Viral Guest Only Stayed for 15 Minutes, Here's the Clarification from the Owner of Niagara Hotel Malang, Rumored to be Haunted

Kapanlagi.com - Social media is abuzz with a TikTok video from the account @hmie. In the video, he claims to have stayed at Hotel Niagara Malang for only 15 minutes. This is because he felt scared by the eerie aura of the hotel.

Ongko Budihartanto, General Manager of Hotel Niagara Malang, provided clarification. Ongko claims to be the heir and child of Ong Kie Tjay, the owner of Hotel Niagara. Ongko states that the hotel he manages is not haunted at all.

"I explained that managing a hotel that is also a protected cultural heritage under the law is not an easy task. Especially when this hotel has received negative perception from the surrounding community, such as being a haunted hotel, a place for suicide, and other negative things," said Ongko, quoted from the YouTube account R.R.E.S OFFICIAL (25/3).

1. Not Haunted

© YouTube/R.R.E.S OFFICIAL

Ongko explained that for over 20 years, he has never experienced any disturbances. It is even mentioned that visitors have never complained about any mystical occurrences.

"It's all just rumors and nonsense. Because for over 20 years, I have managed this hotel and I have never encountered any disturbances. Even visitors have never complained about such things," he explained.

2. Praised by Foreign Tourists

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Visitors who have stayed at the hotel are said to have praised the greatness and uniqueness of the Niagara hotel.

"For example, from its classic building, its architecture which is a blend of Dutch East Indies and the ornaments that can be found in every corner of this hotel. We even received many written messages from foreign tourists. So, I emphasize again that the rumors about Niagara hotel being haunted or a place for suicide are just nonsense," he continued.

3. Built by the Dutch

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The owner of the Niagara hotel explained the story of the early construction of the Niagara hotel. Originally, this hotel was a private villa owned by the Dutch.

"Formerly, this hotel was a private villa owned by Liem Sian Joe. Liem Sian Joe was a Dutch person who wanted to build a place for his family's rest in this Lawang area. Because Lawang was a cold, quiet, and very comfortable area for rest.

Meanwhile, the architect of this hotel was Fritz Joseph Pinedo. He was also a Dutch person, just like Liem Sian Joe. This hotel was built for approximately 15 years, starting from 1918, and in 1920, Liem Sian Joe, the owner of the hotel, returned to his home country, the Netherlands, and entrusted this hotel to his heirs. Because it was rarely used, the hotel was abandoned until the independence era," he added.

4. Sempat Terbengkalai

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After independence, Ong said that this hotel was once occupied by several families and its ownership status was unclear. In 1960, the heirs of Liem Sian Joe sold this villa to a Chinese businessman living in Surabaya named Ong Kie Jay, or commonly known as Baba Hong.

"We know him as Baba Hong. Since the management of this villa was transferred to Baba Hong, the residents of the villa started to leave one by one, and at that time Baba Hong began to renovate this villa. And in 1964, Baba Hong transformed this villa into a hotel and named it Hotel Niagara," he explained.

5. The Greatness of Hotel Niagara

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Quoting from several sources, the wall ceramics and flooring materials were directly imported from Belgium. There is also an old ASEAN brand elevator produced in Sweden in the 90s. In addition, the wood materials for windows, doors, ceilings, and so on are made of first-class teak wood.

"This hotel is a monument, it needs to be well-maintained. It needs renovation with truly expert architects. If that is done, Hotel Niagara will become a star like Hotel Raffles in Singapore," said Henk Nos, a tourist from the Netherlands, as quoted from Ngalam.co.

(kpl/lmp)