The Great Wall Hotel

Hotel was selected by our hosts, the the provincial peoples hospital. Selected by them due convenience as it was around the corner. It is in an old area which seems to have been forgotten, with many abandoned buildings and shops. It is about 4km from an area now called the New CBD. This area is new, vibrant and busy. We were provided with a twin room (travelling with my wife) which had 2x single beds. When I say single though, they were very big(wide). Beds very comfortable with good quality linen. The rooms themselves looked very tired. There were holes in the wall, broken/shifted light fittings and the window frames were in disrepair and had stains from water leaks down the wall. The room, and the entire floor smelt of cigarette smoke, and carpets and wallpaper were well worn. There are about 160 TV channels, but could find nothing in english. Staff struggled with english, but the entire 10days we only 2 other non-chinese people. This isn't really a tourist area, and basically caters mainly for Chinese locals. We were on the 18th floor with good views, but visibility in the smog is limited to about 2km. The rooms were serviced daily(fresh towels and beds made), and new linen provided on the sunday. Wifi is free with pass codes in the rooms. Speed OK, but access is limited due to government censorship, so you won't get facebook, hotmail, or anything google. Breakfast is on the third floor, and basically Chinese. The only thing non-chinese was a loaf of break and bowl of jam. Eggs can be cooked to your liking by the chef. no bacon or other western delicacies. Lunch and dinner is available on the ground floor, and again has only local cuisine. That being said, we had 3 meals there and they were fantastic and many dishes cooked fresh. It is very cheap as well. Both our toilet, and that of another room blocked during the week, but a staff member attended to this within 15minutes. Overall, it is a basic hotel that needs a bit of work, but for business where little time is spent in the rooms, it does the job. Would I stay there again, for convenience and business, yes, but i'd probably go to the New CBD if travelling for leisure.

The front desk staff is efficient and the doorman is always there to open the door. At times, no one comes to help with luggage from the taxi to the front desk. There are a few steps up to the lobby from the street; this could be cumbersome without help. We always request non-smoking room and it is not always available. Housekeeping is very accommodating and always sprays the room and drapes before we enter a smoking room. Whether one stays in a smoking or non-smoking floor, there are always people who smoke and keep their room door open and talk loudly with their visitors who also smoke. The room is furnished with beds, desk and chair, a small round tea table with 2 chairs. The table holds a Chinese Tea set and canisters of tea with a price tag on each. However, there are tea bags that are complimentary. 2 bottles of water are also complimentary. It has a small fridge and hairdryer. Robes and bedroom slippers are provided. Soap, shampoo, and even laundry detergent are provided. The closet is large enough and it has a safe that one could use for free. There is sufficient space in the room for luggage. The flat screen TV offers many channels, including English speaking channels. While the room is booked for 2 persons, only 1 breakfast is given. The other person has to pay for it. This has always been the same for over 10 years that we have been staying here. Breakfast is mainly local food such as dim sum, soybean milk, steamed buns, yam, and corn, and porridge. There is a small salad bar of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as canned fruits. Bread is available. Eggs and noodles are made at one's request at the counter. The staff does not speak English, so pointing to items we want helps. Juice, tea, and coffee are included. We stay at this hotel at least once a year. The room is good size and clean. The bathroom has a tub and a separate shower stall. The housekeeping staff is courteous and efficient. Carrefour (supermarket & dept. store), local groceries stores, eateries, small hospitals, dentist, bakeries, and shops are near. If one is up to walking, cross the street from the hotel and go to the right then cross at the main street intersection (subway station at this corner) and go to the left, one would soon find the Lychee Park (annual Lychee Festival is end of June-early July). It is nice to walk in the park in the morning or evening to enjoy the nice breeze from the lake. In the park, there are always people singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, practicing acrobat, and etc. A big board of Deng Xiaoping picture is at the other end of the park. Further down the road to the right and cross the road via underground pass, one would find a supermarket and food court and beyond it is a high end shopping center. It is a longer walk from the hotel to Dong Muen or Tun Muen shopping and market. From the hotel, cross the street and go to the left then cross at the intersection of the main road (Amway is at the corner), turn right and walk to the end then turn left. Along the way, one would see shops and eateries. Continue on to Dong Muen where locals shop. There are many food hawkers of local foods. It gets very crowded, especially on weekends and holidays. BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS. There are many things to do and see in Shenzhen. Foot massage is a must after walking all day. There are a few massage places near the hotel. There is a Korean one next to it (on the right) and a few across the street. Shenzhen is not far from Zhuhai, where one could walk across the border to Macau. The immigration line can get long but not as bad as going to Hong Kong. There are buses from various casinos waiting to take customers to their casino. Take anyone of them to get in to town for free. One could also take the train to Hong Kong from Louhu Station. Best to go early as the immigration line can be long and crowded at the crossing. If one does not want to cross, one could shop and eat at the station shopping mall. Beware of merchants and others who tell you that your money is counterfeit after they have switched your good bill to their fake bill. Also be wary of pickpockets. Hope this is helpful for those visiting Shenzhen. Pickpocket and fake bill are common in China.

We stayed two nights on different dates. There were renovations done on one floor. On the first date of stay at 2:00 am, in the middle of the night they started to drill in the concrete just one floor under us. I went down one floor to meet some working men. They were not to be disturbed. I went to the reception angry. They responded and stopped most of the sound of reconstruction in the night. So beware: the hotel is dated and renovations are under way. They just started! The hotel is also far from the center. We booked because it was the only one available through Agoda. Other online bookings in Mandela were not possible. Far way from the center. Difficult to get transport. Taxi is € 7 to center.