Sofitel Dongguan Royal Lagoon

I have stayed at this hotel since it was the Sofitel Royal Lagoon. Although it has gone through a number of management and name changes, it remains a solid choice for those visiting the Dongguan area. For business or pleasure, it has the features to enjoy, from the great restaurants, secluded location and pools. You won't regret your stay. Highly recommended.

This hotel is situated in a beautiful park and it is surrounded by green. The view from our balcony was stunning, we had a room that overlooked the huge swimming pool. The room was big, but dated and needs a bit of tlc. We had two balconies, which was nice. The beds were comfortable and the bathrooms modern and clean. This hotel often has big events and these happen unannounced. In the time we were there, there was a big party as well as a wedding. During these times, the pool is overrun with people and it is not that great to use. The gym is very average. No one seems to go in to open it, turn the ac or tv on, no towels etc. The gym also seems to be a walkway to the pool, which is quite annoying. Lots of kids in the gym as well, at times, some with their parents and some not. The pool is this place's biggest asset. It is HUGE and clean. You are required to wear a swim cap and they are quite strict on this rule. Breakfast is very average and Chinese. Dumplings are good, as well as the dim sum, but don't go looking for a full English as this is not the place for that. Check in took absolutely ages, some members of our family was asked to take a picture, which didn't work and then had to go back down very late at night to retake it. This was quite annoying. Magazines in the hotel was about a year old! And these English magazines come our monthly, you would expect them to have the latest one. Staff were helpful, as much as they could help. Overall, this hotel is good value for money as it is on the cheaper end when it comes to hotels in Dongguan and in this area of Dongguan. I would recommend.

I am rating this as a very good Chinese hotel. The place is clean, my room wasn’t reeking of cigarettes, the size of the room was big, my bed was comfortable and the price was reasonable. Although the property is getting a bit on the older side, the room I had wasn’t showing too much wear and tear. The hotel is in the park adjacent to a golf course about 10 minutes away from civilization. I counted three restaurants on the premises - one Chinese, one Japanese and one Brazilian. Ate at the Chinese one and it was ok. Overall I was happy with my stay, perhaps partly due to having low expectations.