Overseas Chinese Hotel Hangzhou

We initially had 3 nights booked at this hotel. Checked in on July 5/19. They had allocated rooms on the 5th floor to us as it has views of the lake. However, as we asked for non-smoking rooms, they placed us in two rooms on the 4th floor in the far end of the building. Front desk claimed that those were non-smoking rooms. As a result, we were willing to forego the view for non-smoking rooms. We did not observe anyone smoking in the lobby, however; we could smell the smoke as we walked into the hotel. The hallways were musty smelling. The rooms were extremely dated. Ceiling drywall taped, dirty carpet (crumbs and stains), linen had stale smoke scent, smoke was wafting into the room from the sink drain and the closet was falling apart. The mattress was hard and not plush nor comfortable. Buffet breakfast was included in our rate on the 5th floor dining hall. The selection was poor. As you walked toward the dining hall, one could smell the smoke wafting out through the guest room doors. Although the location of the hotel is great, this hotel is badly in need of a major overhaul. If you are a traveler who can overlook the smoke and state of disrepair then it would be a good deal. Otherwise, our recommendation is to stay away! We checked out after the first night and moved on to a much better hotel. Note that there is no in-room safe, however; they do have a safes behinds the front desk for guest use.

While the look and feel of the hotel is very average, very 1950s, the price and the location make up for the lack of style points. The breakfast selection was plentiful and typical, and the bar was a good place for meeting friends. Let's face it, you don't go to Hangzhou to stay in your hotel.

We can definately recommend this hotel for a stay in Hangzhou. The location is perfect - literally on the West Lake shore and the price is much less than other lakeside hotels. We had a wonderful view of the lake from our window - we recommend booking a room with a view. The hotel is also only a short walk away from a Metro station - Longxiangqiao, and the metro is as efficient and easy to use as those in Beijing and Shanghai. Not many Westerners stay at this hotel - in fact, I think we might have been the only ones there at the time we stayed there. However, the staff at the front desk speak English and we were able to communicate effectively. There is free Wifi which is a good bonus. The rooms are basic, but perfectly fine and clean. I would say a bit more upmarket than a Travelodge in the UK. We were very comfortable there and if we are ever in Hangzhou again we would choose this hotel. Breakfast is served on the top floor in a large communal dining hall, where you have to share a large round table with other guests. It is served from 7am, but we found it much less crowded later on, at around 9am. Breakfast is definately not Western - it is very Chinese, interesting but might not be to everyone's taste. A good interesting experience though. A walk along the West Lake is recommended early morning before breakfast, to see the Tai Chi, dancing, singing etc - a fabulous experience.