New Kaiyue

Stayed there for 4 nights, chose this hotel due to its location (directly opposite the train station). We joined the local day-tours so pick up and drop off everyday is great as it's very central. We work in Shanghai, and know Mandarin, so this is okie for us, but foreigners may find this hotel not up to standard. The room is fine, there's big mirrors at both sides, huge gallon-water dispenser for our free use, bed is okie, no problem asking for extra pillows. The chamber maids and staff are pretty polite and efficient but we doubt they speak any English. There is a minimart right in the hotel and the pricing are reasonable. Cons: The toilet is old and pretty aweful. Bad white lighting. We shower behind the sliding shower doors, but water seeps out and no floor mat is provided. We have to use the face towels as floor rug to dry our wet feet. Thank god the cistern flushes well/clean and is not leaky (common with many old chinese hotels). Day 1 - called to ask for a hair dryer and was told they run out. Luckily they brought me one within an hr and left that in my room for the remaining stay (I had expect to call them daily for dryer request,haha.). Day 2 - there wasn't any hot water for showering till 1/2 later of turning on the tap. Staff said this is old problem of the hotel. The heater feature of the aircon malfunctions. The room is pretty cold, even colder than the nice spring weather outside, and I had to wear long cardis and socks to sleep. Doors and walls are little thin, so you can imagine chinese men speaking loudly at night when they return as well as kids running and shouting in the morning. The chinese online websites quote this hotel rates at 188yuan/night. I think it is worth its price and my expectations are kept as such. Anything more I wont pay for that.

Realised we had made a mistake even before we entered the front door. Shabby, dirty ........just terrible. (my wife refused to even take her shoes off!) We stayed just 10 minutes, long enough to book elswhere. (used their computer and even that was disgustingly filthy) Price should have given a clue but we wouldn't have stayed even if they paid us!!

Stay away folks. It is old, dirty, dark, smelly, over priced crappy hotel that does not deserve its 3 stars rating.