Story 1 - Malacca Hotel - The Hotel Room Downgrade

The hotel I stayed at is no longer in operation. I think it was shut down during the covid pandemic period. Also good lah, because I think by the time the lockdown was lifted and people start to stay again, they have to fight for space with the resident ghosts.
 
I went there for work and stayed in the hotel alone. My needs are simple - I just need a place to sleep. Morning, I go out makan, I go for meetings, I come back at night, shower and sleep. This makes the chambermaid's life very easy. Nothing much to clean. Even the instant coffee packets, tooth brush, soap and shampoo, all I don’t touch.
 
When I arrived at the hotel, I had a bit of a booking issue. The hotel could not find my records to check me in. As the booking was done through the client’s company and it was the weekend so the admin department could not be contacted for verification, the contact person suggested that I got another room for the time being and he would file for reimbursement.
 
There were a couple of big festivals happening at the same time in Malacca so the hotel was fully booked. Same for other hotels around the area. So I “puay” with the hotel staff - begged them - to help get me a room. I didn't mind taking a downgrade.
 
After a bit of chatter and “let me ask so-and-so”, the manager finally got back to me and said they have a suite for me. Wow, I thought that was a massive upgrade. He told me to come back in an hours’ time as they would need some time to prep the room.
 
I went to makan first and came back in an hour. The first thing I noticed when I stepped into the room was that it smelled musky. The type of old room that hadn’t been cleaned or used in a while. But it was huge, with a walk-in wardrobe. There was an area for sleeping and another for watching television.
 
But I didn’t care for that because I wouldn't be in the room for long anyway. I left everything as they were, changed into a new set of clothes and left the room.
 
When I came back that night, my room was a total mess. It was as if an 80s rock band had a party. Contents from my luggage were strewn all around the place. The drinking glass by the kettle had shattered.

I went down to the front desk and demanded an explanation, politely. The manager I met in the afternoon was still on duty.
 
“Sir, I’m so sorry for your experience,” he said calmly and with a tinge of regret. “We really don’t have any other rooms available. You said you didn’t mind a…. Downgrade”.
 
I stood there to process the exchange. He looked at me. I looked at him. And then it dawned on me what he meant.
“A downgrade you say?”
“Yes sir, a downgrade,” he said, nodding slowly with a polite smile. I went back up to my room.
I spoke out loud to whoever was in the room: “I’m sorry for taking your place. I will be here two more nights and then I’m gone. Thank you for sharing your room.”
The toilet door slammed shut in response.
“Fuck lah, I don’t have a choice you think I want to stay here? Fuck. I also got played out ok? You and I both. Like it or not, suck it up. You have me for the next two days.”
 
I opened the toilet door and went to shower. In my mind, I was too pissed to care. I think short of the hantu appearing in front of me, I can deal with any petty poltergeist activities.
 
I went to bed and knocked out. That night I had a very brief dream. In my dream, or shallow sleep, I can’t be sure, I saw a woman in a traditional red wedding gown standing by the foot of the bed. Her face was covered by the red silk handkerchief. I felt anger and sadness from her.
 
When I woke the next morning, I left the mess just as it was. I didn’t bother cleaning up; I didn’t want to give the ghost the satisfaction of throwing a tantrum again.
 
For the next two days, there were no further activities. The dream of the woman in the red traditional wedding dress still persisted briefly before I fell into deep sleep. But otherwise nothing new.
 
Before I left, I asked for the hotel manager again and thankfully he was on duty. I thanked him for the room nonetheless and assured him my stay was pleasant and I wasn’t going to leave a negative review. I asked him if he knew the background of the woman in a red wedding gown but he looked at me puzzled as if he didn’t understand what I was asking. I decided not to pursue it and left the place.