Very disappointing experience with the hotel staff and the way the laundry room situation was handled.
I stayed at Rembrandt Style Sapporo on August 8. At around 11:30 p.m., I went to the laundry room on the 2nd floor and waited in line for approximately 30 minutes. When it was finally my turn, a Japanese male guest suddenly came over and claimed that I had cut in line and that he had been waiting first. I had been there for about 30 minutes and had never seen him waiting in the queue.
And then a hotel staff member, (name hidden), who told me that the guest had reserved the washing machine and therefore had priority. I was forced to wait behind him.
Because I was worried that I would lose my place if I left, I asked my wife to check with the front desk. The male reception staff member, whose name tag showed (name hidden), then told my wife that no reservation was required for the laundry room.
So which is it?
One staff member said a reservation was required, while another said it was not.
The front desk also said CCTV showed that the other guest arrived before me, but admitted that he had left the laundry room and gone to the front desk. When my wife asked how long he had actually been waiting, the staff member refused to disclose it, saying it was private.
What makes this even more frustrating is that we were told that if I wanted to use the laundry room, I should not leave. Yet the other guest was apparently allowed to leave and later return while still keeping his priority.
If there is no reservation system, surely a self-service laundry room should operate on a fair first-come, first-served basis. If reservations are allowed, the policy should be clearly communicated and applied equally to all guests.
The whole situation left me feeling that different standards were being applied to different guests. Since the guest who was given priority was Japanese and I am a foreign guest, I was honestly left wondering whether I was being treated differently because of my nationality.
I hope the hotel management reviews this incident seriously. The issue is not simply about waiting for a washing machine — it is about fairness, consistent policies, and equal treatment of guests.
Very disappointing service and communication.
