What a hassle it is to stay at Costa Sands Resort, says Damien Cheong. Visitors need to pay a dollar when entering the resort, and even the occupants themselves must get their arms stamped to access the resort throughout their stay.
NTUC Club, however, says all registered chalet guests are entitled to four complimentary admission tickets to the resort, and senior citizens aged 55 years and above, as well as children below the age of six are able to enter free.
Guests who don't belong to these categories, added NTUC in its statement, are required to pay the $1 admission fee and are allowed re-entry for the day, as well as use the swimming pool in the resort.
Damien had discovered this when he checked into the Costa Sands resort at Downtown East on Dec 9, and he told STOMP he spoke to the management regarding the gate system at the resort, which he thought was not a good one.
This was not the first time he had stayed at the chalet, and he said that the gate system at the chalet (in picture) inconvenienced both occupants and visitors.
How so?
For one, he saw that the security guards would ask for verification and says the checks take a long time to be made. This creates a very long wait for people in the queue.
Also, apparently there is no fixed guideline as the security would sometimes just let people through without checking them.
For Damien and his friends, all this makes their stay at the resort an unpleasant and inconvenient one, so he decided to bring this issue up to the resort management.
What the management told him next, regarding the visitors' policy and the stamp rule, 'appalled' him:
The 16-year-old student elaborated in an email to STOMP yesterday (Dec 10):
"On 9 December 2007, I checked in to a chalet resort at Downtown East under the management of Costa Sands Resort. To my surprise, the gate guarded by the security is still in place at the entrance to the resort. I never fancied this system since they began operations at Downtown East.
"On 10 December 2007, I finally plucked up the courage to bring this matter to the attention of the management up to the management of Costa Sands Resort. I was greeted by a supervisor of the resort who requested I speak to another supervisor at the resort.
"I was appalled when both of them explained to me that visitors entering the resort have to pay a dollar in order to visit their families and friends. I was also told that we, as the occupants of the chalet in the resort were needed to attain a ‘chop’ to be stamped on our arms from the security guards but throughout my stay, I never had this ‘chop’.
"I wonder if these security guards are actually doing their job or they are bluntly ignoring their responsibilities. If so, they are jeopardizing the occupants’ stay in the resort.
"I had also noticed many people facing this issue as well and reckoned this problem needs to be rectified as soon as possible to prevent further misunderstandings which may arise between the visitors and the management of Costa Sands Resort.
"Even if this system is necessary, can the problems pertaining to the entry gates be reduced?"
When contacted, the NTUC Club's Stanley Wong,Corporate Communications Manager apologised to the STOMPer for the hassle, and explains:
"All registered chalet guests are entitled to four complimentary admission tickets to the Resort. NTUC card members, Senior citizens aged 55 years and above as well as children below the age of six are also admitted free. It is our Company’s policy that guests who do not belong to the above categories are required to pay the $1 admission fee to the Resort. With the minimal fee of $1 for public, guests would be allowed re-entry for the day and at the same time, able to have a swim at our Resort’s swimming pool.
"Our Joint Operations Officers (Security Guards in general) ensure that the convenience of guests going in and out of the Resort entrance is minimized by requesting them to flash their NTUC Cards or hand-stamps. It is definitely not our intention to make it inconvenient for our valued guests in a way or another.
"Following the STOMPer's positive feedback, the Joint Operations Officers were reminded on top of the regular briefings, to make sure that paid guests are given hand-stamps for ease of entry/exiting. It is to the best of the Joint Operations Officers’ efforts to also ensure that there would not be a “double- standard” practice in the admission of guests to the Resort.
"The Management takes a serious view in maintaining the service standards and are constantly looking into ways of ensuring guests’ satisfaction towards our facilities and services.
"With your valued feedback, it will enable us to strive towards delivering excellent customer service and continuously seek to improve and exceed customer expectation."
Resort says guests must pay $1 to enter. Why so troublesome? 
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