'Hotel staff were insensitive when they let female guests find their own room at 2am'

The case of a female tourist who transferred the full amount to book a hotel room in Hanoi for 3 days through an app, but was not allowed to check in because she checked in late, is still causing outrage in travel forums.

'Insensitive hotel staff'

"The hotel staff were insensitive and irresponsible, especially the fact that the female guest had to find a room by herself at 2am without any assistance. This also shows that the hotel's service and the reception staff's professionalism are still unprofessional," said Ms. Vu Minh Diep (HCMC) - a tourist who has visited 31 countries, expressing her opinion about the incident at the Royal Hotel (address: 19 Hang Chao, O Cho Dua Ward, Hanoi ).

Many netizens also share this opinion.

Previously, female tourist NYQ (living in Ho Chi Minh City) shared that she booked a room at Royal Hotel for 3 days (November 7-8-9) via the app, paid 100% in advance but was not allowed to check in because she checked in late.

Despite providing proof of payment, the hotel still did not support her. The female tourist was forced to leave the hotel at 2am on November 9.

Most internet users believe that if a guest does not arrive at the scheduled check-in time, the hotel should proactively contact them to find out the reason. Even if the rooms are fully booked for "special" reasons, the staff can still help find a room for the guest and find a reasonable solution instead of letting the guest leave at 2am.

"The female tourist flew at night and must have been very tired. Refusing to let the guest leave the hotel at 2am is unacceptable. The staff was not only unprofessional but also insensitive and irresponsible," commented TL on a forum.

Representatives of some hotels shared on VietNamNet that for customers who have paid 100% of the booking fee, the hotel must keep the room for the customer until the end of the booking time, even if the customer checks in late.

Flexibility creates sympathy in the eyes of tourists

Ms. Vu Minh Diep said that she often books rooms through online applications when traveling . She finds this form quick and has many price incentives. However, she also encountered problems when booking rooms through the linked application.

Ms. Diep often books rooms online when traveling. Photo: NVCC

During the trip to Maafushi Island, Maldives, although she had booked a room in advance, when Ms. Diep arrived, the accommodation suddenly announced that there were no rooms available. Luckily, the staff there were very polite and kind, took her family to a similar hotel and also "compensated" the guests by giving them a free flycam photo session.

This way of handling the incident made Ms. Diep not feel uncomfortable with the incident, and even had a good impression of the staff and the accommodation area.

Mr. Doan Truong (HCMC) has been to 73 countries around the world . He said that having to check in to a hotel late is not uncommon due to many incidents such as flight delays, bad weather...

"From personal experience, I have found that most hotels in Asia are often flexible in supporting cases where guests check in late but have already paid a deposit or the entire room fee. However, many European hotels have very clear regulations on check-in time and enforce it very strictly," he said.

In 2015, during a business trip combined with a trip to France, Mr. Truong asked a friend to help him book a hotel room in Paris and paid a deposit for 3 nights. 2:00 PM was the regular check-in time, but because his work finished late, he didn't arrive at the hotel until 10:00 PM.

The staff firmly refused to let him check in, making the male tourist extremely worried.

"In Europe, it is very difficult to find a hotel without a reservation. In 2015, online booking applications were not popular. I did not know where to go in the middle of the night, in this strange city. A nearby tourist advised me to go to the local police for help," he said.

Mr. Truong on his trip in 2015. Photo: NVCC

Having no other choice, Mr. Truong followed the above advice. He went to the police station, gave them his reservation and payment information. The police took him back to the hotel and talked to the manager.

The police said that if the guests had already paid a deposit, the hotel would still have to support them and ensure their rights even if they arrived late. Immediately, Mr. Truong was arranged a room to rest.

"In case of need, tourists should not hesitate to ask for assistance from the authorities. In the case of female tourist Q., she can absolutely ask the authorities to intervene to ensure her legitimate rights," the male tourist shared.

A series of 'Royal' hotels in Hanoi cry out: 'We are not involved' Many hotels named "Royal" in Hanoi are receiving a series of 1-star reviews, along with negative comments, criticizing the "refusal to receive guests at 2am". But in reality, these hotels are not related to the incident.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nhan-vien-khach-san-vo-cam-khi-de-khach-nu-tu-di-tim-phong-luc-2h-2461862.html