Star Q
ii. Kerabu Ayam
iii. Solok Lada Berkeju
They say the first impression is the most important and most long lasting. And so, when I stayed at new York Hotel, Johor Bharu for the first time early last year, I was really impressed. In fact, It isn't too much if I say that I was flabbergasted and dumbfounded!
The first impression I got from staying there during a four-day course last year was something I will always remember. From the room (single), to the staff (always smiling) and the food (mind-boggling array!), I had high expectations when I was once again called to attend another course there recently.
However, the third time staying there only proved to show that first impressions can indeed be misleading. Instead of the single room I got last year, I got a twin-sharing room. The door was jammed from the outside that even the bellboy had to call the technician to force the door open. When the bellboy suggested to the front desk that we be given a different room, the receptionist on duty repeatedly said there were no other rooms available. But after a long wait, I was finally given a single room to be shared. I slept in a make-shift bed for the three nights I was there.
The staff was not as I expected either. The bellboy and the technician were helpful, but the people at the front desk seemed to be caught up in their own world. Service was not prompt because they apparently took a long time to type whatever it was they were typing and went through the thirty odd sets of room keys they had in their hands, over and over again, without allocating us a room. We were finally told that the rooms were not ready, and that was almost 3.00 p.m. I finally got into that single-but-sharing room at almost 5.00 p.m.
What is it about hotels (or is it just this hotel?) that when you allocate a room to your guests, you take your own sweet time in giving them their rooms when they check-in. But when they check-out, the hotel wants you to check-out promptly at 12.00 p.m. That's a difference of three hours which have been paid for!
But the biggest shock was the food. It was nothing compared to the first time I was in New York Hotel early last year. Not only was there a large variety of dishes to choose from, the waiters and the rest of the staff mingled with the guests to see if any of the food trays were empty; which were then immediately refilled.
This time however, the variety of food was not only less, but the food served did not really match the hotel's name; New York! Some dishes, like the Kerabu Ayam, which appeared to be a hit with the crowd were not even replenished. Others were absolutely tasteless, like the Steamed Dory fillets, which I suspect were bought frozen. And for almost three meals, we were served the same vegetable that was Steamed Kailan.
Either the management of this hotel has been taken over by a group of couldn't-care-less people, or that the staff is so sure that many people will stay at their hotel that they just couldn't care less about the service or food, I really don't know. And I really don't want to know. All I know is, if I have the choice, I wouldn't be staying there anymore in future!
No comments:
Post a Comment