A man’s frustration with local hotel operators has struck a chord with many Malaysians online after he urged the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) to address the increasingly common practice of arbitrary check-in and check-out times by hotels in the country.

The man, Hakim H, voiced his concerns on his X (formerly Twitter) account @netnetwok, complaining that check-in times are often delayed while check-out times are pushed earlier by Malaysian hotel operators.

Malaysian hotel operators criticized for unfair check-in and check-out policies

In his post, Hakim H called on stakeholders to take action if they want Malaysians to support local tourism, insisting that MOTAC must step in to address these unfair policies.

"Check-ins at 4pm and check-outs at 11am are absurd. Should we boycott hotels that enforce this policy?" he asked.

As of now, his post has received over 369,000 views and more than 2,300 likes, with many Malaysians echoing his concerns in the replies.

Calls to boycott hotels grow among Malaysians

One commenter criticized hotel operators for giving weak excuses, such as housekeeping needing more time to clean rooms, to justify these practices.

Another commenter agreed that boycotting such hotels is necessary, pointing out that the increasingly delayed check-ins and early check-outs make stays less worthwhile.

Several others suggested that check-in and check-out times be standardized across the country to 2pm and 12pm, respectively. One user even proposed compiling a list of hotels with delayed check-ins and expedited check-outs, making it easier for Malaysians to avoid them.