Shangri-La Qinhuangdao

Very close to the sea, and the sea-view rooms offer pleasant scenery. The hotel service is excellent. The dishes at Qinxiang Pavilion are delicious, and the service there is also top-notch. The gym and pool are good. My family and I all had a great time.

The room faces the sea, and just sitting on the balcony sofa and zoning out is the best way to relax. The hotel's location is unbeatable, right on the beach. There's a small gate in the hotel courtyard that leads directly to the beach when you use your room card. There are quite a few dining options nearby, and the hotel's buffet is also good. For families with young children, the most pleasant surprise is that the hotel provides bed rails!

Facilities: It's an old hotel, so you can't expect top-notch facilities, but they're well-maintained. It's clean and comfortable enough, making for a pleasant stay. Food: The variety is quite limited, but everything tastes great. I feel their pastries and breads are the best things the hotel offers. View: This is definitely a highlight. It's fantastic to feel the breeze and watch the sea from the room. Just cross the street downstairs and you're at the beach, perfect for a stroll. Service: Overall, the service is pretty good. Perhaps because it was a busy weekend, the front desk was swamped and a little less proactive than usual. Executive Lounge: It's almost non-existent. The only real benefit was the open balcony in the afternoon to look out at the sea.

Booked for 900 a night, but for this price, the hotel's services and amenities were truly disappointing. The water provided was surprisingly bad, worse than what you'd get at a typical chain hotel. They said breakfast was 100 per person, which was completely not worth it; it was just on par with an Atour Hotel, very ordinary. There were no welcome gifts upon check-in or check-out either. They really need to step up their service. I won't be returning.

The room size is quite spacious. Although the decor is a bit dated, the cleanliness is truly impeccable. Overall, the service attitude was very good. The front desk staff were very friendly. Telephone service was prompt; it's the fastest I've experienced at any hotel in terms of getting help to the room. The welcome fruit was incredibly fresh and substantial. Every piece was edible, not just good-looking but tasteless ones. What I wasn't happy with: Firstly, the doorman. We arrived around 2 PM, which I assume is peak check-in time. I only saw one attendant at the entrance. My family went to park, and I was left alone with my child, carrying a backpack, an iPad, dragging a suitcase, and a large bag of snacks. The attendant just took the luggage out of the car and left me to my own devices. It was quite chaotic. Even if he had just helped me get a luggage cart, it would have been much better. When traveling with children, you always have a lot of stuff, so this situation should be very common. I suggest increasing the number of doormen and having luggage carts readily available at the hotel entrance. Secondly, the toothbrush in the room was incredibly hard. After brushing, I was practically spitting blood. Also, the hairdryer was fixed inside a drawer with a very short cord, making it difficult to hold up. Plus, it was really hard to use. Can't they update to a better one? The cool air doesn't dry, and the hot air burns your scalp. Even with my relatively thin hair, it took ten minutes to somewhat dry, when at home it usually takes about a minute. It doesn't have to be as fancy as a Dyson, but a Xiaomi or Laifen would be an improvement. Finally, the automatic door on the first floor leading to the beach wasn't very sensitive. As I was walking out with my child, it started closing automatically before we were fully through, and my child bumped their face. Although it wasn't serious, it's still a safety hazard. I reported it to the front desk, and they were very kind and immediately asked about my child's well-being. I just hope the issue will be taken seriously.

We paid to upgrade to the Horizon Club upon check-in, and the unobstructed sea view from the twentieth floor was indeed fantastic! They even added an extra bed for free when they saw our child was older, which was very much appreciated. Our main goal for this trip was to relax with the kids, and after a lot of searching, we chose Shangri-La. The location is absolutely unbeatable; you step out of the small garden right onto the beach, and the sea view from the balcony is also beautiful. Breakfast was decent, with both Chinese and Western options. As an older hotel, some of the facilities are a bit dated, but the parking lot is spacious, and the hotel is very quiet. The room was smoke-free and odorless, and the bedding was quite comfortable. It's super convenient for dining and sightseeing around the area. On our first day, it drizzled a bit, and walking along the seaside boardwalk was especially pleasant.

