Luoyang Babylon Hotel

Checked into this hotel back in April 2012 as a pitstop to Shaolin templet, Dengfeng. We picked this hotel as it was rated 4 star in Agoda when we made our reservation. This is definitely not the case. It would fit a motel by international standard. Rooms were large and set in different quirky theme (which we doesn't expect) - ours come with massage chair and dining table. Breakfast was mere porridge with some preserved vegetables and steam buns - definitely not local restaurant standard nor international standard. We have booked a tour (in Mandarin) to Shaolin temple the next day while another European couple booked an English tour via the hotel. Surprisingly, we ended up in the same Mandarin speaking tour whereby I have to do the translation throughout the entire day tour. The tour guide just said in Mandarin that the English tour guide is sick on the very day. Ultimately, no one took responsibility for the mistake. The quality of the Mandarin tour were sub par as well. Disappointing experience.

We unfortunately ended up at this hotel after traveling from Beijing. The prices on the board behind the desk bear no relation to the value of the rooms or what you should pay. This is a tired and sad "Mao" era hotel. Rooms are dirty, hot (air conditioning didn't work), and worn. The Chinese hoteliers obsession with metering toilet paper continues to fascinate me. One interesting feature was the sauna in the bathroom, We didn't indulge for fear of causing a blackout in central China. Attractive young Chinese ladies visit the room in the middle of the night, unsolicited, No doubt courtesy of the night manager. Also didn't partake.