S'pore woman 'shocked' & 'violated' after JB hotel staff entered room without permission

What was supposed to be a fun trip to Johor Bahru for a woman from Singapore, who was with her friends, took a distressing turn when a male hotel staff "accidentally" entered one of their rooms, leaving her feeling shocked and violated.

The woman, surnamed Lin, shared her experience with Shin Min Daily News.

The 33-year-old and her friends stayed at Hako Hotel in Mount Austin from Nov. 8 to 10, booking two separate rooms for the trip.

Staff entered room

The alarming incident occurred when a male staff entered Lin’s room without her consent.

Lin had just finished showering and changing when the staff member suddenly opened the door.

"I was shocked and yelled at him to get out," she recalled.

She immediately reported the issue at the front desk with a friend.

The staff member claimed he had knocked on the door and, receiving no response, assumed she had checked out.

Lin pointed out that the "Do Not Disturb" light was on.

Additionally, she was unable to lock the room's door as the lock was faulty.

Expressing her frustration, she said the lack of privacy made her feel deeply "violated".

Other issues

The hotel also had issues with their facilities and services, Lin said.

On the first day, Lin discovered the shower drain was blocked with accumulated hair.

Although they reported the issue to the front desk, the hotel staff only gave verbal promises to address the problem.

Left with no alternative, the group cleared the drain by themselves.

Additionally, Lin said the sound insulation of their room was poor.

She claimed to hear various strange noises at night, including music coming from downstairs, which made it difficult for her to fall asleep.

Hako Hotel is located in the same building as a karaoke.

Hotel's response

In response to the backlash, the hotel posted an apology on their Facebook page, expressing their "deep regret".

"We understand that a guest's sense of privacy and security is paramount, and we are truly sorry for any discomfort or distress this situation may have caused," they wrote.

Saying that the incident fell short of the "high standards" they strive to uphold, they added that it does not reflect their commitment to providing a safe and seamless experience for all their guests.

They said that they are taking the matter seriously and have reached out to the affected guest personally to express their deepest apologies and provide their full support.

"We remain steadfast in our promise to learn from this incident and are actively enhancing our procedures to ensure such an occurrence will not happen again."

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