The smell of pee (allegedly) at the head side of my bed—that was what greeted me at the early hours (pun intended) of my birthday morning. It smelled distinctly like children’s urine. I never thought that would be how I’d wake up on such a meaningful day. Then again, maybe I should’ve known, judging from how the stay began.
Finding the parking area was confusing from the start. The hotel was attached to a complex that seemed to include a mall, two hotels, and a residence, all in one building. We eventually found out that hotel guests were supposed to park on the 7th and 8th floors—unless they wanted to pay extra to park on the 3rd.
When we got out of the parking lot and went to check in, the lobby looked fine at first glance but felt very bare. There was nothing that really gave it character or warmth. Once we got our keys and headed upstairs, the hope for something better lingered—until we began noticing the details.
The room itself was plain and uninspired, just a simple space that felt more like a place to sleep than a place to stay. The balcony view was shared with residents and other hotel guests, which was odd because it made the entire area feel more like a serviced apartment than an actual hotel. We didn’t research deeply before booking since it was a spontaneous trip, and we assumed Swiss Garden would be reputable enough to offer a comfortable experience.
Unfortunately, even the basics didn’t quite hold up. The bathroom wasn’t well maintained—the sink drained slowly, black mold had started forming along the silicone edges, and the glass and metal fittings were covered in water marks and stains. The toiletries looked generic and unbranded, with the shower gels feeling more like diluted glycerin.
An odd moment happened during check-in as well. While the housekeeping team was still cleaning nearby rooms, we found that a staff member’s room key card had been left in our electrical power slot. It was unsettling to think that anyone with that card could’ve entered the room unnoticed. I handed the card back to the staff later, but he seemed unaware or unconcerned that it had been left there. While I can’t say for certain whether it was accidental, it raised red flags about guest safety. Adding to that concern, the hotel’s Wi-Fi had no password at all, which made me uneasy about cybersecurity.
Now, onto the worst part of our stay—the bed.
We didn’t really test it until bedtime since we had been out exploring Jonker Street (which, by the way, required Grab rides both ways because it wasn’t within walking distance). When I finally lay down around 11 p.m., I noticed a faint, odd smell. I brushed it off, thinking it was just the old bed frame or headboard. My scalp started itching like crazy, but I was too tired to think much about it. I sprayed some isopropyl alcohol on my pillow and scalp and fell asleep right away.
At around 5 a.m., I woke up feeling off. I occasionally wake up at specific times for no apparent reason—once around 3 a.m. and sometimes around 5 or 6—but this time felt different. Something didn’t feel right. I caught another whiff of that smell and instinctively leaned down to sniff the pillow.
And there it was—the unmistakable sharp, sour stench of pee (alledgedly). It burned my nostrils. I wasn’t imagining it. I quickly checked the other pillow—it smelled the same. My partner’s pillow, however, smelled clean, just like detergent. That confirmed it. I wasn’t losing it.
I woke my partner and asked him to turn on the lights (which were oddly only on one side of the bed). We checked the pillows—no visible stains, but the smell was undeniable. I looked at the clock: 5:55 a.m. What a strange number to see at that moment. I tossed both pillows onto the day bed and tried using his pillow instead—but the smell was still there.
That’s when I realized the odor was coming from the mattress itself. It was strongest near the head area, suggesting that someone might’ve urinated there before. It had likely seeped through the pillows and into the mattress, leaving no visible trace but plenty of smell. Without my UV jade inspection torchlight, I couldn’t confirm it, but I was fairly certain that it is a stench coming from the pillows and that particular part of the bed.
By then, even my partner—whose nose is far less sensitive than mine—mentioned that he could smell it too. No wonder my scalp had been itching all night.
We packed up and decided to check out early, around 8 a.m. I informed the front desk about the odor and suggested they inspect the room themselves. The receptionist didn’t seem surprised or apologetic. She just processed our check-out and said nothing more. There was no follow-up, no apology, no gesture to make things right.
I did post about it briefly on my Instagram story, but no one from the hotel reached out. Later, I checked their reviews and noticed that they rarely respond to negative feedback online either. It’s disheartening because I genuinely wanted to enjoy the stay. The hotel’s reputation had given me certain expectations, but everything—from maintenance to service—just fell flat.
After this experience, I don’t think I’ll be returning to any Swiss Garden hotels in Malaysia.
