OYO 228 Basic Hotel

The room air and sheets reeked of cigarette smoke, and the noise from guests at the neighboring hotel, Toojou, about 50 metres away was bad. Getting the door lock open was a pain, and the bathroom was in poor shape, though the heater worked fine. It was nothing like the booking app advertised. A horrible experience, a big no.

There isn’t much around besides a KFC and a few local restaurants, and the hotel isn’t in the nicest area. The staff were friendly enough, though not very helpful. My room smelled strange, probably because it hadn’t been cleaned well. The bathroom was especially dirty, with old soap scum on the floor, hair in the drain, and stains on the walls. The sheets smelled used and unclean, and the pillowcases and quilt had stains. Every night, without fail, the aircon brought in cigarette smoke because its vent was right where someone was smoking.

The staff were genuinely friendly, which was the one thing I liked. I was there for business, but wouldn’t recommend it to friends, family, or other travellers. The location is near the city, yet I spent 30 minutes trying to find the hotel because its sign didn’t match the name online. The area didn’t feel safe for someone travelling alone, with lots of places serving alcohol and a pretty mixed crowd nearby. There’s no lift, so I had to haul my 30kg luggage up to the third floor. I chose it for the price and some equipment I needed, but the iron they lent me was spoiled. When I heated it, burnt, sticky stuff underneath made the whole room smell. I left the door open for about 30 minutes to clear it. There was no ironing board either, so I put a towel on the table and ironed my uniform there. The room was only okay for cleanliness, and I had to wear slippers inside. The hotel is as basic as its sign says: no kettle, cup, T&Co, or water refill. The WiFi was okay, but there was no room phone, and the front desk number on my own phone always showed 'user busy'. Cheap, but not worth it. If you’re thinking of staying, think twice, then twice again. #Disappointed Hotel!

I work for a tour operator, and we handle airport transfers at all hours. I called the hotline to confirm the address so we could take guests right to the door, but the person kept demanding a booking number I didn’t have. I was only arranging an airport-to-hotel transfer. In the end, our guests had to walk to the hostel in the middle of the night without knowing exactly where it was. I later found out these 'rooms' are under a hotel called 'Basic Hotel'. What’s so hidden about your hostel? And your hotline staff don’t even speak Malay. You’re doing business in Malaysia, come on!