When you pay almost RM700 for a hotel room, you naturally expect a certain level of quality and cleanliness. Unfortunately, Bidong View fell far below that expectation.
The biggest issue was cleanliness. There were four or five spiders in the corners of my bathroom, and the bathroom itself did not appear to have been properly cleaned. The floor was sticky when we checked in. The curtains were dirty and dusty, the pillow smelled unpleasant and had a yellowish cover, and the balcony had an old rusty rack for hanging clothes.
The room itself was also very basic for the price. There was no proper wardrobe, just a few cheap plastic hangers. The bed was okay but small, and some of the furnishings looked inexpensive and poorly maintained. If I had paid RM200–300 for this room, I might have adjusted my expectations accordingly. At almost RM700, however, the condition was simply unacceptable.
What bothered me even more was the pricing. After checking in, I spoke with the front desk and learned that local walk-in guests were apparently being offered rooms for around RM200–300, including rooms with better views. I understand that hotels may have different room categories and rates, but the huge difference between what I paid online and the rates being offered directly made me feel seriously misled.
I booked through Trip.com partly because I expected some protection against this kind of situation. I lodged an official complaint and also raised the issue of their lowest-price guarantee. However, I was told that because the hotel used a different room name for the cheaper local offer, Trip.com could not match the room types and therefore would not refund the difference.
Overall, I cannot recommend this hotel at the price I paid. The cleanliness and room quality were nowhere near what I would expect from an almost RM700 stay, and the pricing situation left an especially bad impression.
I have attached photos showing the condition of the room and bathroom so other travelers can judge for themselves. Based on my experience, I would strongly recommend checking the hotel’s direct rate and recent guest photos before booking.
