Right next to the Qingdao Railroad and the seaside! Lots of places to eat nearby. In a charming part of the "old town" as I call it. It was quiet enough, and didn't have prostitute solicitations slid under our door, which was refreshing. When we booked, we were concerned that the hotel would have lots of railway station chumps staying there, but the price keeps them away. I think that's why it's overpriced.
Beds:
VERY hard beds if you get the twin beds. My parents got the king-sized bed which was much softer. (hmmmm, wonder why? I guess it's gotten more "use"). Supposedly the 10th floor has longer king-sized beds than all of the other floors. If you are a tall foreigner, I assume that they will assign you these rooms if they are available.
Pillows:
All of the pillows are awful. Two solutions: 1: borrow a pillow from the common area sofas. 2. neatly cut a hole in your pillow to drain all of the hard buckweat out of the bottom, replacing it when you leave. This requires sewing skills.
Bathroom:
Good shower with nice water pressure and no hot/cold fluctuations. Fun pine slats in the shower to prevent your feet from touching the tile. We were lucky that ours were new. My parents had the old ones which were very discolored.
Wifi and food:
Wifi in the rooms. My VPN did not work here regularly. Free breakfast buffet really was quite nice- lots of choices. Show up early to get hot and fresh food. Otherwise, just visit the fried egg/soup noodle station.
Friendly and helpful staff (but, hey, I do speak Chinese which is always a plus)
Tips: Qingdao subway stations will start opening up in 2015, I believe. It will be AWESOME!
Go to the Shinan part of town, where you will find TONS of HUGE restaurants that have safe, delicious seafood!