Tourists camping out at Singapore Changi Airport overnight to escape skyrocketing hotel prices during the F1 weekend sparked public criticism among locals for tarnishing the airport’s image.

A woman from the United States using the handle @sheridan.tate8 posted on October 5 that she and her husband slept at Changi Airport before their morning flight because the hotel prices were “astronomical” due to the Formula One race, held from October 3 to 5.

They stated that hotels nearby cost US$400 a night at the time, while the average weekend hotel price near the airport is normally less than US$200.

The couple initially had “a rough time” finding a place to rest their heads.

Eventually, they found Terminal 1’s Arrival Garden, where they saw “at least 30 other people” sleeping in what they referred to as “the sleeper village”.

They laid their blankets on the garden floor and rested on their inflatable neck cushions. The woman mentioned that they survived the night with their luggage kept safely near them.