ibis Lanzhou Dongfanghong Plaza Hotel

The trouble started before we even got there. I booked a twin bed room through Booking.com and got an automated confirmation, so I assumed it was all set. When I called the property to ask if COVID-19 tests were required for a stay booked in August 2020, staff said they hadn't received my reservation and told me to contact Booking.com because of a system failure. Frustrated, I canceled, but the location was convenient for our one night in Lanzhou, so I tried booking again. The property eventually got in touch to confirm the details. Our flight on Friday night was delayed four hours. I called the hotel before takeoff and again after landing in Lanzhou to say we were still coming. We arrived at 3AM after a full day of travel, and the woman at the front desk tried to give us a queen room instead of the twin beds we'd booked. She said she'd given our room to earlier guests because the property couldn't reach us, having tried calling while we were on the plane. The alternatives were a queen room or a twin room with no air conditioning. If I hadn't proactively contacted them about our arrival, I might have given in and taken the queen room. Communication with the property had been frustrating and inefficient from the start, so I refused. She eventually agreed to give us the twin room of two guests who hadn't arrived yet, but made us feel guilty for taking “their room,” even though the property had caused the problem. Then, in the lobby, a drunk Chinese man who wasn't a hotel guest verbally harassed my friend and me. I'm fluent in Mandarin, so I understood him asking what country we were from. When I said the US, he went into a verbal tirade, threatened us, asked why we were still in China, and said he'd call the police to have us deported, while we were simply checking in. At first I didn't blame the hotel, but then I noticed the one security guard asleep on a couch in the corner. Guests shouldn't be harassed at a hotel they've paid for. The man should have been removed from the lobby right away, and the hotel should have compensated us for the experience. I've traveled extensively across mainland China, and this was one of the most unpleasant hotel stays I've had. It was so bad that I felt I had to leave my first Google review. That first night in Gansu, and Lanzhou specifically, was the worst part of our trip. When we came back to Lanzhou for the final two nights, we made sure NOT to stay at the Ibis in Lanzhou. I won't stay at any Ibis location in the future. Shame on the hotel for the frustrating communication, rude and unprofessional staff, and failing to do more to make sure guests are treated with basic respect and dignity.

We enjoyed our stay. The room was quiet, a big plus, and everything worked. The service was decent and the room was good, though it may have been a bit overpriced. The location is central.

The front desk was unprofessional, giving me incorrect information about public transportation in Lanzhou.

Good spot, close to Mazilu beef noodle.