Springwood Harbour Hotel Dongguan

The views are good, and the rooms are spacious. The breakfast buffet had a decent spread, though the food quality was mediocre, so it was just okay. English was only spoken at the front desk, which made the hotel not very Western-friendly. Smoking is allowed in some parts, and the smell gets around; there’s also a lingering mold or mildew odor. There aren’t many hotels to choose from in the area, so I found this place acceptable, but I kept my stay short.

The prices were excellent, the food was fine, and the service could be a little muddled. Still, I enjoyed staying here. When I first arrived in China, I was surprised by how modern the hotel seemed, especially among the drab buildings around it. In the dark they even looked nice, though I was jet-lagged and watching TV from the bath at 3 a.m. In daylight, the town looked dirty and dated, so the hotel felt like a modern oasis.

The views are good, and this used to be a really nice hotel, but it’s gone downhill. The air conditioning barely worked in three rooms I tried, with the same problem in each. There’s black mold around the vents on every floor too. I’m leaving for another hotel that’s better maintained.

The lobby and building look impressive, but my room was filthy. The old carpet clearly hadn't been cleaned, and I found lots of long black hairs in the bed. I reported it at reception and was completely ignored; they just tried to give me a box of chocolates. Breakfast was poor too. The coffee was basically bean-flavored water, and even with plenty of choices, the food was low quality and didn't taste good.