JJingluoshengshengI chose the Huater Hotel for my trip to Harbin.
This hotel has quite obvious pros and cons, so I'll give an objective review for everyone's rational consideration.
1. **Location**
It's very close to the northern section of Central Street, which is the hotel's biggest advantage. This location is truly convenient. At night, you can leisurely stroll around Central Street without worrying too much about time. When you're tired from walking, it's just a few minutes back to the hotel.
2. **Service**
As soon as I entered the hotel, I felt the staff's enthusiasm. The bellhop helped with luggage and provided a map of the surrounding area. However, just like other instances of sudden 'enthusiastic service' I encountered in Harbin, there was always a catch. The bellhop helped take photos and even prepared captions, so guests could just post them directly. So, that's how high ratings are achieved! Does this mean hotel ratings won't be as meaningful in the future?
Aside from the initial 'fiery' enthusiasm upon arrival, the service attitude for daily interactions like entering and leaving the hotel or general communication was noticeably much more lukewarm. The difference was quite stark.
3. **Food and Beverage**
The hotel's dining is what I want to complain about the most. Having stayed in so many hotels, this was the worst breakfast I've ever had. Besides the boiled eggs tasting normal, there wasn't a single dish that tasted good; in fact, several dishes were extremely unpalatable. The milk and soy milk were both made from powder, and the bread slices didn't look high quality. The boiled wontons had no dried shrimp, no nori, not even salt, and the filling wasn't good. The 'sliced pork with sauce' (溜肉段) and fried shrimp or fish were all batter; there was barely anything inside, and crucially, they weren't even fully fried. It was genuinely awful. This breakfast standard is nowhere near what you'd expect from a five-star hotel; it's even worse than some three-star hotels. I tried to communicate with the hotel to see if I could cancel breakfast for the remaining days and get a refund or some compensation to eat out, but I was politely refused. Well, I guess I'll just have to make do with a bite, pretending it's to save time and control my weight.
There was also a complimentary afternoon tea from the hotel. I did check it out in the afternoon, and it honestly didn't whet my appetite. I can't even describe it; you'd understand if you saw it.
4. **Facilities**
The room size was advertised as 45 square meters, but it felt more like 30 square meters. Guests aren't ******; I know what a 45-square-meter room looks like. But I didn't bother arguing about it, as the size was still decent and sufficient. The lighting, equipment, water pressure, etc., were acceptable for a four-star hotel, I suppose, but clearly not five-star. The overstatement is quite obvious. The hotel has no swimming pool and no independent, spacious parking lot, all of which completely fall short of five-star hotel standards.
Overall, I feel this hotel is a mixed bag. If you can get a cheap price, combined with its excellent location, staying here could be a good choice. However, absolutely do not consider this a five-star hotel, because whether it's the exterior, the lobby, the room decor, the facilities, or the service, none of it meets five-star criteria. Setting high expectations will only lead to disappointment. Also, I strongly advise against having breakfast at the hotel; it's better to save your appetite and go out to try local Harbin snacks.
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