Holiday Inn Melaka by IHG — Hotel in Malacca

I arrived on a Sunday afternoon and it was hectic. I had advised I would be early but my room was not ready and I can understand and was not too bothered. I went to the restaurant on level 2 but it was also very busy and no staff came near me so went back down stairs to the lobby bar. No food available here so got a coffee and the lady was excellent asked if i like strong etc.

Sat and enjoyed this for 45 minutes then went to check in and room still not ready. I asked to leave may bag and went for a walk.

On return got my room key and was on level 19 at first I was dissapointed i did not have ocean view but when entering the room I was very happy It was a suite with seperate bedroom and actual dining table I could use.The city views were great especially at night.

Now for the meals, first up was in Sirocco on lobby level. Was not sure if open as nobody there and walked back to the lobby bar, The staff here were working the restaurant as well and why they did not come to me first watching me entering restaurant is not exactly good service as they let me walk past them (and they were not busy) to get to the restaurant and back. Any way sat down and ordered my dinner. Garlic bread and lamb rack. I asked several times for there to be no blood from the meat.

A serve of complimentry bread arrived - if i knew this I would have ordered a different starter as 2 servings of bread is over the top. But was enjoyable. The lamb arrived and was not a rack but cutlets. They were small but really nice (and no blood) and would order again. Had a beer then a glass of red with meal which I dont normally do and the waiter was very helpfull and made a good choice.

Sadly this is where the service stopped. A couple with child arrived and I was never spoken to again I sat there for 15-20 minutes with dirty plates and no drink. I had to call staff over despite 2 of them walking past multiple times. This was just so bad.

I was not offered another drink, desert or even asked how the meal was. This was very dissapointing asked to sign bill and I had to follow staff to lobby bar. In every other hotel they would bring to the table.

Breakfast - was a buffet and I went down and was busy and to me disorganised. I had to find my on seat but no advise if there was coffee service where things were the halal section or if there was an egg station. The food was sperad around the entire outside wall of the room and just strange to me.

It did not look enticing and there was no staff assistance or support despite what i now know where staff standing around.So I left and went without.

Second night dinner, level 2 where the buffet is had. This restaurant is halal so no alcohol also there were no other guests. Ordered a soup for starter and satay for main. The satay arrived first which was a shock then within a minute the soup arrived. Then I had a desision to make which will i let go cold. Just frustrating the bad service. Both meals were great and would have again. BUT yet again I sat there with dirty plates for at least 10 minutes while staff walked back and forward. Again no opportunity for another soft drink a coffee or desert, never asked how the meal was.

Very bad!

Went down to the lobby shop to get icecream as i did the previous night as teh restaurant wasnt going to serve me but was closed so decided to have a beer. Sat down, yet again there was only a few custmers sitting at the bar and I had to chase staff to get served. I was left sitting. I had enough and it was obvious they did not want me in the bar (or the hotel it seems) Staff standing there on mobile phone while guests willing to spend money ignored.

When come to paying again I had to walk up to bar but was not good enough for staff where I stood they could not walk 1 meter to bring the bill to me I had to walk around to the other side where the register was. Signed and I left.

The staff are either extremely lazy or just not trained properly.

This hotel could have increased my cash expenditure buy probably 50% with 2 nights at meals coffee desert and drinks with no extra outlays for hotel. Just imagine the extra revenue if this was applied to only 50% of guests.

Over all the hotel was good food, all staff were nice but just not with it. The gym was pretty good for a hotel. The pool looked good and people enjoying it.

I chose this hotel becuse of my loyalty with IHG I had enough points with another chain but paid cash for this visit- Did I make the...

Been patronizing Holiday Inn Melaka ever since we started vising this place for more than 10 years ago with my family but felt that the stay this time round was the most disappointing!

Stay period: 28th April-1st May

Checked in:

Had to make a late check in on the 28th April due to the weather & traffic in the evening around 7.30pm. After travelling on the road for more than 5-6 hours, all we had wished for was a smooth check-in process but the entire process was delayed for more than 30 mins & my poor elderly parents were awaiting with me as well. Was served by staff name, Amlia (Pardon me if i was wrong as i was too tired to even remember the name on that day).

Upon reaching the counter, the staff that attended to me did not acknowledged my member status when checking in.

I had informed that i had called the hotel Prior 2 days ago to confirm my reservations as I noted that my reservations had seemly be different from what i've booked back in Feb 23.

(Booked a 1 queen 1 single bed but given 2 single bed under the reminder email from hotel).

Staff then procced to called her colleague & that process took a while. Have to explain to her that I've made the same booking back in Dec and was given the 17th floor room & lounge excess. Staff seem very flustered & could feel that she is almost running of patience with us even though she apologized for the delay.

