Waterfront Hotel

The room was a decent size, and we could open two large suitcases. The bathroom door is half transparent, so you can clearly see what the other person is doing inside. The lift is small and slow. The hotel is in Songshan, right behind Raohe night market, which is very convenient, though it’s some distance from the city center. We stayed over New Year’s and paid relatively more than that standard of accommodation seemed worth. I’d only come back if it cost half as much.

We got a room for four with two sets of bunk beds. It’s small, but cozy and functional, with good-sized beds and curtains for privacy. There are large lockers in the room for everyone. The toilets are for our room, but across the corridor. The beds and toilets were clean, and it had everything we needed. The staff were friendly and helpful, and Raohe Night Market is a five-minute walk away. I gave it five stars because it was what I expected. The hotel photos are touched up, but they’re pretty close to what you see in real life.

The lobby and ground-floor common areas were clean and well maintained. Staff were bright, welcoming, polite, and friendly, and the luggage storage was convenient. Unfortunately, the guest room was a striking contrast. There was no proper ventilation, and the window wouldn’t open. The air felt stale and suffocating, and visible mold showed how poorly ventilated and maintained the room was. The bathroom was especially bad: it was very dirty, with mold in many places and a constant damp, unpleasant odor. There was also a strong cigarette smell coming from it. As a non-smoker, I found that unbearable. Shower steam made both smells stronger and spread them through the whole room, including the bed area. I asked the front desk for a room change, but was told there were no rooms available and advised to close the bathroom door. It had been closed the whole time. The door doesn’t seal properly, with wide gaps at the top, bottom, and sides, so smells and humidity came into the room anyway. This seemed like a structural design problem, not something guests could fix, and the hotel offered no effective solution. With no room change available, I had to give up. The odor became so overwhelming I couldn’t stay in the room. In the middle of the night, I went outside and sat by the riverside, wondering, “Why am I suffering like this after paying for a hotel?” I could only sleep briefly by leaving the room door open to the hallway for ventilation. Turning off the TV also shut off the Wi-Fi, which was very inconvenient. The mattress was extremely hard, so I couldn’t rest properly. This was a deeply disappointing stay. If you’re even a little sensitive to odors, cleanliness, or ventilation, I strongly don’t recommend this hotel.

The riverside bedroom had a nice design, with a floor-to-ceiling window looking out over the river. The bed and pillows were comfortable, and it had all the necessary amenities. Wi-Fi was strong, and the stay was comfortable overall.