Andaz Shenzhen Bay, By Hyatt

The East Room is worth a visit for lunch, especially for their pigeon. I also loved the hotel’s chic, timeless design and the residential feel of the rooms.

The room comb was such poor quality that wooden splinters pricked my hand. That added to an already very disappointing stay. I booked two rooms and a staff member promised me one free upgrade, but it never happened. Instead, I was told I’d have to pay extra, something I’d never experienced as a member. The staff seemed poorly trained and struggled with basic requests, and the service fell short of the Hyatt standard I used to trust. I switched to Marriott the next day and stayed there for two nights. They respected my member benefits and gave excellent service. I don’t recommend this place.

Andaz Shenzhen Bay feels like a hotel built to last, with a vision that reaches beyond impressive looks. Tony Chi’s human-focused design turns the lobby into a city living room, the corridors into art galleries, and the restaurants and lounges into places for conversation. The spaces seem to carry an emotional quality, while reflecting how modern urban elites connect with one another. Its creation also feels like the closing chapter of an era in hospitality. As what may be the swan song of hospitality’s “golden age,” it shows China Resources’ remarkable ambition. Even with Park Hyatt already in Shenzhen, the owner’s representatives went to Tokyo for inspiration and chose Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills as the model. They convinced Tony Chi, who had stayed away from hotel design for a long time, to return to it for Shenzhen, leaving behind his “one city, one masterpiece” legacy. It was poignantly his final hotel design.

The rooms were stellar, and the service was fantastic. This Nanshan hotel was much better than most of the five-star places I’ve stayed at in the area. I do wish it had a spa for treatments. Highly recommend.