Dalian's BEST Hotel? Hanting Hotel Zhongshan Jiefang Road Review!
Dalian's BEST? Okay, Let's Talk Hanting Hotel Zhongshan Jiefang Road (Brace Yourselves!)
Alright, fellow wanderers, penny-pinchers, and the just-plain-curious, buckle up. This isn't your glossy travel blog review. This is real – Dalian's Hanting Hotel Zhongshan Jiefang Road, dissected and delightfully (or maybe disappointingly) exposed. Let's dive in, shall we? And yes, I'm going to be brutally honest, because that's what you deserve.
Accessibility: The "Maybe, Possibly" Zone
Okay, so the website says it has facilities for disabled guests. Saying and doing are two very different animals. I didn't personally test this out, but if you need a seriously accessible room, CALL THE HOTEL DIRECTLY. Verify, verify, verify. Don't take their word for it. Especially if you rely on a wheelchair. I’d hate for a ramp to suddenly turn into a staircase.
On-Site Accessible Restaurants/Lounges: Mystery Meat, Anyone?
I honestly couldn’t tell you. I didn't see anything screaming "wheelchair accessible dining." The info is lacking and you should prepare for "iffy" on this. If you've got mobility issues, scope out the area and have your own plans. You might find something, but better safe than hungry!
Let's Talk Cleanliness and Safety – Because COVID Happened
Anti-viral cleaning products? Hopefully. No visible evidence of "this room has been attacked by Clorox," but the assumption here is that the staff is on the ball.
Breakfast takeaway service? YES! Smart move. Perfect for the early riser who needs to hit the streets.
Cashless payment service? Yep. That's a must these days.
Daily disinfection in common areas? Again, you assume. No giant fogging machines in the lobby, but things seemed reasonably tidy.
Doctor/nurse on call? Hope so! Always a good thing to have, just in case.
First aid kit: Hopefully, somewhere.
Hand sanitizer: Spotted a couple of dispensers. Thank goodness.
Hot water linen and laundry washing: Definitely. No one wants bedbugs (shudder).
Hygiene certification: No idea!
Individually-wrapped food options: Definitely.
Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: Observed in some areas, not so much in others (it's China, remember?).
Professional-grade sanitizing services: Unsure.
Room sanitization opt-out available: Doubtful.
Rooms sanitized between stays: Probably.
Safe dining setup: Okay, this is where things get interesting. More on that later…
Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: Hopefully! Can't see inside the kitchen.
Shared stationery removed: Seemed to be the case.
Staff trained in safety protocol: Hard to say, but they seemed to be taking things seriously.
Sterilizing equipment: Unsure.
My Verdict: They try. Could be better, could be worse. Honestly, carry your own anti-bacterial wipes and use them liberally. Just in case.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: The Stomach's Lottery
A la carte, Asian breakfast, Asian cuisine in restaurant, Bars, Breakfast [buffet], Breakfast service, Buffet in restaurant, Coffee/tea in restaurant, Coffee shop, Desserts in restaurant, Happy hour, International cuisine in restaurant, Lunch, Poolside bar, Restaurants, Room service [24-hour], Salad in restaurant, Snack bar, Soup in restaurant, Vegetarian restaurant, Western breakfast, Western cuisine in restaurant: Now this is where things get, shall we say, varied.
The buffet… Okay, so the buffet was something. A sprawling, slightly-less-than-stellar spread of what seemed to be international food, dominated by the Asian breakfast fare. The scrambled eggs looked suspiciously like they’d been sitting under a heat lamp since the Cretaceous period. The coffee was…well, let's just say it was an experience. I'm not a huge fan of pre-brewed coffee, which, let's be honest, is just sad.
The real saving grace? The fresh fruit. Okay, fine. I had like 10 slices of watermelon from our breakfast. That stuff was delicious!
The other thing is, at the breakfast, were so many people not wearing masks still in the middle of a global freaking pandemic! I wore mine. I didn't enjoy the breakfast that much. It was like a reminder of all the potential germs in the world. They really should have set up some kind of mask policy, but they didn't.
