SHAH ALAM - Hotel and homestay owners are free to set their own check-in and check-out times according to their business suitability and capabilities.
Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel said that the timing was not governed by any specific hospitality laws but is instead a company policy that customers were expected to adhere to.
"Check-in and check-out times depend on the internal regulations and policies set by each hotel.
"While the usual check-in time is around 2pm, there are instances where hotels need to delay it until 4pm or later due to constraints such as full occupancy or staff shortages.
"When hotels are full, they require more time to clean rooms, leading to delays in the check-in process," he said when contacted on Monday.
Previously, it went viral on social media that some hotels have set check-in times starting at 4pm and check-out times at 11am.
This sparked discussions among netizens, with many feeling it was unfair to customers as the stay duration provided was relatively short.
Some noted that not only hotels but several homestays also adopted similar practices.
To make matters worse, some customers were charged extra for late check-outs, even when the delay was due to waiting for room availability.
Commenting further, Sri Ganesh said that operational issues, particularly staff shortages, were the main reason for delayed check-ins, causing dissatisfaction among customers when their registration was postponed.
"Due to the lack of staff, the room cleaning process takes longer, affecting hotel operations. Hence, hotels adjust their policies to fit the current situation.
"Online sales prices have also become cheaper and the lack of regulation has caused hotel profits to drop. Without profits, how can hotels hire more staff?," he said.