Paris Penninsula

A really good hotel.

The breakfast buffet was just passable, and for a place said to be Shanwei's first five-star hotel, the quality feels pretty average with plenty to improve. The building is a little dated, though the decor is nice and the location is central. My room had a musty smell, which made the stay less pleasant.

The breakfast and restaurant service were the strongest parts of my stay. The buffet was good, and chef Ling was professional and polite. Supervisors Wang Ling and Lin Dongqing made us feel comfortable, and the service helped offset the room's shortcomings. The two-day tour cost 359 yuan including tips, so it felt like a fair deal for the price. Front desk staff were generally polite and tried to resolve problems, though the front desk and housekeeping staff in the Block B Peninsula Holiday room were exceptions. Be careful when booking: the hotel has buildings A and B, with different room quality and prices. Building A is the Peninsula Paris, while Building B is the Peninsula Holiday Inn. I haven't stayed in A, so I can't speak to it, but the fifteenth floor of B didn't feel up to three-star standards, even though the hotel was officially rated five stars on February 17, 2012. The property opened on November 25, 2008, and was promoted as a new hotel and Shanwei's first five-star-standard property, operated by Hong Kong Xinli International Group's Yufu Industrial (Shanwei). By the stricter standards used by tourism bureaus in major Chinese cities, I have doubts about that distinction. There were several practical and comfort issues. There was no parking lot, and the guest drop-off area was narrow. The lobby and reception counter were small, with little seating and none of the grandeur I'd expect from a five-star place. The bar was beside the passage through Block B, the only way in and out of the lobby. Security also seemed lax, since guests could go from the lobby to the guest floors without a card. My room felt cramped, with two very small single beds and three old-fashioned single sofa chairs. A door beside the bed near the window led to the neighboring room, apparently an old-style suite, and I could hear conversations through it. That made me feel unsafe. The TV's USB power outlet didn't work. When I told the front desk, a middle-aged female staff member immediately asked if I'd brought a power outlet. The hotel supplied only one, by the bedside. The air conditioning was unreliable. Sometimes it blew cold, sometimes it only moved air, and at times it stopped altogether. Even set to 15 degrees Celsius, it couldn't cool the room, which was unbearably hot. There was also an odor in the bathroom. I traced it to the fluoride filtration system on the floor, and the smell went away after I added some water. The Peninsula Paris, Shanwei, November 25, 2024.

The room was quiet and soundproof, and everything inside and out looked spotless. I liked the classic decor and mahogany furniture, and there was a piano performance in the lobby each evening, with elegant music that lingered. The location worked well for a relaxed walk, about 800 meters from Er Ma Lu food street. A 24-hour convenience store on the first floor included breakfast, and the restaurant staff were very friendly. We enjoyed the meal, especially the Cantonese rice noodle rolls. My only complaint was the smell of smoke in the room. I stayed here on June 26, 2025, during my trip to Shanwei.