The whole process took 30mins and my elderly parents were already frustrated as they had expected a smooth check in and we were looking forward to take a rest quickly.

And i had also place my ultimate trust with the hotel as i've expected a quick check in ( as our last stay was only back in Jan 23 with no issues) and it's been a long while since we've experience such medicore service from the front desk check in. We preferred the previous batch of front desk staff as they were more friendly.

(There were also other detail that she did not mention to us & i will elaborate in the next few points below)

Room 1703:

Was given this room as we have stayed in the room back in Dec 22. The room is very big & comfy. However:

The safebox was not working. We could not store personal items that we could have left in the hotel.

The showerhead holder (not the one at the bath tub) had already spoilt. The holder was rusty and every bath time was a battle with the showerhead and the holder as the holder is unable to hold the showerhead well.

The TV channels were blurry. Most of the channels were working (but could not see properly), at all.

30th April 2023:

Head down to the club lounge for breakfast at around 7ish in the morning but food that was placed in the club lounge is COLD. it was 1 of the worst meal that we had in the club lounge for the very first time since we visited the hotel. the only items that were bearable were the hot coffee and the scrambled eggs that we ordered. The rest of the food was ALL cold. My mother even feedback to the staff that attended to us (am not sure if this was conveyed to the hotel kitchen team).

1st May 2023:

Usually on the day that we checked out, we would head to the 2nd floor (the general dinning area) for breakfast as we would check out early in the morning to head home.

Previously, we were told that they will start serving breakfast at 6am. However, when we head down at 6am, they told us that it had changed to 6.30am instead. Which brings me back to the same day that i had checked in and the staff did not inform us at all. Previously, when we check into the hotel, the front desk staff would inform us BOTH the club lounge & 2nd level dinning breakfast timing despite us holding access to the club lounge.

Overall, the stay this time round was very disappointing as a customer whom have been patronizing the hotel for many years. We felt that the service standard was not as top notch as before. We are not fussy customers but we would sincerely appreciate if the hotel could look into improving their rooms and also the service standard for their staff....

As you can see from my profile, I am a very frequent traveller and staying in hotel has been part and parcel of my life. Unfortunately, this stay ranks among the worst I’ve had for a 5 stars hotel.

Room: Let’s start with the room. While the hotel itself is clearly showing its age, I have to acknowledge that the room was clean. The TV offered plenty of channels, and the Wi-Fi was excellent—no password required, which was a nice touch. The in-room tea selection was a pleasant surprise, and it was nice to have amenities like a toothbrush provided. However, the phone in the room didn’t work, and the handrail on the bathtub was dangerously wobbly—definitely in need of replacement.

Breakfast and Lunch Buffet: The dining experience was nothing to write home about. I’d rate it a 5/10, at best. Breakfast was shockingly subpar for a supposed 5-star hotel. The selection was minimal, and what was available wasn’t particularly appetizing. The restaurant itself was far too small to accommodate the number of guests—a disappointing experience overall.

Parking: On a positive note, parking was easy, with plenty of spots available.

Pool: The infinity pool overlooking the Straits of Melaka was a highlight, with a nice size and a separate children’s pool. It’s one of the few redeeming features of the hotel.

Now, the Experience: This is where things really went downhill. The front desk staff was friendly, but something was clearly off when I checked in around 5 PM. I was handed a key card holder. I remember the front desk told me is 714. But when I arrived at 714, the door was ajar, held open by the security latch. Only then I noticed there was a 712 on my key card holder. Thinking I had the wrong room, I tried 712, and the key card worked. Naturally, I assumed 712 was the correct room.

After settling in, I went out for dinner. When I returned and prepare to sleep between 9:30 and 10 PM, something unsettling happened. Suddenly, our door was opened—thankfully, the security latch was on—by two Chinese tourists who had a key card that worked for our room. They were just as confused as I was, and it startled my wife and toddler. They asked why we were in their room, to which I explained that I had checked in earlier.

Despite the obvious confusion, they insisted I go to the front desk to sort it out, which was ridiculous. I stepped out to find that both my key cards had been deactivated. The bellboy arrived just in time and called the front desk. The same person who checked me in came up and reassigned the other guests to a different room.

(The picture that shows key card holder has 2 numbers. But it was corrected before I managed to take picture after the incident. So I scratch the blanco out so you can see it has 714 and 712 on the key card.)

The next morning, I asked for a late checkout while attending a seminar in the hotel. The front desk manager kindly extended our stay until 1 PM. However, between 11 and 11:15 AM, while my wife was in the shower, there was a knock on the door. It was the cleaner, asking what time we planned to check out. This was completely inappropriate—no cleaner in a 5-star hotel should be going door-to-door asking guests about their checkout time.

Will I Ever Return? Absolutely not. My experience at Holiday Inn Melaka was a major disappointment, and I won’t be...