We are a family of two adults and a toddler who is 2 years and 11 months old. Before booking, we carefully read this hotel’s property policy on Agoda, which clearly states two things: children aged 0–2 “stay for free if using existing bedding,” with a baby cot/crib available upon request, and children aged 3–7 must use an extra bed at an additional charge. Based on this, we booked a standard room for 2 adults. Our son is clearly under 3, falls into the free category, and we had absolutely no reason to book anything larger or more expensive.
My husband arrived earlier in the day to drop off our luggage. Later that evening, my son and I joined him. When we arrived at around 10–11PM after a long and tiring day, the receptionist immediately pointed out that we had not mentioned a child during booking. He then told us that it is their hotel policy that if you have a child, you must book a suite — which was $54–55 extra per night. This was the first time we were hearing this. Nothing of this sort was mentioned anywhere on their listing.
The room was more than large enough for two adults and a toddler. We could all comfortably sleep in the existing bed together. We even offered to pay for a cot or small extra bed — something their own published policy specifically mentions as an option for children aged 0–2, and even mandates for children aged 3–7. There was clearly enough floor space for one. They flatly refused this reasonable request.
What made the situation far worse was the attitude of the receptionist. Instead of handling this professionally, he became rude and made unnecessary personal comments — pointing out that my husband had arrived earlier in the day with bags, and that we had now shown up later with a woman and a child, as if we had done something suspicious or were trying to manipulate the situation. We were made to feel like criminals for simply following the hotel’s own advertised policy.
We were left waiting in the lobby at nearly 11PM with our exhausted toddler, who had fallen asleep, while we spent a significant amount of time on the phone with Agoda trying to resolve the matter. Agoda initially confirmed that since our child was under 3, we should be fine per the listed policy. However, the hotel insisted on their own internal policy — one that is conveniently nowhere to be found on their public listing.
We have been traveling for 14 days and stayed at multiple hotels on this trip. Not a single other property raised this issue. The problem here is not complicated — this hotel advertises one policy publicly and enforces a completely different one upon arrival. That is misleading to guests and deeply unfair, especially when you arrive late at night with a young child and are given no choice but to pay extra or find somewhere else.
If their policy truly required a suite for any family regardless of the child’s age, why does their own listing bother specifying different rules for different age groups? It makes no sense and only confirms that their advertised policy and their enforced policy are two entirely different things.
