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Asia and Far East » China Reviews
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AVERAGE RATING 
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Shangri La - Quindao
Reviewed by Andrew on 29-4-2008 (London) |
| This is quite simply one of the best hotels I have stayed in my life. I travel a lot for business and pleasure and I have to say that this hotel exceeded all expectations and the attention to detail and service rivals all others, including other Asian hotels. This is the first time I have stayed in the Shangri-la chain. The first thing is that their loyalty programme seems to be the most generous I belong to, especially the benefit for 50% of breakfast (inc person sharing room) at the lowest tier of the programme. The staff throughout the hotel were super friendly and extremely well trained. The level of English was good and the staff went out of their way to do everything possible to make it a great stay. The concierge was excellent as well. As far as hotel gyms go, this hotel has got a very good gym with a variety of weights, stationary machines and also has a great pool and spa area. Every area of the hotel is entirely over-staffed which results in very attentive service and having to wait for very very few things. We appreciated a lot of details such as allowing us late check-out at 1500; early check-in at 1000; the room attendant tracking us down when we forgot something after check-out; a free coffee in the lobby bar because the server felt bad she hadn't warned us there weren't free refills, etc. The staff really made the biggest difference. The rooms were great, very large, modern and spotless. Hotel management was quite proactive. I filled out a survey and they thanked me with 160 Yuan in hotel food certificates. It was great. Restaurant was excellent for breakfast and one of the largest spreads I have seen in a hotel. I recommend the Renmin Foot Massage place across the street - 5 minutes walking distance. Cheap as chips and quite a good massage and no, this is not a hooker place. The hotel is in walking distance to some great shopping areas and restaurants, including Carrefour and some designer malls. You can easily walk to a beach area and the 'boardwalk' area. We didn't explore the public beaches in Qingdao. It was really a place to relax after some adventures in other, not so luxurious parts of China. I would recommend this hotel wholeheartedly |
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53% of users found this review helpful. |
Beijing 
Reviewed by Jimmy on 9-7-2008 (UK) |
| Just got back from the trip yesterday. If you're going to Beijing, be aware of a few things. I was pickpocketed my first day at the Summer Palace. I ran after the guy and demanded that he give me my wallet back....and he did! But keep your wallet out of sight at all times. Also, the air is not very clean and it is extremely overcrowded. I developed a cough on the first day and came home with a viral infection. Don't get run down while you're there. Also, be careful when buying something from the street vendors. You must have exact change. They are known to give you change in counterfeit money. Also, sometimes the vendors get aggressive and hit you on the arm. It's funny at first, but after a while it's annoying. If you're not interested in buying, try to get rid of them ASAP. Also do not brush your teeth with the tap water. And beware of visiting in May and June. It was close to 90 degrees and very humid. Otherwise, it's a great place to see the sites. |
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51% of users found this review helpful. |
Park Plaza Beijing 
Reviewed by Gordon on 9-7-2008 (Glasgow) |
| I stayed at the Park Plaza for 6 nights in mid June. It really does deserve its number 2 ranking in Beijing. While not the most luxurious hotel it has all the modern amenities and comforts you could wish for (minus pool) at a great price. It really was a good deal compared to some of the other hotels I looked at : Peninsular, Regent, etc. I think the room rate outweighs the little luxuries of the other 5 -6star hotels. While there is no pool you can use the pool of the Regent which is the Park Plaza's sister hotel right next door. For about £5 you can use the beautiful pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzis and exercise room.I do think that the staff makes the stay even more pleasant. Concierge staff are very accommodating - especially Mr. Hong. A great young fellow. Hotel is tucked behind a main road and some taxis had a hard time finding it. Always carry the hotel business card with a little map on it. Beware some of the taxi drivers. They will drive you in circles and will plead they don't know where they are going. Hotel is a close walk to Wangfujing and of course all the main sites are only a £1.50 cab ride (unless you get the occasional round the world driver). |
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51% of users found this review helpful. |
Beijing Hua Fu International Hotel 
Reviewed by Ulf on 7-8-2008 (Frankfurt) |
| The "deluxe" room was dirty and the hotel was run down. It's not a 3 star hotel, it's more like a 1 star. No view, just a window to the backyard. There are no wardrobes in the room. I will never use this hotel again. The staff is OK, and the location is brilliant. |
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57% of users found this review helpful. |
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