The Lalu Nanjing

The location is peaceful and hard to match, and the design is striking. I wanted to love this place, and if I come back to Nanjing, I would stay here again. But the experience didn't meet the expectations created by the architecture and setting, and LALU should be able to do better. The building needs a serious maintenance audit. It's an architectural ICON, and SCDA's design calls for careful upkeep. The window glass has large stained areas, marble floors are chipped or cracked, wall coverings are peeling, lobby lanterns are stained, hedges have weeds, and the waterworks are covered in lime. Seeing a property with this design look so neglected really hurts. It feels like a 6 star hotel with at best 3 star maintenance. There were also service problems. Management responded quickly to our feedback, which we appreciated, but service felt inconsistent and at times indifferent. Yuki was charming at breakfast, while her manager was terse and unsmiling. The porter was welcoming, but the doormen seemed overly stoic. A critical service review could help move the hotel from OK to great. Our room was very dusty, especially around the headboard, and the power kept tripping. We had chosen a river view room, but the poorly maintained windows spoiled those impressive views. Before arrival, I tried to confirm details and ask the concierge for help. The website links didn't work, and my emails didn't reach the hotel, so I had to call. After a warm welcome, things took a strange turn. There is still a lot to love here, including the design, location, and food. This was a polarizing stay for me. I really hoped to love it, but several key things fell short. The game is LALU's to lose.

A quiet, lovely spot to unwind in Nanjing and take in the view across the Long River.

The room design and view were lovely, and the staff were super friendly. Breakfast was okay.

The food and beverage displays were hard to locate, so we had to ask staff where they were. The room's layout and flow were problematic, and the slippers weren't separated by men's and women's sizes, which felt below what you'd expect at a typical five-star hotel. We checked in before 8:30 PM on March 21, 2025. There were very few staff around. Nobody helped with our luggage or showed us to the lobby, so we had to carry our bags from the tour bus into the hotel ourselves. When a guest fell down the escalator, no staff were available to help immediately. The shortage of staff was unbelievable. The Nanjing Hanbi Hotel costs twice as much as a typical five-star hotel, which I find incomprehensible. It's a real shame that such a good location wasn't put to better use. 🥹