I recently had the opportunity to visit Cox's Bazar beach in Bangladesh for two days. While there, I had a less than satisfactory experience at a five star hotel that I had booked for three days. Upon arriving at the hotel around 2pm, the reception told us that we would have to wait for fifteen minutes because the room was being cleaned. However, we ended up waiting until 4pm before finally being given access to our room.
During this time, I went to the reception several times to inquire about when the room would be ready, but each time I was told to wait ten to fifteen minutes more. It was only when I called for the hotel manager that the truth was revealed - the receptionist had purposely delayed giving us our room.
The hotel manager later accused me of being Indian and of treating Bangladeshis poorly, and even claimed that I had threatened to slap the receptionist. However, I was able to prove my innocence with the help of CCTV footage and the testimony of someone who had been present during the exchange with the receptionist. The manager eventually apologized and offered us a complimentary lunch at the hotel restaurant.
One thing that stood out to me during this experience was the apparent prevalence of false accusations in the area. I was told by another hotel guest that it is common for people in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar to be framed, with illegal substances or weapons being planted in hotel rooms in order to trap unsuspecting visitors. It was a disturbing realization, and left me feeling like the people of Bangladesh are being held hostage in their own country. Overall, my experience at the five star hotel in Cox's Bazar was not a positive one, and left me with the belief that many corporate bodies in the country are dishonest and untrustworthy.