Days Hotel and Suites Xiamen Resort

This was our first family trip to Xiamen, and we booked two rooms for two nights at Xiamen Shengzhixiang Hotspring Resort. The rooms were spacious, clean, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed. Staff at the front desk were friendly and always ready to help. The highlight was the spa at night, with around 50 small pools ranging from cool to hot. Each pool had a different infusion, including lemon, star anise, red wine, coffee, and many other herbs and scents. It was amzing to move from one pool to another and try so many different experiences. The atmosphere felt peaceful, romantic, and very unique, making this resort suitable for couples and honeymooners as well as families. We had a relaxing and memorable stay and would gladly return on our next visit to Xiamen. Highly recommended.

Been there 2 nights during a company meeting. Rooms are spacious and well equipped, reception is professional, hot springs are good. On the downside: not everything worked technically in the room, service was somewhat inflexible, facilities overall a bit used and food just average. Overall no place where I need to come back and in no relation to regular rates of 1600 RNB for the regular room.

Stay 29 Oct to 3Nov Business trip and had to stay in this hotel as it is the nearest hotel to where I am supposed to go. 1) Location Location for this hotel is TOTALLY away from anywhere else. It is about 50km away from Xiamen City. I guess it is fine if you want some time away from the city and you are near this area and wish to have some real quiet or romantic time. If you do not drive, there is practically no where you can go unless you take a taxi(it is not easy to get one unless the hotel helps you call one), or you just take the hotel transport out(Chargable). I estimate that it is at least 1 to 2km walk to a local shop or restaurant(small local stalls that sells food). It is also far away from Tong An city central(at least 10 to 15 mins by taxi) Nothing interesting to go around in this area. Since it is a spa and resort, I guess you are supposed to stay inside the hotel and just get some relax time. Place is big, but if you lucky you might get a buggy to bring you within the hotel and the spa. (It’s about a 3 to 5 mins walk) Air is not exactly nice or clean in this area since there is many construction going on around the area and the air is filled with dust/sand. So not comfortable to walk out to get food or Jog.. 2) Rooms I got a room on the 5th floor. There is a balcony where you can see the pool and a table outside where you can relax. Room is spacious, air-condition is good and quiet. Not much noise in the room. Internet is working well and connection speed is fast. Power points are sufficient and there is kettle, tea and coffee given. I like it that they have the tradition kung fu tea set in the room and that they also provide 2 packs of tea leaves per day for you. It is great that you can sit at the balcony and enjoy some tradition kung fu style tea. There is one thing that I was really disappointed in the room structure was that the table faces the pool, but the TV is actually BEHIND you! So if you are doing work on the laptop on the table, you are unable to peek at the TV, you have to totally turn around. (Check out the photos) Bed, pillow and blankets are reasonable and comfortable. They do have centralized lighting controls. 3) Bath and Toilet This is another funny structure thing that I am quite amused (not in a good way). Refer to my photos for it. The doors to the shower or toilet is actually the same one. It is a sliding door, so if you close it for the shower, the toilet bowl is totally exposed, if you close it for the toilet, then the shower is totally exposed. For a single person in the room, it seems fine to me, but if 2 stay in the same room, means you cannot use the toilet while the other is taking a shower and same the other way round, unless one is fine with shower or using the toilet without closing the door. Water temperature and pressure is fine, bathtub is also quite big and comfortable. Full set amenities are given, room slippers, normal rubber slippers ( For the spa), bathrobes are available in the room. Towel quality fine too. 4) Breakfast Breakfast variety is good. There is a wide range of selection from cereal, porridge, local dumplings, buns to noodles and salad bar is there. Selection is good, but quality is average. There is also some choices of teas like flower tea or jasmine, red, black tea etc. The coffee is horrible… Nothing special to talk about at breakfast. Nothing to look forward too. 5) Service Check in was bad, I arrived on Sat afternoon, there was a crowd at the front desk, check in was slow and proper crowd control was not done with many people jumping the queue. During non-busy period, service standard was normal. Checking out was quite a breeze since it was busy as I checked out quite early, but overall was slow especially when the receipt is required. 