Ipoh Stadium Homestay

The first night was miserable. I woke with itching and thought my sensitive skin was acting up, but then one side of my face seemed to have been bitten. I tried sleeping again, turned over, and realized there were bugs in the bed that I couldn’t see. I barely slept. Just as I was drifting off again, I heard water dripping, but I was too tired to check. I’d picked M Roof because it was close to my parents’ house. I’d stayed before and had a good experience, so I came back. Check-in was quick, and the bathroom and WC worked fine. The next morning I told the front desk I wanted a room change and an upgrade, but no room next to the fire exit. They agreed to the upgrade, but put me right beside the fire escape door. I was too tired to argue. The second room was okay, but I was paranoid about sitting on the sofa in case it had bugs too. The shower area was awful, very cramped, and a larger person would have trouble moving around. The shower head was rusty, and the handheld shower wouldn’t stay in place because its holder was too loose. There’s a screen instead of a door, so water ran into the WC area. The shower amenities weren’t provided, so I had to ask. I called twice for shower gel, and the housekeeping guy didn’t look pleased to bring it. I don’t think I’ll stay here on my next trip.

For the nightly rate, the room was comfortable enough, and it had a Dyson hair dryer. They also supplied one large and two small bottles of mineral water, something I haven’t seen at other hotels. The common areas need better cleaning: rubbish had been left outside the sitting area for more than 24 hours. There was a cobweb in the room, and on first using the toilet, I noticed a faint urine smell.

My stay in Ipoh was terrible. The hotel didn’t explain how to turn on the air conditioner, and the phone was switched off, so I had to go downstairs to ask. There was no shampoo, just two bath foams, and I used one to wash my hair. Then I found out the room service guy had made a mistake. The worst part was that the gym, pool, and laundry room were only open from 8am to 7pm. I was at the office during those hours, so I couldn’t use them. A lot of business people won’t be able to use the facilities either.

The Valentine’s decorations were lovely and gave the place a romantic feel, which made our stay more special. Shathish was especially attentive and accommodating, and the staff looked after us throughout our visit. We really appreciated the thoughtful arrangement and excellent service. We had a wonderful stay at M Roof Hotel and would definitely come back.