Southern Hotel - Guangzhou

Actually I don't have high expectation of this hotel given the price is cheap. The room is ok with all necessary amenities required. The breakfast does not look good with few selection but the food is quite good. The location of the hotel is good being close to a big shopping mall with quite good variety of food selection. The service is something that needs improvement.

Hardest sleeping surface yet encountered. Limited amenities. Only shower in bath. Slooooow internet, but free. Very convenient to Guangzhou's main hospital, and you'll see some patients coming through the lobby. Also convenient to the medical university.

I stayed two nights in this hotel last weekend on my first trip to Guangzhou. This hotel totally spoilt my stay in this great city! I booked via www.ctrip.com and my booking was for a deluxe twin for two nights including breakfast for both days. On checking in I was automatically charged double the rate of the cost of the booking and was told that this was a deposit for "damage" (so I was branded a thief before I had even set foot inside the room). When checking out instead of just refunding the "deposit" I was charged the actual amount for the 2 night booking but only got the original processed voucher back after demanding it! There was an initial argument regarding breakfast vouchers as they said because I was just one person staying in a double room I was only to get one voucher (although I had paid for two people and needed my second voucher for a business guest joining me for breakfast the next morning). After much discussion they reluctantly gave me my second voucher. The second morning there was another argument regarding b/fast vouchers and they would not give me any breakfast vouchers so my friend and I just went to the restaurant and let them sort it out. Incidentally, the breakfast was appalling and looked like the night before left overs. I had to ask specifically for a boiled egg and some toast and then a knife to butter the toast, I was given a plastic knife as they were too lay to go the restaurant downstairs and get a metal knife. The other choices for breakfast were dried looking noodles, corn on the cob and some green vegetables. Prior to this I went to have a shower on the second morning and there was no water. I had to wait over 1 hour before this was fixed as the "handyman" was having his breakfast. This is meant to be a four star hotel and they charge accordingly. The manager spoke little English so this was all conducted using sign language. On a final note: I actually do live and work in China so I know the difference cultural expectations but this hotel did nothing but disappoint from the moment I arrived to the moment I left!