DoubleTree by Hilton Changbaishan Hot Spring

The adjoining sauna is a short two-minute walk away, and getting there means walking out into the cold. The hotel itself is really nice for the Changbaishan area, with well-furnished rooms and good architecture.

The place itself is good, but the service really let it down. We stayed four nights after booking through Expedia, and this was some of the worst service I’ve had at a Hilton. When I asked the front desk for help booking a local attraction, the night staff were irritable and kept sending me to someone else. Room cleaning was poor too, with rubbish left behind, so I had to keep notifying staff. One morning a cleaner took one of our personal belongings. I had to confront them to get it back, and the staff apologized. Even though I’d paid for the room in advance, the hotel charged the deposit again as payment. Getting the money refunded took a long time, and we were pressed for time to catch our train. Disappointing.

It was quiet with fewer tourists since we visited in the off-season. I had a happy, relaxing stay in a big, modern but cozy hotel, and all the staff were helpful. My Mandarin is terrible, but James helped sort out meals, tickets, and rides to Changbai Mountain Scenic Area and the railway station. I was very pleased with the guest rooms and restaurant, and the hot spring was included in the room. Lucky was so warm and even treated us to coffee.