Haidu Hotel Qingdao

The room was spacious and had good amenities, with mineral water replenished daily. The reception staff were welcoming, and there are restaurants and Aeon mall nearby. Breakfast was decent if you like local food, though there wasn't much continental choice. One downside: taking out the room card also switches off the fridge. Still, it was a pleasant stay.

I stayed here from January to April 2016 with around 20 crew members while our ship was in dry dock. The hotel's location couldn't have been better, with everything within walking distance. The rooms, food and general staff were okay, but the language barrier was a major problem. Smiley, the front office manager, was the only one who spoke our language. She was outstanding, handled problems incredibly well and is a real asset to the hotel.

The hotel is in the newer part of Qingdao. It was clean and tidy, and the rooms were quiet and spacious. The buffet had a wide range of food for different nationalities, plus a separate area for children. The downside was the slow Wi-Fi, which only worked with a VPN.

The hotel is nice, but the reception staff don't speak or understand English. If something goes wrong, they may not understand you. I'd recommend installing a translator app on your phone beforehand, ideally one that works offline. Good luck!