Rat-infested Geylang hotel gives tourists rodent trap
A couple of tourists described their recent stay at a Geylang hotel as a horrifying ordeal.
According to them, the rooms were mouldy and had a rat infestation.
Mr Yan, a 24-year-old IT professional from China, told Shin Min Daily News that he and his Malaysian friend had booked a stay at the hotel for July 19.
They were travelling in Malaysia when they decided to extend their trip to Singapore.
Since it was a Friday, most hotels charging between $100 and $300 were fully booked.
They finally found a hotel at Sims Avenue and booked a room for three nights at $330.
"We arrived at the hotel at around 7pm and immediately noticed a strong musty smell," he said.
"After complaining, they gave us another room."
However, their ordeal was far from over.
The duo went out and returned to their new room at about 11pm.
Mr Yan said there was still a musty smell and he heard some strange noises
Initially, he thought the sounds were coming from the street outside but he then spotted at least three rats scurrying around the room.
The rodents reportedly even climbed onto a dressing table and gnawed on coffee packets.
He shared a photo showing how the hotel provided traps for him and his friend to catch the rats themselves.
"We were so scared, we didn't sleep until morning," said Mr Yan.
They then asked to change rooms again and left the hotel to explore Singapore before returning only to find yet another room with similar conditions.
They were so furious, they called the police.
The police confirmed a report was lodged.
"When we asked to change rooms again, the hotel staff claimed they had already 'upgraded' our room three times and asked us why we were still dissatisfied," he said.
Frustrated with the hotel's response, Mr Yan and his friend decided to check out and spent the rest of the night wandering around Bugis and Marina Bay Sands until the early hours of July 21.
Fortunately, they managed to find another hotel that allowed them to check in early.
When reporters visited the establishment on Aug 3, a front desk staff member called the owner who claimed to be busy and could not meet in person.
The staff member added that the hotel had just opened and was still undergoing renovations, which could explain the presence of rats.
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