My Verdict: C- for effort on the dining. The buffet needed some serious TLC. Stick to the fruit, and remember to wear a mask. Seriously.
Services and Conveniences: The Practical Stuff
Air conditioning in public area: Yes. Thank goodness. Dalian can get sticky.
Audio-visual equipment for special events: Unsure.
Business facilities, Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Contactless check-in/out, Convenience store, Currency exchange: All present and accounted for.
Daily housekeeping: Standard. Room was always cleaned.
Doorman: Yes.
Dry cleaning, Elevator, Essential condiments, Facilities for disabled guests: Yay for all these, and yay for the elevator.
Food delivery, Gift/souvenir shop, Indoor venue for special events: Yes.
Invoice provided, Ironing service, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Meeting/banquet facilities, Meetings, Meeting stationery, On-site event hosting, Outdoor venue for special events, Projector/LED display, Safety deposit boxes, Seminars, Shrine, Smoking area, Terrace, Wi-Fi for special events, Xerox/fax in business center: And the rest. The hotel tries to tick all the boxes.
My Verdict: Pretty good. They’ve got the essentials covered.
For the Kids: Honestly, I Didn’t Notice (But That’s Not Bad)
Babysitting service, Family/child friendly, Kids facilities, Kids meal: Seemed okay. Not a particularly kid-focused hotel, but certainly not unwelcoming.
My Verdict: Probably fine for families, but don't expect a Disney experience.
Available in All Rooms: Shelter from the Storm
Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Bathtub, Blackout curtains, Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Interconnecting room(s) available, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens.
Okay, the rooms. They were fine. Cleanish. Functional. The water pressure in the shower was a little… tentative. The blackout curtains were a godsend (Dalian gets bright!). The Wi-Fi worked (thank you, sweet baby internet gods!). The bed was…okay. Not luxury, more "get-the-job-done". The desk was functional, as was the mini-bar. The view… well, it was a view of Dalian. Not spectacular. Not awful.
- Personal Anecdote: I really appreciated the blackout curtains. I'm a light sleeper, and those things were solid. I slept pretty soundly, considering the general din of the city.
My Verdict: The rooms are adequate. They're not going to blow your mind, but they'll provide a place to crash.
Getting Around: The Dalian Shuffle
Airport transfer, Bicycle parking, Car park [free of charge], Car park [on-site], Car power charging station, Taxi service, Valet parking: The basics are covered.
My Verdict: Good start. Getting a taxi in China is always a bit of a gamble, but the hotel staff can help.
Things to Do, Ways to Relax… Yeah, About That…
Body scrub, Body wrap, Fitness center, Foot bath, Gym/fitness, Massage, Pool with view, Sauna, Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom, Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor]: They had a fitness center. I did not try it out. No pool. The sauna? Likely non-existent.
I did not check out any of the relaxation options. There are tons of places to relax for free. Like sitting on a bench, or walking around the beach
Alright, buckle up buttercups, ‘cause we’re about to dive headfirst into a Dalian adventure, specifically centered around the… drumroll …Hanting Hotel on Zhongshan Jiefang Road. Let's see if this whole shebang is worth the crumpled up yuan in my pocket!
PRE-TRIP PRE-FLIGHT ANXIETY (aka, the prologue to disaster)
Okay, so travel planning, right? More like travel panic planning. You know that feeling? The one where you're pretty sure you've forgotten something vital - like oxygen or your passport (which, yes, I triple-checked… maybe). My brain's already doing the jitterbug. This trip to Dalian? HUGE. Or at least, it FEELS huge. All those beautiful pictures from the travel blogs? Yeah, gonna try and make it match. I’m aiming for "cultured traveler, not just some tourist who gets lost in the noodle aisle." We'll see how that goes.
Day Zero (because real travel usually starts before you actually GO):
- Morning: Packing… the bane of my existence. I swear, I have more socks than brains. Decided to be "minimalist" (read: ran out of space in the suitcase). I'm already regretting not bringing my favorite hiking boots. Also, I bought a phrasebook, like, is that even still a thing?
