Crowne Plaza Nanjing Jiangning by IHG

The location is the strongest part of Crowne Plaza Shanghai Nanjing Road. Being right on Nanjing Road made it easy to shop, find places to eat, and visit nearby spots like the Bund and People's Square. I found the stay fairly average overall, though. It's a reliable choice for convenience, but it didn't have much of a wow factor and could use upgrades to live up to its location and brand. My room was clean, a decent size, and had the basic amenities you'd expect for this class of hotel. The decor felt dated, and the lighting was dim. Staff were polite and professional, and check-in and check-out were smooth, but service sometimes felt impersonal. I also thought the concierge could have been more proactive with recommendations or help. Breakfast offered a decent mix of Western and Asian food, although the quality was average. At busy times the dining area was crowded, and it was hard to find a comfortable seat. The fitness center and pool worked fine but weren't anything special, and housekeeping was slightly delayed during my stay.

Candice, the manager on duty, was especially helpful and made sure everything was properly set up. The staff were friendly and spoke English very well. Thank you!

The bathtub is strangely left out in the open, with no furnishing around it. Apart from that odd detail, this is the best five-star hotel I've stayed at in Jiangning. The breakfast buffet was amazing, with everything from a full English breakfast to Cantonese dim sum. I'd definitely recommend paying extra for a lake-view room, the scenery is worth it.

The rooms are elegant, clean, and beautiful, but that doesn't count for much when even sending or receiving email is so difficult. It took hours to download 5M mails in Outlook. They gave me a router, but it made no difference. The internet gets even worse at peak time, from 6pm to midnight. Just frustrating.