I stayed at the Forest City Golf Hotel in Malaysia.
A suite with a Jacuzzi, a panoramic balcony, and an en-suite bedroom costs $104 a night.
There was no reason to be at the resort as a non-golfer.
Forest City is located in southern Malaysia. The experts say the estate is not real.
Forest City is the biggest development by Country Garden in China. It is one of the most controversial developments in Malaysia's history.
The project is expected to be finished in 14 years. Forest City has been praised as a "living paradise" and a "green, futuristic city", but some experts believe it is a "time bomb" because of its rapid construction.
The development is considered a ghost town with as few as 500 residents in 2019. An expert who declined to be named for security reasons told me several thousand people currently live in Forest City. The city is at less than 5% capacity according to the expert.
Construction has not stopped despite the slow down in tourism and property sales. Three of the eight phases have been completed.
The city had a sales gallery, a mall, an international school, and two resorts, but very few businesses were open when I visited. There are plots of land reserved for the development, but it is not clear if they will continue.
Country Garden told me in an email that Forest City wasn't built solely as a residential development.
Forest City carries out overall urban planning and construction in accordance with the concept of industry-city integration to ensure future commercial value and sustainable development.
One of the resorts in Forest City was open during my trip.
Country Garden built the Forest City Golf Resort in 2019.
It was difficult to find up-to-date information in the lead-up to my trip. I was able to book my stay online even though I tried to call the phone numbers on the website.
The only other hotel in the development is the Forest City Marina Hotel, which I accidentally ended up at. A security guard was the only person in sight at the hotel. The streets were not busy. The local who worked at the apartment complex told me that the resort had been closed for two years and would reopen in the next few months.
I called another car because the resorts were 10 minutes away.
The resort was grand and luxurious.
The cost of a three night stay in the deluxe suite was 458 Malaysian ringgit.
Insider paid for my stay in full.
One guest who I met at the resort said he enjoyed staying there to play golf because it was cheap.
One user said it offered the best golf experience, while another said he found the views from the resort.
The main attraction of the resort was its golf course.
The courses are 69 and 74 hectares each. Jack Nicklaus designed the courses. Country Garden said it gets 100 to 200 guests a day, and that it is planning to build a third golf course.
The staff at the hotel said that most of their clientele were from Singapore.
The rest of the estate was empty as the resort was busy with golfers.
There was a swimming pool overlooking the golf course.
I didn't see a lot of people using the pool.
I initially wondered if I was in the right room because the balcony was so large.
My suite had a panoramic balcony. I could see the main residential area of Forest City stretching out in front of me.
The living area had a divan sofa.
The space was furnished with wood and marble.
The bedroom was comfortable.
It was quiet throughout the day, and I slept well all three nights.
The bathroom had a shower and toilet.
The pressure worked well. The soaps were cheap but not bad.
The Jacuzzi in the bathroom was my favorite part of the suite.
The Jacuzzi was large. I took a dip after a long day of work.
A different reality began to emerge when I looked closer. The sides of the Jacuzzi were beginning to accumulate Grime and rust.
I asked the front desk if someone could come service the Jacuzzi and was told they would call me back. A representative from the resort told me that a technician had been sent to my room and that a receptionist had called me.
I was not aware of either of the actions by the resort.
I ate almost every meal at the dining area for three days. It was difficult to leave the resort.
I waited for two hours for my order to be processed because there were no convenience stores or food delivery services in Forest City. It was difficult to get to the only grocery store.
A rat ran through the dining area on my last day. A staff member ran after it after the guest shrieked.
Country Garden told me that the incident will increase pest control from once a week to twice a week.
On the second day of my stay, there was a power failure. The resort had no electricity for five hours.
One hotel staff member told me that he had experienced a black out for the first time in three years. I was given free lunch by the hotel.
I was told by Country Garden's electricity supplier, Tenaga National Berhad, that they had upgrade works on the day of the blackout.
The hotel's internet connection was bad from the suite to the lobby.
I was unable to find a ride when I tried to leave the resort. I called five cab companies and all of them said they had no drivers willing to come to the resort. Several ride-sharing services did not operate in the city.
A staff member offered to drive me around for a fee.
The resort seemed like an excellent value for money at first sight, but by the end of my third day, I could see why the price was so low.
The staff was friendly and the suite was affordable, and I can see why it would appeal to the golfing set.
There was no reason for me to be at the resort because I was not trying to spend the whole day on the golf course. It is possible that the resort will get better with time. It is not a place I want to return to.
The original article can be found on Insider.
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