Hunan Hotel

The front desk was really nice, and the location is great, close to a big lake with paddle boats and an amusement park, and within walking distance of the Hunan Museum. The old marble and high ceilings are beautiful, and you can feel the history of a place that was once a favorite of Chairman Mao. It’s at least 60 years old, though, and ours showed it: even with remodeled bathrooms and Toto fixtures, rain showers, and handheld showers, the wallpaper was peeling and the walls had visible patches. The room had instant coffee without creamer and two kinds of tea. A basic soap and a wall dispenser with what seemed to be 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner were free; a kit with a toothbrush, comb, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner packets, and a shower cap cost 10 yuan. We missed breakfast because it ended at 9 a.m., but heard it was just noodles, rice, and vegetables, with no coffee or fruit. The worst part was a mosquito in the room that we couldn’t catch or kill. A mosquito zapper racket in the closet might help.