Liaoning Jin Jiang International Hotel

The rooms were just okay, but the windows were filthy and the service felt cheap. The staff seemed unprofessional and dishonest. On two mornings they refused me breakfast even though I had paid a 1000 RMB deposit, so eventually I stopped trying. At checkout they said everything was fine, then returned only about a third of my money. Our Chinese friends followed up, but the hotel wouldn't respond. This was a very frustrating, disappointing stay. The hotel is overrated and should lose at least three stars. Avoid it.

Breakfast was quite generous, and the room came with shampoo, shower gel, a toothbrush, and a hair dryer. There was free WiFi, and the TV had CNN in English and NHK in Japanese. The room itself was okay, though the carpet had plenty of stains and flushing the toilet could be a challenge. I was on the 10th floor facing the rails, and could hear trains about every 4 minutes. The air conditioning sort of worked, but even at full power it couldn't get below 78F. It was probably one of the better hotels in the neighborhood.

The room was large, and the laundry service was efficient. Beyond that, this was a dreadful stay for a hotel presenting itself as a five-star business hotel. Getting there on foot is difficult. The nearest subway stations are a long walk away, and the one 15-minute walk from the hotel has no sidewalks, even on the hotel's grounds, or signage. A car is the only practical way to get around. The staff member who checked me in was grumpy, bent and folded pages in my passport, and thrust a key at me without explaining the facilities or where and when breakfast was served. They didn't point me to the elevators either, then barked at me when I guessed the wrong direction. The WiFi wouldn't connect. Reception said they couldn't fix it, though they said it wasn't broken, and all I got was “Sorry.” The hotel smelled of sewage or bad plumbing, especially in the lobby by the elevators and in the basement. My room stank of smoke despite being non-smoking, as well as the gold spray paint used on the furniture's arms and legs. It was roasting in the room, with heat but no air conditioning. It was 0°C outside, but the room was 30° and I couldn't cool it down. I tried to open the window to get some relief from the smell and heat, but it was jammed shut. I was nervous about the Beijing air pollutant levels outside, too. After arriving from a late flight at 02:00, housekeeping woke me at 9:00am to clean. There was no room service, and no iron or ironing board in the room. Breakfast was greasy and lukewarm, with dirty tables and chairs. The juice was warm, and condensation covered the juice containers. There was a teapot and kettle in the room, but no tea. The double sinks came with only one shampoo, one conditioner, and so on. There were only feather pillows, with no hypoallergenic option. The hotel advertises a gym on its website and in the room information, but following the signs only led to a billboard for it in the basement. It may be closed or not yet open, but it's presented as something guests can use. Breakfast's location and hours weren't explained at check-in either. Maybe it was a five-star hotel once, but now it's a wreck. Its poor access and sheer size are hard to overcome, and turning it around would take a lot of money and a major improvement in management and vision. There are many better options in Beijing.

It looked nice from the outside, but the service and room didn't live up to that. The bathroom was moldy and the bed wasn't very comfortable. I stayed at the end of October, when nights were in the 40s, and was told there was no heating. They gave me an extra blanket.