Penang Travel Forum

I was invited to attend a wedding in Penang Hydro Majestic Hotel. First impression was ok but hygiene standards seemed poor. There was actually a rat running around the ballroom in the middle of the dinner reception. The service crew were running around trying to catch it but failed and then the same people were serving us food. The even joked that they can make rat soup if caught. I also had birds on my breakfast table and ***ted when I left to take food. I checked out the next day immediately and booked another hotel after speaking with the GM. He mentioned that "TOO BAD, IT HAPPENS". His attitude was attrocious and failed to realise the HEALTH ISSUES associated with rats. I am so disgusted.

Can anyone tell me what can I do? I feel the hotel should not be in business anymore or at least for now until their pest issue can be solved. Is there any health ministry or tourism ministry that can help here to ensure health standards are meet? There must be a nest and not one single rat issue.

I really wonder how it gets the 4star rating?

Please help if anyone have info as to what I can do next?

If there is a Government Tourism Agency in Penang, then you should write to them and tell them of your concerns. Meanwhile, write your complaint as a tip on your travel pages, then at least it has the capacity to reach over one million VTers who in turn will spread the word advising people never to stay there.

You can lodge a complain with the Ministry of Health, but I really doubt much if anything will be done.

Just to add, you can try the local English newpapers and they usually have a complaints section, the Malay Mail and the Star newspaper tend to be quite effective on unscrupulous business operators. I suggest you try the Malay Mail.

Thanks. I did write to the editor of the SUN. I hope they will do something. At least make known to the public. But I doubt they will do much. Cos I believe in Malaysia, things work "differently". For me, I just wnat people not to patronise them. Never know when you will get sick if staying there.

I am sorry you were so shocked, but this hotel was just unlucky that the rat was seen, as I believe that is nearly impossible that any hotel anywhere in the world could stop a rat entering if it wanted to as rats can fit through a half inch gap.climb up vertical pipes and walls inside and outside buildings. Certainly proofing and good hygiene can make things more difficult for the rat, but even a window open is a good entry point and how can all the windows of a hotel be closed at all times. I dont know the area this hotel is in but I bet there are plenty of rats in the vicinity.
regards
Mike

Hey Mike,

This is a very irresponisible way to look at the situation. Regardless, if there were good and proper hygiene and health standards, the rats would not have been there to begin with. It is because of poor management which resulted in having the rats running in their premises. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LUCK.

One don't have to be educated as to how and what RATS are attracted to and why RATS choose their breeding grounds/colonies.

True, even for a 4 star hotel, I was shocked when the general manager unprofessionally brushed the complain aside. But rats running around in a 4 star hotel is quite unacceptable.

Thanks for sharing my views. I have had written to the Health Ministry, Hotel Association and also the Tourism Board via their respective websites. To date, no one has got back to me. Perhaps all the bureaucratic bull is what is preventing any proper actions being done. I had also written to the SUN and the editor replied that their team in Penang will investigate but also no news therafter. MONEY can perhaps do wonders????

Anyhow, not much I can do to and I personally will aviod the HYDRO chain from now on and discourage people from using them too.

UNPROFESSIONAL AND RATSY.

I read the Sun yesterday and saw an article about rats running around a hotel during a banquet. The editor must have taken the hotel to task but unfortunately they did not include the hotel's name. Chanklee, you should get hold of 7th August the Sun if you haven't read it already.

cheers