5-Star Name, 3-Star Service
I stayed at Zenith Hotel Kuantan and was genuinely surprised by how far the experience fell short of a 5-star standard.
I arrived early and was informed my room would only be ready at 2:30pm, which was absolutely fine. However, when I asked if the front desk could notify me while I waited at the lobby so I wouldn’t miss the timing, I was told no, and that I had to return to the counter myself. This response was unprofessional and not reflective of 5-star front desk hospitality.
The hotel is a dual-building property connected to a convention hall, giving it more of a convention-hotel feel rather than a luxury one. Upon entering the room, any remaining 5-star impression disappeared. The room was basic and dated, with most fixtures showing signs of wear and in need of maintenance or upgrading. Apart from the smart TV, nothing stood out as premium.
On my final night, I requested a late check-out, even for a short extension. The front desk refused unless an additional fee was paid. I fully understand room turnover and housekeeping schedules; however, a 30-minute extension is not a significant disruption in ensuring the next guest still receives a clean, tidy, and on-time room—especially when availability is not tight. In genuine 5-star hotels, this is usually a courtesy rather than a chargeable request.
To make matters worse, at 12:00pm checkout time, every guest rushed to leave at once. Despite having five lifts, all were fully packed, and I had to wait through four rounds just to get down. This clearly shows poor crowd-flow planning and guest-experience management for a hotel of this supposed calibre.
For context, I have worked in 5-star resorts and stayed at international luxury brands such as Bvlgari, Kempinski, Marriott, Banyan Tree, and The Standard. Compared to those experiences, Zenith Hotel Kuantan delivers a service level closer to 3-star.
Management should seriously review their service culture, operational planning, and bra