GEORGE TOWN: Penang has no specific enactment in regulating operations of hotels, including hotel check-in and check-out times.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said it was regulated through licensing by local council.
He said if the need arises in future, they could revisit it.
"Fo now, we will leave it to the hoteliers' association to decide.
"There's healthy competition among the hotels in Penang.
"Each hotel can offer different packages.
"So far, we do not see this as a big issue as hotels here often offer early check in flexibility to guests if the rooms are available," he told the 'New Straits Times'.
Yesterday, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the regulation of hotel operations did not fall under the ministry's purview.
He said such matters fell under a state government's jurisdiction, though the Tourism Industry Act required hotels to register with the ministry as tourist accommodation premises.
He said this when Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Perikatan Nasional-Bukit Gantang) asked if the ministry was monitoring hotel check-in and check-out times.
Wong said they had heard that hoteliers in the state faced the challenge in retaining experienced workers and hiring new ones as there were new hotels coming up in Penang.
Prior to this, Tiong had proposed for hotels to provide guests at least 23 hours of stay a day.
However, his proposal had faced backlash from housekeeping and hotel groups.