Century Plaza Hotel

The hotel is now called Velaye Velaye Yue. It's no longer Xindu, please. My room on 20/F was okay, but the old furniture made the whole place feel dated and should be replaced. The lobby looked new and was huge, though it seemed empty. I'd rate the hotel at three stars as it stands, but with new furniture and the budget for it, I think four stars would be appropriate. The location is perfect: Luohu entry port is a 15-20 minute walk, so there's no need for the subway, or a 3-5 minute taxi ride. The breakfast buffet is decent with lots of choices; the congee is great, and the coffee machine is new. I'll come again.

The hotel is right in the middle of the city, with a bus stop, market, mall, garden, and metro station all very close. Rooms are clean and fairly spacious, and breakfast was delicious with a generous, wide-ranging menu. The huge entrance lobby looks amazing, and there's a business centre on one side.

There's a good range of restaurants and cafes around, and the location is very good, within walking distance of Luohu port and Line 1 and Line 9 metro stations. Rooms are spacious and good. Service was okay, but there was nowhere to sit in the hotel lobby. I also thought the visitor policy was unfair: you can't meet anyone in the lobby without being charged and having to order one drink per person.

The Indian curry cafe on the 3rd floor was a nice option for Indian food. I had the egg curry, which was decent considering the location in mainland China. The jasmine tea in my room was the highlight, especially with hot water. The hotel is in the plush Luohu Qu area and is tidy and spacious, with big chandeliers greeting you at reception. But the lobby smelled strongly of smoke, and the food wasn't good.