I have never been the one to write down all my thoughts and feelings on race and racism, but after seeing something that I came across on Facebook it highlights to me that the problem isn’t all about black or brown people, but white people who don’t know the meaning of respect and acceptance of what GOD has created!
Recently, Pakistani fashion designer Komal Malik went to spend a long relaxing time to the USA, booking what you may say as one of the leading hotel chains – Hyatt. What she had recalled saying because of their “hospitality & hygiene standards.” Unfortunately, her trip turned out to be the exact opposite and unwantingly unforgettable.
Here’s what she had to say about her experience at Hyatt Place New York/Midtown South:
“I had never faced discrimination and racism in my life until last night. I had only heard about it until last night.
I booked Hyatt Place New York/Midtown South for 18 nights ( 21st February- 11th March 2018) but I left the hotel a little before midnight on the 4th of March due to the racist manager, Brandon McMillan who is a complete prick. During my stay everytime my room was cleaned, the unhung towels that were left on the bathroom floor were folded and kept back repeatedly. I complained once and they apologised , but I had to call housekeeping thrice to ask for fresh towels. It happened again the second time when the room was cleaned and the dirty towels were folded and put back again. I ended up falling sick and having rashes all over my body. I did bring this to their attention again and a lady at the front desk apologised and said the complaint will be forwarded officially .
After that everytime I requested for my room to be cleaned it wasn’t cleaned, and whenever I made the request I was interrogated at the front desk and was asked for my home address in Pakistan which has NOTHING to do with my request of asking for my room to be cleaned. However, I still gave him the information & they still wouldn’t do it. Every time I asked for toilet paper, sugar or fresh towels they were never sent to me, and I had to call House keeping multiple times, or go downstairs myself to get them. Finally after getting agitated and falling sick again I took my concern to the front desk, where Brandon McMillan told me the towels are to be left on the “BEDROOM” floor because towels that are left on the “bathroom” floor are to be hung back . I’m not from a village and there are certain hospitality and hygiene standards that are to be maintained by a hotel chain like Hyatt. I’m very well aware that anything that is dropped on the bathroom floor is not to be used again. He argued with me and told me to leave and said he will charge me for the night too and I should go to my room (like he was my dad). I left in the middle of the night crying my eyeballs out and checked into another hotel while my credit card transaction has still not been reversed . I came on vacation , I chose Hyatt due to it’s hospitality & hygiene standards but what I faced was pure discrimination and racism by the hands of an arrogant and pathetic white male.
I ended up with rashes, got sick because dirty towels and linens were repeatedly put back since I had moved into the hotel. He also called me a liar, and said no one asked you for your address at the front desk when you made a request for getting your room cleaned ( I was interrogated as if I was there to steal something or get free breakfast). Is this how a chain like Hyatt deals with their customers? Is this what I paid for? I’m from Pakistan and I’m a Muslim so I have to face this disgusting racism by a white hotel manager who thinks I know nothing about hygiene or hospitality standards. I ended up having an anxiety attack and I’m writing this right now with my head exploding and after crying my eyes out all night and all day. I didn’t come here to face this harassment and bullying, nor did I come here to be lied to on my face and then told to leave .
When I left the so called prestigious “Hyatt” he was gone, but I do have a recording of my conversation with the two gentlemen at the front desk where I discussed his pathetic “Going green” theory of how towels on the bathroom floor are folded and kept back. I’m not an idiot, and Pakistan is not a village.
The manager, Brandon McMillan is a bloody racist prick. I faced racism for the first time in my life and it was ugly . I am hoping he gets fired, as he has no tolerance, no basic understanding of hospitality and hygiene standards. He has no manners, and the customer service is down right pathetic. My stay at the Hyatt was nothing short of torture and in the end I had a panic attack because of this a*€>%€>> racist manager. He told me to get out and told me on my face he will charge me for this night too. He is nothing but a prick and a bully.
I repeatedly asked the management to check the CCTV footage, as they keep telling me I had the Do not disturb sign on my door. I told them the exact date and time when I requested my room to be cleaned and I did not have DND on my door. I was out of the hotel each time. They disregarded my actual complaint, and concerns. Also, my complaint against Brandon McMillan & the bullying & discrimination that I faced by his hands. There is nothing more that I can do obviously as the management is incompetent itself, and will protect their own people at the end of the day because I’m a Muslim with a Pakistani passport.
I got my dose of racism at the Hyatt, and if you’re not white don’t stay there at all. I have a sty under my eye, I have high fever and rashes. I’m mentally & emotionally disturbed by all of this. I’m physically & mentally drained, I have no other words to describe how I’ve been feeling and what I went through, and still going through. I haven’t been able to shake this feeling off, I feel harassed, traumatised, bullied and I’m actually in emotional & physical pain.
Please don’t make the mistake of staying at Hyatt, you’ll be discriminated against, and only suffer tremendously.
P.S. I’ve made this post public, please share it. I don’t have the recording of the conversation I had with Brandon McMillan but I did record my conversation with the other two guys at the front desk when I was checking out ( they were accommodating and apologetic).”
Racism is a fact that apparently no one can find the cause of. Was being Pakistani and Muslim such a big nuisance to one’s respect or a hotel’s reputation? Well, I don’t know much but this issue should be highlighted to international levels and people like Mr. Brandon McMillan should be taught a lesson worth mentioning further as an example to those who think colour, creed, race and religion matter more than humanity!
