Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from a spokesperson of Park Hotel Alexandra.

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A permanent resident, Sony, who served his 14-day Stay Home Notice (SHN) at Park Hotel Alexandra, spoke to Mothership about issues he and other guests faced regarding room cleanliness.

Those returning to Singapore from overseas are required to serve 14-day SHN as a Covid-19 precautionary measure.

According to Sony, guests presently staying at the four-star hotel were given "dirty, unsanitised rooms".

He describes the experience of serving his 14-day SHN at the hotel as "a real nightmare".

These are some of the things that guests allegedly encountered upon check-in:

• Dirt from previous guests in the toilet.
• Faecal matter in the toilet.
• Used earbuds all over the room.
• Dirty spoons.

Uncleaned items

Carpet stains, clumps of hair, what looked like faecal matter in the toilet bowl, mouldy shower doors and a dirty hairdryer were some of the things guests photographed.

Here are some photos which Sony shared with Mothership:

"Stuck in dirty room"

When Sony entered the hotel room he would be serving his SHN in, he noticed that the shower door was mouldy, while hair was found in the kettle.

He asked to change rooms and his request was granted immediately.

Unfortunately, he found an unwashed, used teaspoon in the new room he was assigned to.

Sony also said that while the second room's toilet was "acceptable", he found hair and dust on the carpet and water marks of glasses on the furniture.

According to Sony, the new room was "better" but in his opinion, was not up to SG Clean standards or that of a four-star hotel.

Sony said that he has not changed rooms since then as they have cleaned and disinfected the rooms themselves (meaning the guests).

The hotel offered Sony a new room, but he is "too tired to repeat the experience".

Concerns

Sony, who works in the finance industry, had travelled to France to visit his daughter for seven days.

He was aware that he would have to serve 14-day SHN in Singapore and "did not mind" as he wants to "protect Singapore".

He said:

"I went to France to help my daughter who was in trouble. I went seven days, knowing that I will have to do a 14 days SHN. But I did not mind as SHN is to protect Singapore (my country of adoption as a PR) from imported cases. I was quite proud to do my part in fighting this pandemic.. Not so happy now.."

He and the other guests also fear that their health might be at risk as their rooms could have been occupied by those who tested positive for Covid-19.

According to Sony, he had also asked for help via the SHN hotline but received "no reactions".

Supportive messages

Since the incident came to light, Sony revealed that many Singaporeans have sent "heartwarming" and supportive messages telling him to stay strong.

Others provided him with phone numbers of relevant authorities that he could contact.

Park Hotel Alexandra apologises

In response to Mothership, a spokesperson for Park Hotel Alexandra said the hotel was sorry for the lapses in cleanliness of the rooms, and said they were anomalies and not representative of their standards.

They added that they will be conducting "extra" checks before assigning rooms to guests:

"We are sincerely sorry for the lapses in the cleanliness of our rooms and service. These incidents are anomalies and certainly not representative of the standards we uphold. We are eager to resolve them, ensuring that there will no recurrences and have since reviewed our processes. We will continue to conduct extra checks on our cleaned rooms before making them available for guest check in."

They are also "actively" engaging guests to address their concerns:

"Upon receiving feedback earlier, we have been actively engaging with the guests to address their concerns and have explored ways that can make their stay more comfortable. These include changing rooms, customising food requests, adding desks, providing cots, procuring air humidifiers and reconfiguring room layouts."

The hotel also reassures guests that none of the rooms that had room cleanliness issues were occupied by individuals who tested positive for the virus:

"Rest assured that none of the rooms in question were previously occupied by anyone who has been tested positive for Covid-19. Any rooms occupied by a guest who is tested positive will be dealt with separately by the authorities. The room will first be sealed and put out of order and it will only be released for the next check-in after a NEA-appointed cleaning specialist has cleaned and sanitised the room."

The hotel encourages guests to reach out to their hotline so that they can better address any issues.

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Top photo via Park Hotel Group and Sony