S'pore family in JB hotel uses hanger to keep faulty room door closed but can't sleep well out of fear

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The New Paper April 10, 2023

A Singapore family had to sleep with one eye open while vacationing in Johor last weekend, after they realised their hotel room door couldn't be locked. 

Lawrens Tan, 44, along with his wife, daughter and domestic helper, drove across the Causeway on Thursday (April 6) and stayed at the popular KSL Hotel & Resort, located in the heart of the city centre.

After enduring a five-hour traffic jam, the family managed to check in only at 10pm. 

Speaking to AsiaOne, Tan said he was shocked to find that he could open his hotel room door simply by turning the knob – instead of having to use the key card.


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He immediately raised the issue to hotel staff, but no one came to fix the faulty door lock.

Tan then decided to wing it, using clothes hangers to “lock” the door, and even leaned an ironing board against it – something, he said, he learnt from social media.

"[My wife and I] didn't sleep well due to the fear for our safety," he said. "After breakfast the next day, we highlighted the issue again and the hotel took action."

"The lock was fixed in a few minutes, but I would think twice about staying in this hotel again."

On Sunday, he posted a TikTok video about his stay at the 4-star hotel.

View post on TikTok

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