Banyan Tree Dongguan Songshan Lake

I was impressed by the hotel's design, especially the distinctive architecture and all the great spots for photos. The carefully planned drainage avoids the problems I've seen at many domestic hotels. Lighting is another standout: the building has a completely different feel by day and at night. The room had plenty of power sockets, six bottles of water, a spacious walk-in closet and dressing area, and a Dyson hair dryer. The closet is thoughtfully designed, and the pillows are comfortable. Bathroom fittings are high quality, including an axor rain shower and a relatively unusual Duravit automatic toilet instead of the commonly seen Japanese Toto. The hot water stayed steady, without getting too hot or cold. The elevator was faster than I expected, and its metal panels are from Kone, even though the hotel is only seven stories tall. My small complaint is that the air conditioner was quite noisy. For the price, the hotel offers good value. Service was very quick. I called room service by dialing 1 to ask for slippers, and they brought them within five minutes. It also seems each room gets five free photos through a complimentary photography service, which was a considerate touch. One letdown was dinner at the Chinese restaurant last night. The waiters weren't very proactive, and they didn't say goodbye when we left.

Both restaurants served a high-quality dinner, and the service was excellent.