Singapore Hotel Imposes Rs 13,000 Fine On Tourist For Eating Durian In Room

NDTV

2 days ago

Imagine booking a hotel room and paying a fine for bringing a fruit. That is what happened to a Chinese tourist in Singapore. The woman was stunned when she was allegedly fined 200 Singapore Dollars (around Rs 13,200) for bringing a durian into her hotel room in Singapore. The tourist shared her experience online to warn other travellers, according to reports. The woman was visiting Singapore with a friend when they bought durian from a roadside stall. Since there were no seats available to eat the fruit there, they decided to take it back to their hotel in a Styrofoam box.
On the way back, the strong smell of the durian started to escape from the box. She wrapped it in cling wrap to try to contain the scent. "I did so as I was afraid the driver would be bothered by the smell," she wrote in her post. Back at the hotel, they ate the durian in the room without knowing it was not allowed. The trouble started when she returned to the room after a day of sightseeing. A note on the bed left her stunned. It said, "Please be informed that our Housekeeper found a Durian smell in your room... SGD200 will be imposed for a cleaning fee."
"I can't believe my eyes. S$200 is about 1,000 RMB," she wrote. She later found out that other tourists had faced similar issues. Some were lucky to be stopped by hotel staff before entering with durians, while a few managed to avoid the fine after explaining. Trying to resolve the issue, she contacted the hotel front desk and admitted her mistake. "I confessed I was in the wrong and even asked if they could give me a little discount," she said. However, the hotel staff said the room needed deep cleaning and would be unavailable for a few days due to the smell. Her post ended with a word of advice: Never bring durian into a hotel room in Singapore.
A report by AsiaOne says that different hotels in Singapore charge different fines for bringing durians into rooms. Carlton City Hotel imposes a $500 cleaning fee if a durian smell is detected, while Park Regis by Prince Singapore charges $300. At Park Avenue Rochester, guests face a $200 fine for bringing the fruit into their rooms.