Nilai Springs Resort Hotel

We only had three hours here before our morning flight to Palembang, after Air Asia canceled our flight, so there wasn’t time for breakfast or to try the hotel facilities. I hadn’t known about this hotel and didn’t even get a photo, but I can say it was clean and quiet. It’s a relaxing place to stay, about 30 minutes from the airport.

The pastries at breakfast were a real highlight, honestly better than some five-star hotels, and the breakfast itself was good. I also liked the resort’s golf course surroundings and beautiful daytime view. The pools are huge, with several to choose from, and the kids had a great time, though part of the children’s pool looked dirty and needs better upkeep. My first stay at Nilai Springs Resort was disappointing in a few ways. I knew it was an old resort, but finding it at night was difficult because the road past the guard house was very dark, with no streetlights or clear signs. The lobby looked nice and possibly refurbished, and check-in went smoothly. I’d booked a Superior room but upgraded to Deluxe for the bathtub. The room was spacious, which gave my child plenty of room to run around. But the hallway was gloomy and dim, and the room itself showed its age: outdated furniture, worn bathroom fixtures, pipes that looked close to breaking, and a dirty bathtub with a drain that wouldn’t turn properly. The lighting in the room was dull, and there was no soundproofing. I could hear other guests talking and opening and closing doors. At night the place felt deserted and eerie, like there weren’t many guests around. In the morning I saw lots of people, mostly foreign visitors, including Chinese and Korean tourists. The dark surroundings at night could be improved with more lighting around the hotel. The rooms need a full refurbishment, and the resort has plenty of potential if the rooms and lighting are properly improved and maintained.

We stayed from midnight until the afternoon because of a Malaysia Airlines delay. Check-in was straightforward, the man at the counter was friendly, and the food was good. The trouble came when we were leaving for the airport. At checkout I told reception we were checking out and confirmed our room number when asked. The staff kept looking confused and staring at us as though we’d done something wrong. I asked several times if there was a problem, but no one answered. Eventually a receptionist directed us to the manager, who was also there. Another woman came over and asked us to confirm the room number again. When I repeatedly asked what was wrong, she eventually said there’d been a mix-up with the airport pickup time. She also asked which staff member had checked us in, when we arrived, and for copies of our passports. The staff could have handled this much more professionally and with better communication. We were about to leave for the airport in a foreign country, and the way they treated us made my wife and me feel as if we’d done something wrong. Even if the hotel had made a mistake, the manager could have dealt with it more courteously. We left the hotel and Malaysia with a very bad impression and don’t want to return.

I booked a room with a king bed but was given a double bed when I arrived. The response to my request to change rooms was very slow, though I tried to be patient. In the replacement room, the TV didn’t work, and after maintenance replaced it, there was no sound. They came in and out several times to try to fix it, with people repeatedly entering the room. I couldn’t rest, and the TV still wasn’t usable until night. A hotel room should be somewhere to relax, but this stay was stressful and inconvenient from start to finish. The room checks and maintenance service were poor, and I was very disappointed. I won’t stay here again. Such a disappointing stay.