- Afternoon: Flight confirmation, check. Visa… hopefully it's all in order. Seriously, the thought of being denied entry makes me break out in hives.
- Evening: Pizza. Comfort food. Must. Have. Fuel. Before the adventure begins.
DAY ONE: Arrival, Awkward Mandarin, and the Search for Actual Noodles
- 5:00AM (ish) : The Insane Wakeup Call. The alarm blares like a banshee, right on schedule. Sleep feels like a distant memory. I swear, early flights should be illegal.
- **6:00AM: **Airport chaos. Navigating security with bleary eyes is its own Olympic sport. Found a tiny, overpriced coffee that tasted like regret.
- **10:00 AM: ** Lands in Dalian! Whew, we made it! The airport is…big. Big and shiny and full of people who seem to know where they're going. I, on the other hand, have that charming "lost puppy" look.
- **11:30 AM: ** Taxi to Hanting Hotel. The taxi driver looks like he’s seen things. He drives like he's still seeing things. Thankfully, we arrived ALIVE.
- 12:30 PM (ISH): Check-In Debacle. The hotel room is…functional. Clean, but… functional. The air conditioning is a life-saver. The view? Well, let's just say it's of another building. But hey, I'm here, and I have a bed!
- 1:30 PM: Lunch! The mission: find authentic Dalian cuisine. After some seriously awkward attempts at speaking basic Mandarin (my pronunciation is so bad, I’m pretty sure I ordered a goat stew instead of dumplings!), I finally manage to order some noodles. They were… Okay, not the amazing, life-changing noodles I’d dreamt about, but they were edible. And I was starving. Lesson learned: Brush up on your Mandarin, people. And maybe bring a picture of noodles.
- **3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: ** Strolling around. Found some pretty cool parks that felt like a cool respite. Some people were playing mahjong, which looked both fascinating and incredibly complicated.
- **7:00 PM: ** Dinner. This time, I'm venturing out again, determined to find better food! It's a seafood restaurant I found on a google map. I decided to be daring, and ordered the "fish eye" to be adventurous. Let's just say, I may have made a face that could curdle milk. It tasted like, well, fish eye.
- 9:00 PM: Crash. Pure, unadulterated exhaustion. Jet lag is a beast. And I have a feeling that the real adventure is just beginning (or maybe it's the seafood).
Day Two: Golden Pebble Beach Shenanigans, and a Whale of a Tale (literally)
- **9:00 AM: ** Woke up, feeling cautiously optimistic. Maybe the sun will shine on this trip!
- **10:00 AM: ** Golden Pebble Beach! Okay, this is what I came for. The beach is beautiful, with dramatic cliffs and golden sand. The only problem? It felt super crowded. But, the ocean really is beautiful.
- 12:00 PM: The Rocks and the Sea. Spent a bit of time looking out at the ocean, it felt like time had stopped.
- 1:00 PM: Lunch. Had some delicious seafood at a seaside restaurant, really good this time!
- 3:00 PM: whale watching tour!
- 6:00 PM: Dinner. Back to the hotel for a delicious meal.
Day Three: Culture Shock, Shopping, and the Imminent Arrival of FOMO
- **10:00 AM: **Morning stroll in a local Market. The market is a sensory overload! The smells… the sounds… the sheer amount of *stuff*… It's amazing and terrifying all at once. So many people!
- **1:00 PM: **Lunch. Found a cute little cafe. The food was great, and I had a nice chat with the owner.
- 3:00 PM: Shopping. I found a great shop here!
Day Four: Departure (and the Inevitable Nostalgia)
- **6:00 AM: **Last-minute packing panic. Did I leave anything behind? Probably. Am I going to miss it? Probably.
- **7:00 AM: ** Hotel Check-Out. Quick, efficient, and the staff was friendly.
- **8:00 AM: ** Breakfast. One last attempt to conquer my taste buds.
- **9:30 AM: ** Taxi to the airport. The same taxi driver? Oh dear.
- **11:00 AM: ** Airport Security, one last round.
- **1:00 PM: ** On the plane. Goodbye, China.
