Setting hotel check-in/out times no rocket science

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing recently pointed out to local hoteliers that it is common internationally for hotel check-in time to be at 2pm and check-out time at noon, or latest by 1pm.

Later, there were reports that the minister told hotel operators to provide 23-hour stay.

Unsurprisingly, the proposal was enthusiastically welcomed by the public but caused consternation among hoteliers.

That being the case, it is time to relook in totality what is considered a day, and how services are charged or paid by time. 

For example, a 9-to-5 job is not eight hours as commonly assumed but seven, if one hour is deducted for the lunch break.

For hiring a limousine taxi or chartering a tour bus, the daily rate is normally based on 10 hours, although 12 hours is fairer and induces customers to hire for the day instead of hourly basis.

For self-drive vehicles, a day's rental is for 24 hours. If returned later than that, an hourly rate based on 10% of the day's rental would apply, not one twenty-fourth. 

This is because customers are not expected to drive the car non-stop but may keep it for 24 hours.

As for hotels, some offer day use ranging from two hours at a minimal rate and increasingly higher for longer hours. Hence, hoteliers should be adept at charging fair rates according to the length of time the rooms are kept by guests.

It would be wise for hoteliers in Malaysia to standardise check-in time after 3pm and check-out time before noon, and set base rates for different categories of guest rooms. 

However, hotels should also be allowed to alter check-in and check-out times when necessary. 

If check-in time is changed to later or check-out time earlier, the room rate should be lower than the base rate, commensurate with the shorter hours the guest has access to the room.

Should guests wish to occupy the room earlier than the standardised check-in time or later than the normal check-out time, they should be granted if they pay the hourly rate and the room is available.

Likewise, if rooms are not ready and guests are made to wait, they should be compensated at the same hourly rate. 

So, instead of making a hue and cry over the minister's proposal, it would be better to offer rates that are fairer to customers, which is no rocket science.

On this score, Malaysian hotel room rates are still among the lowest in the Southeast Asian region even after an industry-wide price hike in March.

On another matter, hoteliers have objected to unlicensed short-term rental accommodation (STRA) for many years but to no avail, except in Penang where it is controlled. 

This reminds me of taxi drivers protesting from 2015 to 2019 against e-hailing services using private vehicles that have ferried away most of their passengers. For many decades, they have also complained about steep rental rates charged by taxi companies. 

Each time, a few protesters would gather for a photo op and get reported in the media, whereas the number of taxi drivers quietly switching to e-hailing was much larger as they could do so without having to obtain or rent a permit as required for taxis.

Similarly, established hotels could also build and/or operate medium-cost apartments for STRA  near or next to their properties using a subsidiary, just as many newer luxury hotels are also operating luxury residences in the same or adjacent block.

Those who had quietly done so adopted the proverb: "If you can't beat them, join them." 

In any case, all businesses must embrace rapid changes that are taking place to overcome the shortage of manpower and to fast-track the use of self-check-in and artificial intelligence.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.