6) Spa They do have many water stations within the spa, the service is friendly and nice. Place is clean and water seems to be clean without the strong smell of chlorine. It is super confusing inside as it is not really big, but it seems like a maze to me. There is only one map near the entrance after the changing room, then it is only signs telling you where the swimming pool or changing rooms. There is no clear indication of what and where the individual hot pools are. There is at least 20 or 30 I lost count) types (some repeated) of what I think should be called “HOT TUBs” around as most of it can have I guess max 3 or 4 peoples inside (might not be able to fully extend your legs) It is infused with many different types like coffee, ginseng, jasmine grass etc etc. They do indicate the use and purpose of each different one but it is all in Chinese. Shampoo and body wash is available and they have plenty of towels, towel stations and small zip lock bags (not waterproof) for you to put your stuff or mobile phones. One good thing is that there is real lockers besides some of the pools for you to lock your stuff while you enjoy the pool. One thing to note is that there is no English description for ALL the hot pools and limited English descriptions for some signs only. There is one interesting thing there which is all the “massage” sprays that shoots out strong water that is supposed to massage you. First time that I have seen an electric ‘bed’ in the pool. I have seen water spray beds but electric bed is really interesting. If you are there, you should try it, but I could not withstand 5 mins! Just like putting your entire body into a shock, it was slightly painful, ticklish and you feel your body belong hard for that 2 seconds. Indeed was quite an experience. There is also paid services for massage or fish pool etc at this facility. Below I share my not so good encounters with the hotel 1) My request was for a big bed, I was given 2 single beds. When I called the recep, they said it was a push together bed!!! I do not think that pushing 2 beds together makes it a big bed…. Since blanket is still a single bed blanket right! If they have pushed it together and put on a single bedsheet and blanket, maybe I can still accept it, but asking me to push them together to make it a big bed, I disagree 2) I asked for chilli from the kitchen at breakfast while I ordered noodles. When my noodles arrived, I asked for it again, I was told to wait 5 mins. After 5 mins, I asked the kitchen again. The cook inside actually asked me to get it from the service staff (he was quite rude too). I went to the service staff, guess what, they told me to get from the kitchen as they would not have it! I went back to ask the kitchen again and the cook never even respond to me and signaled for the service staff to go to him and he gave instructions to her while leaving me standing there. 3) All local calls are free, but I called to ask if toll free numbers are chargeable but I was told that they do not know too. After 20 mins, they called my room and ask if I was able to make that call, if not they can send the duty manager to my room to lend me his phone to call. At least in this case, some service standards are shown. 4) There was a day that they moved the breakfast venue to another place and I guess they were busy the night for the moved, so NO ROOM SERVICE was available. I think in cases like this, they should have informed the guest in advance that room service is suspended. 5) This is one of the most unaccepted things. I had noodles one day and I chose 2 crabsticks to be included. THEY COOKED IT TOGETHER WITH THE PLASTIC WRAPPING!!!! I do not know if this is supposed to be this way but to me, it was totally unacceptable. This are not plastic that should be included in high temperature cooking, at home, we always remove the plastic before cooking it Encounters with the SPA 1) They gave ONE time entrance per day for guest. This is something I really do not understand, especially when the swimming pool is located in the spa itself. I think this is the first hotel that actually limits you to use the swimming pool once a day. Note! Gym is also in this spa, means you can only go to the Gym once a day too, unless you pay to go in again… 2) They screen movies at one of the pools, but it is played in the evening, so if you went during the day and you wish to watch a movie, you will have to stay in the spa till movie screening as you are only allowed one entry per day, unless you pay to go into the spa again. The pool which the movie is screened, water is only to my chest when I am sit down in the pool( I am about 1.7m tall), there is no way my hair can even touch the water, but maybe they are afraid you splash water on your head as it is compulsory to wear a swimming cap… 3) They require a swimming cap for the message sprays at the pool too. So please remember to bring your swimming cap, if not you can purchase it from the only store in the entire hotel…, if not you are not allowed into the pool or on some facilities. 7) Overall It is quite a mixed feeling for this hotel, therefore I gave it an average while I think it is dragged down by the service quality (especially the restaurant) and concept for the spa. Honestly, I will not chose this hotel on my own will even for my holiday, but I did not have a choice since it is the nearest to where I need to go. Anyway, at this location, if you are not local or not going anyway around this area, I feel that it is too much effort for too little reward even for leisure. There is similar and bigger ones that is nearer to Xiamen City itself and you do not need to travel so far. But if you are around this area, I suggest you give it a try but do allocate a day for it since the spa is a ONE time entry.