When you arrive in bustling Changsha you will be taken aback if you have never been to a large Chinese city of 2 million or so. Entering the gleaming white marble columns to the sound of the large waterfall will be a welcome haven and the perfect home to conduct business or explore the incredible city which dates back to 200BC! From the moment you arrive, every staff member will take a personal interest in your needs, and nearly everyone of them speaks English with varying degrees of proficiency. If the staff member assisting you cannot satisfy your needs they will immediately get someone who can!
The hotel features white marble and fine decorations throughout, including the floors and walls of the guest room bathrooms! The oil painting on the wall of my room was an original work and the furniture was all handmade hardwood - you will not find any corners cut here. I have never seen a hotel in America decorated in such lavish style, and it is not ornate or gaudy. The views vary by direction, and in this ancient city no other hotel can offer anything better as the old and new are intermixed everywhere in this city. Enjoy currency exchange at the front desk for the same rate the Bank of China uses! For reference bottled water is about 3 RMB on the street, 1 USD = 6.75 RMB when I was there.
When you return to your room you may find the bed turned down with a towell on the floor where your feet will land with a waiting pair of brand new soft cotton slippers (which will compliment the two velvety soft bathrobes you will find in your bureau). This hotel has a reputation of the best beds in town and I agree! If your shoes need a shine use the handy basket and place them outside your door to enjoy a free shine. When it is time to freshen up enjoy a full large bathub (I'm 6'4") or the separate full shower stall with dual heads 7' up from the floor with excellent water pressure. Be advised Western toilets can be a novelty in China but your room has one!
The hotel has 3 restaurants covering the 8th floor to choose from and all three are 5 star! Spices features traditional Chinese and Western cuisine, Mattaya is a Thai menu so you can "get your curry on", and finally my favorite, the Dynasty restaurant features traditional Hunan cuisine, some of which is delightfully spicy (don't forget they found an 1100 year old tomb in the city with over 1000 recipes carved on bamboo sticks!). Whichever you choose to enjoy you will have half a dozen cheerful staff surround you to separately seat you, set your napkin, offer a menu, provide a clean washcloth for your hands, order your beverage, and arrange the dishes correctly for your party.
The healthclub encompasses the 10th floor and offers a pool, sauna, whirlpool, treadmills, machines, some freeweights, an on duty masseuse, even a salon for haircuts, manicure, pedicures - heck if it has to do with your health it is here and again a large waiting staff to cheerfully assist you.
You really need to just walk from the hotel each day in a different direction - the location is so good you can find something great to do in every direction! My findings doing this gave me the best shopping in town 5 minutes away at "the walking street", a promenade style street where no cars are allowed and you can buy anything - there's even a WalMart and movie theatre to one side. I also found a row of bakeries, endless shops, an incredible pharmacy with every herb in bulk and featuring every known Chinese remedy with an on duty expert, there's a beautiful park, incredible museum where you can see the Marquis of Dai in all her 2100 year old preserved magnificance. At night head 10 minutes walk to the "bar street" and do not miss the Soho bar to see how the Chinese locals blow off steam to the pumping music.
Some suggestions: Learn some Chinese! If you know even a little and make an effort the locals will bend over backwards to understand and help. If a Chinese person offers you something do not try to pay or get ...
By Anonymous on May 4, 2010
