I am an Asian scholar. I was in Sydney to attend a conference at one of the universities there. One day, I decided to go for a few laps at the hotel's swimming pool. I was verbally abused by two local men at the pool and one guy intentionally exposed himself naked in front of me and continued threatening me the verbal abuse for sexual favours. He also grasped my arms when I tried to leave the pool. I got so scared, but luckily managed to run away. I told the story to my friend who is a local. He contacted the hotel management immediately. I was told that the case was taken as confidential and one lady would come up to my room and talk to me for more details. Later on, I was called by the lady who was supposed to see me in my room. She asked only few questions and didn’t listen to the whole story I was trying to tell and told me that they could locate the two males involved. I was told that the issue was resolved and closed down and that the two men were about to check out that morning so they were allowed to leave the hotel at normal time (11 am), just like other normal guests instead of being told to leave immediately for their unacceptable performance. And I was told to wait to leave the hotel after then. The lady said to me that the two males asked her to pass their apologies for being too naughty. Even though I was told that the issue was solved and the apology was passed on to me by the hotel representative, I still didn’t feel complete in terms of feeling. As I have grown up in a very conservative Asian culture, it’s the first time in my life to experience this kind of threatening situation. I didn’t feel secured and didn’t feel that the hotel had tried to do something to show their concern about my feeling and to help me feel better. I therefore asked to talk to the General Manager. He came out of the office and told me to talk to him in a lobby. As this issue is considered as confidential to me and also according to the lady who talked to me from the beginning, I asked him if it was possible to discuss this issue in his office. He, then, returned to his office and asked me to follow him. After telling him the story, he told me that it’s something out of his control. He didn’t tell the two guys to do this to me at the pool. This kind of thing could happen everywhere: on a street side or even in a public park. I told him that of course he didn’t tell the two guys to do that and this kind of thing could happen everywhere, including the public park. But, this kind of thing just happened in the public area of his hotel: Stamford, I asked if he could do something to make the guests feel like they are cared or to help them recover from the fear. He kept saying that there was nothing else he could do and kept asking me back “so what do you want the hotel to do?” I then told him that “I can’t tell you what you should do. But I just would like you to say something or to hear something from you which shows me that you care about my feeling and you understand that I feel unsecured from this event and you are trying in some way to help me recover the feeling”. Then, he said “sorry, there is nothing else I can do because, as I said, I didn’t tell him to do this to you and it is out of my control. And the tow guys have already gone. So, I don’t understand what do you want?” He kept asking me what I wanted the hotel to do. I told him the same thing that I didn’t know, but I only wanted the hotel to do something to show that they cared. Then I gave an example of my experience in living in the big hotels in my home country. I said they respected their customers, especially foreign customers, highly. If something like this happened to their guests, they would try every way to show the guests that they care, for example, they may offer a 10% discount of the room cost to the guests. Then, he took it as I was asking for a discount. He said “if you are asking me to give you a discount, I can tell you now that it’s impossible. Sorry, we can’t do that. There are many good hotels around here. You can have a look and if you want to move out, we don’t mind that”. His reply really disappointed me. I told him that I was not asking for his discount for the room, but it was only my example of the solution made by the hotels in my home country. I didn’t know what kind of action they normally did in Australia. That’s why I ask him if the hotel would do anything to show their guest that they care. And he kept asking what I wanted, so I just gave the example, but it didn’t mean I wanted his discount. I told him that I had been a student in Australia for 4 years, and I have been praising Stamford so highly. When I returned to work, I always had positive attitudes towards the hotel. I trusted its high reputation, good service, safety, and care to customers. I told everyone that whenever I had to come back to Australia for a conference, I would stay at Stamford only. And even this time, my supervisor invited me to stay in his house, I told him right away that I would be staying at Stamford and I would be safe. But, when something like this happened to me in the hotel’s public area and caused me to feel unsecured, I just felt incomplete though being told that everything was solved out and the guys were gone. I felt like the hotel hadn’t done anything to show their concern or care to customer. And even when I asked to talk to the General Manager, the feeling was the same because the hotel didn’t do anything to show their concern or hospitality. I told him that I didn’t want his discount when I asked to see him, but I only wanted the kind hospitality form the hotel staff being expressed in some way to heal my feeling. I said, “I am Asian, not the local, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t get hurt in the same way as the locals. I am also human being. I have the feeling, just like those 2 guys who have done something bad to me. But, what happened today just made me feel that I was treated as the inferior of those who have done something wrong. It made me feel that there is no equality in this hotel. I don’t feel like being treated in the equal way as other honoured guests. Is that because I am Asian?? Or is that because my English is not very good, so that I got treated in this way? What I was trying to say was to ask you what have you done to your guest to show your hospitality and care?? I don’t want your discount, but I just would like you to say or do something to make me feel that you care because I am also your guest, same as those guys who did something wrong and same as many of your valued customers. I paid the same amount of money as other guests who are staying here. So, I deserve to be treated in the same way though I am not a local. That’s all I meant, but you seemed not to get it and interpreted my saying in the wrong way by saying that I wanted your discount.” Then, he said to me “well, in this case, we can offer you a lift to everywhere you go. You just ring us anytime and we will pick you up.” I said, “See?? Something like this, you can say to make your guest feel better and cared. Now I feel much better because you have offered me a lift to show me that you care about my safety. I am satisfied with this. Something very small like this can make your customer feel better, and now I am satisfied with your offer and I don’t want anything else.” He also offered me the arrangement for the afternoon tea or breakfast in the hotel restaurant and said that I could invite 1 friend as my guest. He told me if I wanted that, just ring him anytime and he would arrange that for me. I didn’t take this offer, but did use the escort service of the hotel to travel between places. And that was enough action taken in my eyes and did make me feel much better though up till now I am still trying to recover my feeling from the bad memories. I didn’t expect the hotel to give me a “free” meal or “discount” for the room. In my view, Stamford hotel could still be considered as the nice hotel to stay, but what need to be improved are the attitudes and service of the hotel staff, and unfortunately, these two issues are considered as one of those core identities for this career. What happened to me at the pool had threatened me so much, but I felt even more disappointed with the hotel service and staff hospitality passed on to me later. I couldn’t help asking myself if that was because I am Asian, so I was treated in the inferior way than the locals who had done something wrong. I couldn’t help thinking that racism and discrimination exist in some of the hotel staff. If the staff learn to care more about customers and treat everyone equally, no matter what their origins are, Stamford could still be one of the recommended hotels to consider if you have plan to visit Australia.