Suzhou Citadines Xinghai Apartment Hotel

The environment is great, and the facilities are comprehensive. It seems to be an apartment hotel with a history and a good reputation. It's a one-bedroom, one-living room unit with a bathtub. You have to stand in the tub to shower, which I'm not used to – it's a bit narrow and inconvenient. I'm more accustomed to a dedicated shower box. The bedroom and living room are separated by sliding doors. There's no space for nightstands on either side of the large bed, which I also found inconvenient (although you can put things on the headboard). My feet kept hitting the sliding door when getting out of bed, which was annoying. What I did like was the high floor, the view, and the microwave and tableware provided.

Even though the facilities felt a bit retro, they were of excellent quality and very clean! I'd definitely choose to stay here again next time I visit Suzhou.

The front desk staff were all incredibly nice! I initially booked the wrong dates on a third-party platform, and they helped me contact the third-party customer service for a refund. Then, they even upgraded my room on the spot. When I left, they gave me some snacks, drinks, and tissues. Their service was very thoughtful!

The location is super convenient for visiting Jinji Lake. The kitchen is fully equipped with everything you need, including a microwave, and breakfast was quite good. However, I felt paying extra for breakfast wasn't the best value for money. Overall, it's a great spot for short-stay travelers.

They gave us a free upgrade to a bigger room, which was a nice surprise. The subway is only a 10-minute walk away, which is super convenient. It's great that we could cook our own meals, and the cleaning staff came to tidy up every day. The breakfast spread was quite generous. We even got little gifts when we checked in and out at the front desk, and they gave us mugwort for Dragon Boat Festival! Such a thoughtful touch.