I booked this room 20 days in advance, but when I checked in on the day of my stay, they immediately asked if I wanted to pay extra to upgrade to a sea-view room with a balcony because there were no rooms available on the 22nd floor. I asked, 'Didn't I book so far in advance precisely to secure a specific room?' They said rooms could only be assigned on the day itself. Then I asked if I could switch to a king-size bed room, and they told me there were none available (later, I checked the app, and there were clearly rooms available that day). The room I got wasn't exactly not a sea view, but the view from the 6th floor was relatively poor. Later, after washing my hair, I realized there was no comb. The first time I called, it took over 10 minutes to get one. The second time I called, it was delivered quickly, but they promised two combs and only sent one (my family prefers to each have a separate comb, which is why I requested two). Oh, and the bottled water they provided was Pure Life, which costs 1 yuan a bottle – not even as good as what 4-star hotels offer. Overall, my experience this time was quite disappointing. I mentioned these issues during a follow-up call, and they offered a discount for my next visit, but the problem is, who goes to the same place repeatedly when they're on vacation? For a star-rated hotel, this level of service and quality is truly disheartening.

This is my first time giving less than a 5-star rating on Ctrip, and my first time checking out early. I originally booked for two nights but decided to check out after just one. The so-called 'sea view room': I knew about the negative reviews online but booked it for the proximity to the sea and the 'sea view room' advantage. I was drawn in by the 'Deluxe Sea View Balcony Room' photos when booking (see 'deceptive' image 3), so I booked it directly. Upon entering the room, my heart sank. You could only see a side sea view from the balcony. Every time I lay on the bed, all I saw was the unfinished building across the street from the hotel (image 2) – it was truly frustrating! I wanted to watch the sunrise from the room, but even stretching out on the balcony, I couldn't see the sun. You can imagine how off-center the view was. Later, I realized when checking Ctrip that I probably needed to book a higher category, like a Club Sea View Room, to get a more direct sea view. Paying over a thousand yuan a night still doesn't guarantee you a good view. Hygiene: I won't even mention the musty smell upon entering the room; I was mentally prepared for it. There was a very obvious white stain on the chair, which I didn't photograph to spare myself the sight. I thought it was a stubborn stain, but when I tried wiping it with a damp tissue the next morning, it came off easily! At that moment... Service: Given its unique advantage of being a five-star hotel right by the sea in Jinmeng Bay, downtown, the Shangri-La was lucky to have secured such a prime location early on, so they don't lack customers. As a result, you don't feel like the staff genuinely cares about making your stay comfortable. They just do the bare minimum to avoid mistakes, appearing arrogant and completely indifferent to guest feedback. Bedding: My husband and child are usually very happy and uncomplaining when staying in hotels. This time, however, after waking up, one said the bed was uncomfortable, and the other said the pillow was uncomfortable. Breakfast: This was the most basic five-star hotel breakfast I've ever had. It didn't even compare to the 'Yutian' restaurant in the resort from the day before. Pros: The back garden has direct access to the beach. The garden had a stunning display of beautiful hydrangeas, but upon closer inspection, they turned out to be fake. The only real flowers were a few wilting ones. Shangri-La, with such a great location, please put in more effort. Sanya is too far away; since you've got the prime spot, keep up the good work and thrive.

Facilities: Comprehensive, but a bit outdated. Cleanliness: Good. Environment: Beautiful and comfortable. Service: Warm and polite. The free upgrade to a sea-view room was fantastic! The room had a balcony and was on a very high floor, offering an excellent view. The garden downstairs provides direct access to the beach, which is incredibly convenient. I think it's especially suitable for families with children. The hotel's location is also superb, with great dining options nearby. I truly recommend it, recommend it, and recommend it again!