Unpleasant Experience at Hilton Kuala Lumpur and Disappointing Response from Hilton’s Corporate Customer Service

Unprepared Room and Unacceptable Waiting Time

 

I stayed at Hilton Kuala Lumpur from December 22 to December 24, 2024, in a twin executive room booked for three people with an extra bed requested. We arrived shortly after 3 PM, the designated check-in time. At the check-in counter, I inquired whether the extra bed I had requested in advance was ready. The staff assured me it was but informed me that the room itself was not fully prepared. We were directed to wait in the lounge, where the room key would be delivered to us.

After waiting for over an hour, my family, already exhausted from a long flight, repeatedly asked the lounge staff if the room key had been delivered, only to receive the same response: “Not yet.” Eventually, my husband and I had to go back to the check-in counter ourselves to collect the key.

 

Serious Privacy Breach

 

Despite the prolonged delay, the extra bed was still not ready when we entered the room. Too tired to raise the issue immediately, I sent a message via the Hilton app requesting the bed to be set up after 8 PM. However, the hotel failed to honor this request despite having ample time to prepare, and no apology was offered for the inconvenience.

 

While my family went out, I decided to stay back and rest. Exhausted, I ran a bath to relax. While soaking in the tub, I heard noises outside the room. At first, I dismissed the possibility of it being staff since I had explicitly requested service after 8 PM. I was completely nude and terrified at the thought of someone opening the bathroom door. I repeatedly asked who was there, but only faint murmurs and unintelligible voices responded. Still believing it couldn’t possibly be a staff member, I nervously approached the frosted glass bathroom door and slightly opened it to check. To my shock, I discovered a male hotel staff member in the room. Later, I confirmed that my silhouette was clearly visible through the frosted glass, leaving me deeply humiliated. This was a severe breach of my privacy. I immediately sent a message via the Hilton app explaining the incident and reiterating my request for no staff to enter the room before 8 PM.

 

 

 

However, after the male staff member left, a female staff member entered the room shortly after. I was still in the bathtub, shaken and horrified. I shouted at her to leave and sent another urgent message to the hotel, requesting that no staff enter my room without permission.

 

 

 

With such loud water sounds coming from the bathroom, why did the staff member remain in the room? Despite my shouting, he didn’t leave until I finally approached the door. When I slightly opened it, I saw him touching the bed. However, the hotel attempted to justify ignoring my explicit service instructions by claiming he was restocking hand wash. This was simply unbelievable.

 

 

 

 

Failure to Protect Guest Privacy and Safety

 

The hotel later explained that the first staff member entered the room at 4:35 PM to restock hand wash and that the second staff member entered at 4:50 PM to deliver the extra bed. If the first staff member truly intended only to restock hand wash, he should have left immediately upon hearing the sound of a guest bathing. His prolonged stay in the room is suspicious, and his actions left me feeling unsafe. Furthermore, there was no shortage of hand wash in the room to begin with.

As for the second staff member, her visit should not have occurred at all. After the first intrusion, the hotel should have ensured no additional staff entered my room.

 

 

The executive room had a shower with no drainage and a leaking toilet.

 

Inappropriate Advice to Use the “Do Not Disturb” (DND) Sign

The hotel advised me to use the “Do Not Disturb” (DND) sign following my complaint. This response was dismissive and failed to acknowledge the severity of the situation. I had only been in the room for less than an hour when the incident occurred—a time when room services are typically not carried out. Additionally, I had explicitly requested service after 8 PM and reiterated this after the first intrusion. Blaming me for not using the DND sign is completely irrelevant and shifts the responsibility away from the hotel.

 

Other Disappointing Experiences

As a loyal Hilton customer with consistently excellent stays at locations like Copenhagen, Seoul, Sydney, and Bali, I was deeply disappointed by my stay at Hilton Kuala Lumpur. To add to my frustration, I had a flawless 5-night stay at Hilton Singapore immediately after leaving Kuala Lumpur.

Furthermore, the lounge bar staff displayed unprofessional and rude behavior. One female staff member slammed a glass of orange juice on the table, spilling its contents, without offering any apology or assistance. On another occasion, she seemed reluctant to clear our table despite the lounge being relatively empty. Even though lounge hours were not over, I was told I couldn’t order beer without any explanation about the last order time. Overall, the lounge service was unwelcoming and unprofessional, making even simple drink orders uncomfortable.

 

Disappointing Response from Hilton’s Corporate Customer Service

I escalated my concerns to Hilton’s corporate customer service, only to receive a formal, dismissive response that failed to address the gravity of the situation. Instead of taking accountability and providing an appropriate resolution, the response merely deflected responsibility.

 

 

 

 

They mentioned knocking and ringing the bell prior to entry, but there is no explanation or action addressing why the male staff member stayed in the room for such a prolonged time or why a second staff member visited afterward. At Hilton Kuala Lumpur, the DND button is located in an obscure spot that is difficult to find. This is why I specifically requested service after 8 PM to ensure my privacy. If the bell cannot be heard, does this mean that my privacy, even while being naked, is entirely exposed to Hilton staff?

 

 

My experience at Hilton Kuala Lumpur fell far below the standards I’ve come to expect from the Hilton brand. I hope that sharing this experience will urge Hilton to improve their service and ensure that other guests do not encounter similar issues.