As this was our first trip to China, we decided to pre-book our transport from the airport. As we left departures, a porter, brightly clad in a red calf-length coat and a pillbox hat, was holding our name. This 230 RMB journey was comfortable and trouble-free.
On arrival, a waiting concierge promptly opened our car door, and we were directed to the main hotel desk to check in. There was no language problem here, although, despite the fact that we’d paid for our room in advance (booked with Asia Travel
), they did demand a deposit of 300 RMB per night of our stay. I’m afraid they were out of luck; we were only carrying 1200 RMB until we got to an ATM, although they did accept a record of our credit card, which would only be used if we bought services.
The efficient lift whisked us to our floor and our large, roomy bedroom. A large comfortable bed was centre stage, with a small lounge area comprising of an easy chair and footstool (presumably to aid in recovery after a long day of walking!). The view was uninspiring, but our schedule did not include spending time looking out of a bedroom window or tuning into the multi-station TV (including channels in English). What we did need was a refreshing cup of tea. I found the cups, saucers, and teabags in a cupboard next to a very noisy fridge, but saw no sign of a kettle. A water filter provided cold water (not much good for tea), and so I rang room service. Within minutes, help had arrived and a switch at the back of the filter engaged the element for heating the water.
Whilst the tea brewed, we checked out the rest of the "suite" – including a tired-looking bathroom (shower over the bath) with a range of complimentary products (comb, toothbrushes, shower gel, and shampoo), but watch out for those referred to as "uncomplimentary." There was no hair dryer – my wife was not impressed! Air-conditioning was standard in this hotel, although we didn’t need it in March.
Breakfast was a lavish eat as-much-as-you-can affair (all part of our deal) with an incredible choice of food. If you fancied freshly cooked eggs (omelette, scrambled, or fried), they were prepared as you waited, and then you picked the accompaniments from sausages, bacon, potatoes, or tomatoes (the whole lot if you want). There was a limited choice of cereal, but plenty of breads, fruit juices, pastries, fresh fruit, and pancakes, and if you fancied a Chinese breakfast (we didn’t), there was all that to choose from as well. The ever-attentive waitresses provided an ample supply of tea or coffee.
There was a decent café on the ground floor for snacks or coffee, and the hotel boasted a couple of restaurants. Service was very efficient and the concierge could sort out any trips you wanted.