Review: China Hotel, A Marriott Hotel Guangzhou 2014

So as I was trying to pick a hotel for the two nights during which I will be alone in Guangzhou, it came to my attention that China Hotel is offering an SGD 99 per night rate.Tax inclusive, that bill would come to about SGD 115 per night. While that is certainly not a cheap rate for hotels in China, it is a good deal considering it being a 5 star hotel in a Tier 1 city.

Dec 24 2014 to Dec 26 2014 [2 nights]

Location wise, the hotel is right on top of the YueXiu Park station of the Guangzhou Metro and is reasonably near to some of the major attractions in the city (usually no more than 5 metro stations), though if travelling for business a hotel in the CBD of Tianhe would have been far more convenient.

As the flight was slightly delayed and there was a long queue at the immigration, it was pitch black by the time I arrive at the hotel, and I must say the facade doesn't look too attractive, though to be fair it was well maintained considering the hotel opened in the 80s and was one of China's first joint ventures with foreign investors.

Stepping into the lobby, I was greeted by the bellman, and was directed to the check-in counter. There was a small queue at check-in, though the staff at the counter was quick to signal that they have noted my presence and apologised for the wait. Less than 5 minutes later I was directed to one of associates, Chris, who processed my check-in. Judging from the accent, he could be from Hong Kong. Chris again apologised for the wait and asked for my room preferences.

It's worth noting that Chris greeted me in English despite me having an Asian face. In addition, as I requested a room as high as possible, with a view of the city, Chris confirmed with me whether a room on level 13 is ok with me. While I am perfectly conversant in Mandarin Chinese and wouldn't have taken the slightest offense if greeted in Chinese, nor do I have any superstition pertaining to number 13, the unassuming attitude is worth commending, since many Asian does not necessarily speak Mandarin Chinese, and those who do (eg. my fellow Singaporeans) might find it more comfortable to converse in English.

And yes, my mood cheered up significantly at the sight of the Christmas tree!

In less than 10 minutes I was checked-in and Chris offered to have someone help me with my luggage, which, although I declined.

The room
My room was on level 13, facing the city, though I quickly realised that it doesn't matter since the smog in Guangzhou made any city view irrelevant.

The room is fairly compact, though perfectly comfortable for a single traveller. However, I would have appreciated a bit more space between the bead and other furniture.

The bed is large and comfortable, but the pillows are even better. When I leaned on them while sitting on the bed watching TV, I can feel the support on my back, and yet the pillows are soft and fluffy when I rest my neck on them.

The bathroom features a rainforest shower, as well as an adjacent bathtub. It is also stocked with Thann amenities, the scent of which I rather liked. Although I usually don't like the idea of using bathtubs in a hotel, I couldn't help noticing that one can sit in the bathtub and get a full view of the TV screen through the glass. Furthermore, the sound system is configured with hidden speakers in the bathroom. Useful if you catching up with the latest happenings, but the view can get obstructed by the condensation on the glass panel. 

The internet connection was pretty fast, and I could get some work done on my laptop. Unfortunately due to internet censorship in China, Youtube and Facebook would be out of bounds for my stay here.

Location wise, the hotel is located in the heart of Guangzhou, conveniently located a few metro stations from the CBD, close to major attractions (not that there are many in Guangzhou to begin with) and shopping districts.

Conclusion
While there are indeed a wide range of hotels available in Guangzhou and generally China for a much lower price and China Hotel is certainly not as modern as Westin or Hyatt, given the significant discounts that it offers and its proximity to the centre of the old city, it still offers a good value proposition to leisure visitors.