I first stayed at Strawberry Park in...
I first stayed at Strawberry Park in 1987. It was beautiful and cool then. Sadly, not much has changed since. While the hotel is still relatively comfortable to stay in, obvious signs of wear and tear have set in. When we walked up the steps to my apartment at Blk D, Rm 443, we were quite surprised to see bird dropping stains on the steps. It was pretty obvious that the steps had not been cleaned for some time. The floor of the room was dusty too. A number of light bulbs in the room had blown & we called maintenance to replace them - which they promptly did. In the compounds, we noticed the management of SPark was not very concerned about aesthetics - as rows of untidy-looking gas canisters were left exposed near the Maintenance Department shed to full view of guests. There was also an outdoor food reception area opposite the Lobby which appeared to be unattended and untidy-looking. Also, the Canopy Walk near the SPark hotel which has a suspension rope bridge had been closed to guests - probably also due to a lack of maintenance - and so unsafe. Sigh .... a pity. This seems to be a recurrent problem with hotels aand attractions in Malaysia. When something is newly opened - it would work to near perfection. After some years, they would be left to degenerate due to neglect and poor maintenance. They they will slip in rating - and eventually abandoned. I dread to think this might happen also to Strawberry Park. The Tourism Minister of Malaysia ought to look into rejunevating the whole of Cameron Highlands. The whole place looks tired and uninviting .... Sigh.
