Camphortree Hotel and Resort

I rarely write reviews, but this extremely unpleasant stay compels me to share my experience as a cautionary tale. First, there was blatant discrimination against Chinese guests by Korean staff. Second, the basic hardware facilities were subpar; we couldn't even take a proper shower. Third, the hotel's service attitude was appalling, and their professionalism was extremely low. We booked a Royal Suite (a standalone villa) for four nights, costing nearly 3,000 per night. The service we received was worse than that of a 500-a-night hotel in China. We arrived at the hotel around 2 PM on check-in day and were told we had to wait until 3 PM; not even a minute earlier. Fine, we left our luggage and went for lunch. In the evening, returning to the hotel, it was pouring rain. The path from the lobby to our room required walking outdoors for a distance, with no concierge service available. There was a golf cart shuttle parked outside, so we asked if it could take us to our room. We were told it was broken. However, less than five minutes later, we personally witnessed a hotel staff member driving the exact same cart away. With three children and five suitcases, it was impossible for us to walk through such heavy rain. After much back and forth, the solution offered was for the hotel to send our luggage while we still had to brave the rain to reach our room. For this price point, such service was simply outrageous. The villa comprised three independent rooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom. On the first night, when we all tried to shower, the water temperature suddenly shot up, almost scalding a child, and then all three bathrooms completely ran out of hot water simultaneously. We were left in a sorry state, covered in soap. After calling for repairs, a Korean staff member arrived. He spoke neither English nor Chinese, relying on a translation app to inform us that the three bathrooms couldn't be used at the same time, otherwise, this situation would occur. If that's the case, why did we book a Royal Suite with multiple bathrooms? The next day, to avoid a repeat of the first night's ordeal, our group of seven decided to shower one by one. However, each person could only shower for 8-10 minutes before the water temperature became inconsistent, fluctuating between hot and cold. The last person to shower again found themselves without hot water. We had no choice but to boil water and wash our hair in the sink. On the third and most dramatic day, we again attempted to shower one by one. After just one person, the hot water ran out, and my child was scalded again. Extremely frustrated, I called the front desk to complain. To my surprise, the night manager on the phone was even more aggressive than I was, repeatedly asking, “So what do you want me to do?” After extensive back and forth with no resolution, the manager suddenly blurted out, “You come from China.” When I was trying to resolve a hot water issue, the manager ended up making a discriminatory remark against Chinese people, then reiterated, “What do you want me to do?” Furious, I demanded to know why he was slandering Chinese people and insisted on an apology. The manager shockingly stated he would not apologize, claiming he had recordings that proved we Chinese guests were at fault! When I announced I would put the phone on speaker and record the conversation, he immediately hung up. Half an hour passed, and no one from the hotel came to check on us or attempt repairs. In desperation, we contacted Ctrip for assistance. Twenty minutes later, the hotel finally dispatched a Chinese staff member for repairs. Upon learning of the night manager's discriminatory comments, the repair staff expressed shock but prioritized resolving our shower issue. However, after half an hour of repairs, he informed us that the equipment was too old and beyond repair. Throughout this, Ctrip staff remained online, constantly checking if our problem was resolved, which was a small comfort amidst the misfortune. Finally, through Ctrip's coordination, the hotel offered a room change, but it was already 1 AM, and our three children were asleep, so we declined. We asked if we could use showers in other rooms, but the hotel surprisingly said they had no rooms available for us to freshen up and could only arrange for us to use the swimming pool's shower facilities! Left with no alternative, we reluctantly accepted. We repeatedly confirmed with the hotel beforehand if toiletries would be provided, and they assured us everything would be there. However, the pool showers had no shower gel or conditioner, just one bottle of shampoo. Our entire group had to use that single bottle of shampoo for our whole bodies! By the time we finished showering and returned to our room, it was already 3 AM! During this period, the implicated night manager came to our room because Ctrip had requested him to apologize to us. However, he entered with a grim expression, offered no apology whatsoever, and merely stated it was a “communication misunderstanding” (how could someone with such fluent English claim a misunderstanding?). We, in turn, demanded he provide the recording for confrontation, to which he then claimed the hotel had no recordings! The Chinese staff member helping us translate asked him, “Why did you bring up our nationality when discussing the hot water issue?” He stammered, unable to respond. Right up until our check-out, the hotel never offered any apology, nor did the implicated staff member reappear or apologize. Conversely, Ctrip provided compensation in the form of a one-night refund. In summary, this hotel stay was an absolutely dreadful experience. I will definitely not be returning and will advise all my friends to steer clear of this place. I hope the hotel seriously considers improvements; otherwise, it will struggle to survive in such a competitive market. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. What was supposed to be a nice trip was practically ruined by this hotel. I wonder if the hotel management is even aware of these issues, and if they are, and still don't improve, then they are truly irresponsible towards their guests. The hotel must start by strengthening staff training. The attitude and efficiency of the staff directly impact guest experience. They need to understand the principle of 'customer first' and, more importantly, that there is no room for nationality or racial discrimination!