The check-in process was honestly one of the most frustrating experiences I had during my stay in Malaysia.
I was asked to provide a cash deposit of around USD 40–50. I only had USD 30 in cash with me, which had been accepted by other hotels during my trip when they required a deposit. I explained that I was leaving Malaysia after this three-night stay and therefore had no real use for withdrawing additional cash, but the staff was extremely strict about the requirement and showed very little flexibility.
I was told there was an ATM right behind the reception, so I tried three different ATMs. All of them charged around MYR 25–30 in fees, meaning I would have had to pay roughly USD 6-7 simply to withdraw cash that I did not actually need. I therefore asked whether the deposit could instead be handled by card.
The hotel eventually agreed to use my card, but then asked me to fill out a paper form containing my full card number, expiration date and CVV/security code. I was understandably uncomfortable writing all of my card details down on a piece of paper for security reasons. I suggested simply using the card authorization already made on their terminal, but I was told that this was not possible and that I had no choice if I wanted to complete the check-in.
I eventually filled out the form and a roughly USD 50 card authorization was made, allowing me to finally check in.
The apartment itself may be perfectly fine, but the check-in procedure was unnecessarily complicated and stressful. In 2026, asking guests to withdraw significant amounts of cash despite the availability of card payments, and then asking them to write their complete card details including the security code on paper, feels particularly outdated and inconvenient.
Other hotels I stayed at in Malaysia handled deposits much more smoothly, either accepting a smaller cash deposit or using a card authorization. I strongly recommend that this property reconsider its deposit and check-in procedure and make it more flexible and secure for guests.
