Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort & Spa

The breakfast was delicious, but even ordering an espresso was difficult because I’d expect more staff in a five-star hotel to speak basic English. That was one of the few positives from a stay that was otherwise among my worst hotel experiences, despite having traveled often for work and stayed at many hotels, including other Hyatt properties. The trouble started when I got back to my room from work around 2 AM on the first night and couldn’t turn off the lights. The front desk came up but couldn’t fix it, and neither could a technician. They eventually moved me from a king room to a twin. It wasn’t ideal, but by 3 AM I just wanted to sleep before my 7 AM wake-up. The next morning my original room had no electricity at all. I got ready in the dark with my phone flashlight, couldn’t use the smart toilet without power, and couldn’t take a proper shower without lights. I had to keep going between the two rooms to get ready. While I was at work that day, they arranged another room, calling it an “upgrade.” It was on the ground floor, had no view, and had only a small patch of grass instead of a terrace. Their continued insistence that it was an upgrade felt more like an excuse than a kind gesture. The compensation didn’t make up for the trouble. They later said I’d received complimentary wine, which I hadn’t, and gave me three slices of fruit on the last day. There was no offer to refund or discount the first night, which I think was the bare minimum after such a bad experience. Eventually they offered a free taxi worth about €5, hardly proportionate to the inconvenience. Afterwards, the Hyatt concierge team sent generic replies and denials instead of taking real responsibility. At check-in, I was also charged a €1000 deposit, and more than two weeks later I’m still waiting for it to be refunded. I can’t recommend this hotel and will keep staying with other chains where my experiences have been consistently better. As a Platinum member at Intercontinental, I’ve never run into problems like these.

I loved the renovated room the concierge kindly offered me, especially its beautiful lake view. The hotel stands on the site of an old Chinese village and preserves many cultural treasures. We heard good things about the opera performance, though unfortunately we didn’t get to see it. I really enjoyed my stay and would love to come back.

The surroundings are beautiful, and the hotel could be nice, but I can’t recommend it. The rooms felt old and run-down, and mine wasn’t clean because I found hair. Service also fell short of even basic, let alone four-star, standards. When I called, the concierge dropped the line and then wouldn’t answer again, saying, “I don’t speak English.” The front desk apologized later, but with this level of hotel and pricing, basic English skills should be mandatory.

The views are gorgeous, and I really enjoyed walking by the lake in the mornings and around the resort. I stayed for four nights. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to reach the city center on the hotel’s free shuttle. I love the quiet atmosphere, traditional architecture, and original old buildings.