cooperate with other ministries, including the Housing and Local Government Ministry, to devise strategies and address these challenges.”
