Banana Design Mansion

I stayed for about nine days, and the location made getting around easy. The hotel is right above a metro station served by Lines 2 and 8. There are plenty of restaurants on the surrounding roads, many rated highly on Dianping, the main Chinese review app. Nearby options include at least two supermarkets, one in the AEON mall next door and another opposite it, plus McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, bakeries, and bubble tea shops for meals and snacks. Finding the hotel takes a little effort. DaBiao International Centre has two lift lobbies: the upper one serves the hotel and apartments with four lifts, while the lower one serves commercial offices with six. From ChangGang Metro Station, take Exit F and turn left. The upper lobby is visible right away; go down the steps or slope along the driveway to reach the lower lobby. For the 24-hour front desk, enter through the lower lobby, take a lift to level 18, walk toward the Banana Mansion sign, then turn right at the corridor’s end. The service was quick and easy. They can store luggage if you arrive before check-in, and the desk has common items to take or borrow, like face masks, makeup remover, and razors. Umbrellas require a refundable 50 RMB deposit. Ask for two key cards, since they normally give one and the card controls the room lights and power. Rooms are on various floors from Floor 30 upwards. All four lifts from the upper lobby serve them, as do the two rearmost lifts from the lower lobby. The rooms are roomy and generally clean, with a stylish renovation, though the inexpensive wall and floor materials were already deteriorating. Slippers are provided. There’s no mini fridge, apparently common for Chinese hotels. The bed is comfortably firm, and the pillows are soft. Road noise is noticeable even above the 30th floor, but at night it fades into a pleasant drone. Water pressure in the bathroom was good, but the "British" shampoo, conditioner, and soap were harsh rubbish. You might want to buy your own for a long stay. Housekeeping is available daily on request; each cleaning came with two bottles of water and some tea bags. The Wi-Fi was decent, and replies to Wechat messages and questions were timely. For the price and location, I had an excellent stay. Other nearby hotels tend to cost more, have much older renovations, or both.