Crowne Plaza Huangshan Yucheng By Ihg

This hotel is a mixed bag. The location of the river is scenic, but it is not really close to some of the tourist sites in the city. The rooms are big and pretty good overall. The bed is quite comfortable. But it is definitely used and dated. Why the hotel really loses marks, however is the quality of the buffet is quite poor. There are no distinct flavors. Although there are a lot of options, I felt that everything tasted quite bland and mass produced. Also, the swimming pool was kind of gross. There’s spit balls at the end of the lanes which you’re just filled with peoples spit which I guess is a cultural thing that is disgusting. The hot tub was not working. The exercise equipment is OK but again not very clean. So usually I would be working out every day, but I did not while I was staying at this property.

The lobby is impressive, massive ceilings, great chandelier, and loads of open space. The room was good sized, everything worked as expected. It can take a bit to figure the switches and the TV channels. Right outside the hotel is a clean river, and the walk along the river is wonderful especially if you do it in the morning. They have a good breakfast, with lots of Chinese and western choices.

Check in was a little frustrating as there was an exhibition / function taking place so a large group of people checking in at the same time. The frustration is that it is not clear who is in line, who works at the hotel, and what the different counters are for. I feel this is classic of how the things were always done… absolute chaos. The room is old school “luxury” but it feels really dark, gloomy, and outdated. The light switches in the room drove me crazy as they are all interconnected but made no sense. I spent forever going all over the room trying to switch off the lights Whac-A-Mole style and gave up after a while leaving some of the lights on. Of course the light switches also controls the TV too, which I could not find the remote to until the next morning. It is there in plain sight (in the photos) if you are observant and curious enough, but not when it is the end of a long day and I am just looking to pass out. That stayed on all night too… This room is clearly well used and the chair was rickety. The photos from a distance is quite deceiving. I was expecting a lot more for what they are advertising this hotel as.

I think this is one of the better, if not best, hotel around town. Sure, there are home stay types in the Old Town of Tunxi, which you should try for a different experience. But this is a comfortable place, with generous rooms and a good view of the river. Staff are friendly and helpful, rooms are clean, amenities are complete.