The Xanadu Guangzhou, Vignette Collection

Facilities: The leather-covered bedside tables were damaged and left unrepaired, showing a clear lack of maintenance. Service: Food deliveries weren't brought to the room; I had to go downstairs to collect them. It was quite a scene, with about ten people gathered around the delivery locker, trying to find their orders. The bellhop service upon arrival was inconsistent; not all bellhops assisted with luggage, and their service standards seemed rather arbitrary and undefined. At 1 AM, the in-room phone to the front desk just gave a busy signal. I've never encountered such an issue before. I actually had to find their contact information on Ctrip to get through, which made for a very frustrating experience. I requested a late check-out and was told that extending until 6 PM would cost half the room rate. I then reminded them that I had been forced into a late check-in without any compensation. Only after this conversation did they reluctantly agree to a complimentary extension until 2 PM. Even then, I received calls rushing me to leave. Their blatant disregard for customer rights in favor of their room turnover made for an extremely poor experience. The hotel's elevator system was incredibly convoluted. You couldn't go directly to your floor; from the ground floor, you had to take a long detour to an elevator that only reached the third floor. Then, you'd have to walk hundreds of meters across the lobby to another set of elevators to access the guest rooms. Every step felt like an unnecessary obstacle course. In summary, the hardware was acceptable but poorly maintained, and the service was terrible.

The hotel's location was great for my visit to friends, though catching a taxi back proved to be a bit challenging. The bathtub design was quite poor; it was slippery, and the extreme curve made it uncomfortable to lie down – my body was bent, and my head would get submerged if the water was too full. Aside from that, everything else was decent. I'd recommend adding razors to the amenities. Also, having only one tissue box in the room was inconvenient; I suggest placing one in the bathroom, on the desk, and on each bedside table.