Hotel Calmo Chinatown

We ended up changing rooms three times because the doors wouldn't lock. The rooms were small, dirty, and smelly. I paid for a bigger room but was switched to a cheaper one and charged for it. The sheets had brown stains and hair that belonged neither to me nor my daughter. There was dust beside the bed, ants on the table, and the towels smelled. The escalator also stopped halfway while I was on it. When I asked for a refund, they bluntly refused and said they don't do refunds, which wasn't good enough. I'm still waiting for my deposit to be returned. I'm unhappy with both the hotel and service and wouldn't recommend staying here.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the price was quite affordable for the location. At least the air conditioning worked, and they provided a hairdryer and kettle. That's why I gave three stars. You can't expect luxury at that price, though paying the deposit by card means waiting 30 days for it back. The room itself was creepy and run-down, with dirty, crumbling plaster and dark gray walls that made it gloomy. There was no window. The sleeping area was probably no more than five square meters, so once your suitcase was open there was almost nowhere to walk. The locks took several tries to open, the body wash seemed not to have been refilled, and the toilet was only about 20 cm from the wall. At 1.60 m I could barely sit comfortably, so taller people would need to be pretty acrobatic. The entrance behind reception looked decent enough. The hotel also seems aware of its standards: its so-called loyalty program offers 30 Singapore dollars for giving the highest rating in every category and writing a detailed review of more than five words.

The design and general setup were okay, though the place felt a little cramped, as you'd expect from a budget hotel. Check your Agoda booking carefully to see whether it's for day use or an overnight stay. We had to pay extra because of that, and there was no negotiating, which put a bit of a damper on the stay. Be sure you know what you've already paid through the booking. Reception mistakenly asked us to pay again on top of the overnight charge. We said we'd paid by credit card and were repeatedly asked to show the transaction. Once they saw it had been paid, they simply printed the full receipt and gave us the room key, with no apology for the mistake.

The advertised Agoda photos didn't match the rooms, and the promised upgrade from standard to superior was no improvement at all. One room had a rusty tap, an open ceiling, and an unsecured window. Street noise came right in, and the thin blanket seemed like just a quilt cover. The rooms were inconsistent, and some felt spooky. I'd stay away. Our driver followed Google Maps to Trengganu St and dropped us at the back door. There were lots of steps, making luggage a struggle, and even the room wasn't on an even floor. Worse, when we arrived, they said all quad rooms for four had been canceled and gave us two double rooms instead. The receptionist acted as if I should take responsibility and contact customer support myself. That young receptionist seemed badly trained.