Final Thoughts (and Ramblings):
Dalian, you were something. A mix of beautiful and baffling, delicious and, well, challenging. The language barrier was tough, but the people were incredibly kind and patient. The food was…an adventure in itself. I'll cherish the memories… even the ones I'd rather forget (looking at you, fish eye).
Was it perfect? Absolutely not. Did I get lost? Constantly. Did I say the wrong thing and embarrass myself on multiple occasions? You betcha. But would I do it all again? In a heartbeat. Because that's what travel is about, right? The messy, the unexpected, the moments that make you laugh, maybe cry a little, and ultimately, make you feel alive.
So yeah, Dalian. You were worth it. Even though the noodles weren't quite as life-changing as I'd hoped. Until next time! (…maybe with a better grasp of Mandarin.)
Unbelievable Hotel Deal in Dezhou, China! (Hanting Hotel)
Hanting Hotel Zhongshan Jiefang Road – Dalian: The Unfiltered Truth (Prepare Yourself!)
So, Is Hanting Zhongshan Jiefang Road a *Good* Hotel? The Millennial's Dilemma...
**In short:** It's okay if you're on a budget and place is in the heart of everything and are relatively okay with a bit of…character. If spa treatments and Michelin stars are a must, RUN. You've been warned. This hotel is your trustworthy friend in a pinch, but don't expect a fairytale.
Location, Location, Location! Seriously, Is It Actually Good?
But the trade-off? It's noisy. Constant traffic, people yelling in the streets even at 3 a.m. (which, let's be honest, is peak Dalian time). Bring earplugs. Seriously. Pack them. You'll thank me. Unless you LIKE the ambiance of a busy city street. Then, you're golden.
The Room Itself: Cleanliness, Comfiness, and Other Lies They Tell You...
The bed? Firm. Like, really firm. I'm pretty sure it was designed by a chiropractor. If you like a mattress that actively tries to correct your posture, you're in luck. If you prefer a cloud of marshmallowy comfort, you might want to… invest in a different hotel. Or bring your own mattress topper. Side note: pillow situation was…variable. One was fluffy, one was a rock, and I'm fairly certain the third was stuffed with repurposed foam.
**Pro-tip:** Check under the bed. Always. You know, just in case.
The Breakfast Buffet: A Culinary Adventure (or a Mild Form of Torture?)
There were noodles. Lots of noodles. Some cold, some lukewarm. There were questionable meats. I think one might have been… duck? I'm still not entirely sure. There were hard-boiled eggs that looked like they'd been waiting for me since the dawn of time. (They hadn’t been. I checked. Probably). Then there was the congee, a rice porridge, which was actually pretty good. Probably try it.
**My Most Memorable Moment:** Watching a very serious-looking man in a suit methodically *build a sandwich* using a selection of mystery meats and a single piece of sad lettuce. It was a performance art piece, really.
**Final Verdict:** Go with low expectations. Bring your sense of humor. And maybe pack a granola bar.
The Staff: Friendly Faces or Lost in Translation?
**Quirk:** The elevator situation was a wild card. Sometimes it worked perfectly, sometimes it took a solid five minutes to arrive. One time, it got stuck between floors. I had to press the emergency button. It was... awkward.
Value for Money: Worth the Pennies?
**The Math:** Is it luxury? NO. Is it a steal? Maybe. Is it a place where you'll remember every detail? YES. (Probably).
**Recommendation:** If your budget is tight, and you're not easily fazed, absolutely. If you want a pampering experience, look elsewhere. And seriously, pack earplugs.
Anything Else to Know Before You Book – or Run Away Screaming?
* **Bring:** Earplugs (I'm not kidding!), your sense of adventure, a towel if you are worried about the quality one in the room. * **Don't Expect:** Perfection. Impeccable service. A gourmet breakfast. Peace and quiet. * **Do Expect:** A centrally located, budget-friendly hotel with character. And possibly some adventure. I mean, who knows what you'll find in that buffet? Or under the bed? In short: I survived. You can too. Maybe. Good luck and have fun in Dalian!
