Ipoh Octagon Premium Suites by Verve

The whole deposit issue made our stay very stressful, especially because we were there for my mom's birthday. I checked out early, around 10:45 AM, and told them before my family and I went to breakfast. Later the owner said condo management had accused someone in my group of entering the gym after swimming without drying off, and planned to keep RM100 from my RM150 deposit for a management fine. That wasn't what happened: my niece went into the gym but hadn't swum, while my daughter and two other nieces swam but never went into the gym. I explained this and asked the owner for CCTV, but was sent to the Level 8 management office even though I'd checked out and was out with my 75-year-old mother for her birthday. I asked the owner to help, but was told we'd have to wait until evening. We couldn't do that, since I live in KL, my mother is from Kelantan, and my sister is from Penang. I also asked for management's number, but the owner said they couldn't give it, despite my having seen them receive a call from management earlier. We went back to the condo after breakfast. The guard told us it was a Malay family, not us, and said management had already been informed. Then the rude Indian guy from management first said it wasn't us, but blamed the guard afterward. I couldn't tell whether he was being honest or covering up. My sister was understandably upset, and we had to go back and forth to clear it up. In the end he said, “I already apologized, right?” as if that settled things. They did eventually return the full deposit, but only after I reminded them. I wouldn't recommend this place. If we'd already left for another city like Ipoh or Penang, we might have unfairly lost the deposit. Something needs to change so this doesn't happen to other guests.

The rooms were okay and clean, and both toilets were well maintained. The towels they provided were useless, they didn't absorb water.

We walked out of both units less than two hours after checking in, without asking for a refund. We had rented two apartments. The first looked acceptable in its renovation, but inside it smelled musty, the floors were dusty, and the mattresses had loose strings. The second, on a corner of the same floor, had badly done renovations, old worn furniture, exposed mattress springs, sticky floors, and an unpleasant look overall. When we gathered in the first unit, everyone got itchy skin, and our two children with sensitive noses felt uncomfortable. It really spoiled our holiday. The agent responded sarcastically when we said our kids were allergic to the dusty unit.

We managed to get a full refund through Booking, but only after starting the refund process ourselves. Their cancellation policy said no refunds, and when I asked for one, they told me to contact Booking's customer service. There was no accountability from them at all. This happened about a week before our CNY stay, after months of planning. We were a party of 10 and had booked two rooms, each with a capacity of 6, which should have been plenty. Two weeks before the stay, they said a booking error meant the rooms were double booked and asked if we could switch. I said yes as long as the replacement rooms could fit the same number of people. Six days later they asked me to confirm again, even though I'd already agreed. After I said OK once more, they told me all rooms were booked and offered another location. It was a building with lots of coffin shops around it, exactly the kind of place we'd deliberately avoided. My parents are in their late 70s and don't like being reminded of death during CNY, but we had no choice and discussed it with the family. We decided to accept the move if it could still house all 10 of us. I messaged them 20 minutes later and they seemed confused. Their exact WhatsApp words were, “So sorry We don't have two unit is can fix 10 guest ya. Cause ori you book unit is can fix 6 Pax only”. I had to explain again that two units for 6 people each would fit 12, more than 10. They then said, “So sorry for this just now we check the unit all is full”. Apparently 20 minutes was too long to hold the rooms while waiting for confirmation, and that alternative had filled up too. They next suggested yet another location, far out of the way from our CNY celebrations. We'd have to pay extra, and the unit could only fit 8, leaving us with an awkward arrangement. Charging us for a problem entirely their fault was unacceptable. I was done speaking with that person and asked for a refund. If you enjoy dealing with customer service that calls you “Dear” and won't take responsibility, go ahead. I will never forgive this incident. Unforgivable. Cannot forgive.