Ibis Dalian Zhongshan Square Hotel

Nothing particularly special.

At a little under 200 yuan a night, this is reasonably priced and conveniently close to Sanba Square. You can book through Accor Hotels, though you won't earn points. The lobby is rather dim, and the rooms are spacious. If you're near the elevator, the security alarm is loud. I requested a non-smoking room but found signs that previous guests had smoked. There's no refrigerator, so I used the bathroom sink to chill both the water I'd bought and the complimentary bottled water. The TV had no international channels such as BBC or NHK World, and, naturally, no CNN either.

At the Ibis in Dalian's Sanba Square, I found the price especially good for a familiar AccorHotels chain. I paid under 25,000 won per night, booking through CheapTicket. It's a budget-friendly option, and the facilities were spotlessly clean, as you'd expect from a chain. There's no fridge, which is a bit of a letdown. The basics were there, though: a hairdryer, toothpaste and toothbrush, towels, hand wash, shampoo and body wash, slippers, green tea, two bottles of water, and a coffee pot. The cups are paper instead of glass, which felt more hygienic. Breakfast isn't included. I don't think Ibis breakfast is that great anyway, and there are plenty of nearby options, including Bu Er Xin (Bu Er Xin) for hot pot, Shi Jia De (Xijiade), Mr. Lee's Beef Noodles, McDonald's, KFC, and Paris Baguette. The hotel is a bit far from the subway, but getting around still seemed manageable. Dalian taxis start at 10 yuan, and most places in the city are reachable for about 5,000 Korean won. There's a tram stop by the Carrefour and a bus stop right outside the hotel. Zhongshan Square and the city center are nearby too, along with restaurants, tourist spots, and massage parlors. Carrefour is right next door, one of the biggest pluses for me. It seems to open around 7 or 8 and close at 10 PM.

The area around the hotel was a pleasure to explore in my free time, and I spent a week there in September 2018. I had no complaints about the hotel or its staff. Breakfast was decent and offered plenty of choice, though it wasn't anything special.