The Lalu Qingdao

Far exceeded my expectations! We arrived quite late, and although there was a half-hour wait due to maintenance, we were thankfully upgraded. Our new room offered stunning sunrise views directly from the bed and balcony, accompanied by the soothing sound of the tides. ✌ The room was incredibly spacious and featured a bathtub. A special mention must go to the hotel slippers – they are, by far, the most comfortable I've ever worn at any hotel! So plush and thick, it felt like walking on clouds! It's rare to find a hotel in Qingdao that boasts its own private beach! They even provided sand-digging tools! We were too tired at night, otherwise, we would have loved to go beachcombing for some fresh seafood. During the day, we spotted many small snails and mussels on the reefs. The sand itself is still very fine; it would be absolutely perfect if they could clear out the pebbles to make most of the beach stone-free! The views from the infinity pool were absolutely breathtaking! Breakfast was impeccable and incredibly lavish, even featuring natto! Funnily enough, despite numerous trips to Japan where I never quite acquired a taste for it, I found the natto here at The Lalu to be surprisingly good! My little one insisted I give it a ten-star rating!!

Facilities: Acceptable Cleanliness: Acceptable Setting: Good Service: Good This hotel is located in Huangdao District. If you're simply looking to relax at the hotel, enjoy some peace and quiet, and listen to the waves, then this is absolutely the best choice – even better than any hotel in Qingdao's Shinan District or around May Fourth Square. However, if you're seeking a lively atmosphere, then this hotel is not for you. The rooms themselves are actually quite decent. Considering the hotel opened in 2014, it's been reasonably well-maintained. But if you can't overlook a few minor flaws, then this hotel isn't for you either. As for breakfast, I've stayed at many five-star hotels, and the quality of breakfast here is just passable. It's worth mentioning that this hotel is definitely a top choice for photography.

Location: A bit out of the way, making transportation somewhat inconvenient. However, food delivery and supermarket deliveries are readily available in the vicinity. Pros: The rooms are spacious. The private beach and infinity pool are huge highlights. Peninsula Park offers beautiful views, and the ocean view from the room is stunning. It's also incredibly photogenic. Cons: Hotel staff appear to be inadequately trained, resulting in a lack of service-mindedness. The 129 RMB per person breakfast is not good value for money.

The facilities are a bit dated. Cleanliness, especially in smaller areas like the balconies and bathrooms, needs improvement. The changing rooms at the pool were unbearably dirty and smelly, which really took away from the beautiful and inviting infinity pool. However, the views are absolutely stunning. Swimming, watching the sunrise, and enjoying the ocean was pure bliss. The walk from the hotel to Golden Beach is also highly recommended.

The cleaning was subpar. There was visible dust in the water glasses, and no disposable bathtub liners were provided. For takeout, couriers aren't allowed to deliver to the room, and with no delivery robots, I had to go to the front desk to pick up my order. The facilities and amenities felt old and outdated. This 1700 RMB hotel is absolutely not worth the price. What a huge disappointment! So much for a 'top luxury domestic hotel' or 'a once-in-a-lifetime stay at The Lalu' – this will genuinely be my only time here.

Drawn by the reputation of this legendary ultra-five-star hotel, I arrived, only for my taxi driver to tell me that while it was top-notch a decade ago, it's now like a 'last emperor' – no longer ranking among the best. My two-day experience left me with some significant impressions: The room was indeed spacious, especially the large balcony, which was incredibly convenient for drying swimsuits after a dip in the ocean. From there, you could directly watch the tides ebb and flow, and at night, fall asleep to the soothing sound of the waves. However, the room lighting was too dim, and the furniture felt a bit dated. I noticed stains on the bath towels on the day we checked in, and overall room cleanliness was just average. The facilities felt a bit behind the times; they're still using old-fashioned hairdryers, and there was no capsule coffee machine. Through the bathroom window, I could see withered greenery, which vaguely hinted at the former glory of its design. All drinks in the mini-fridge (Coke, Sprite) were 20 RMB per bottle, whereas hotels of a similar caliber usually offer complimentary soft drinks for the first round of the mini-bar. Breakfast was standard. The Peking duck and ribs at the Chinese restaurant were quite good, and the restaurant staff were noticeably more professional than those in other departments. Changing rooms at the swimming pool were inconvenient. There was trash visible further down the beach, and the coastline lacked proper guest facilities. Unlike the more comprehensive amenities at Golden Sand Beach, there were no hotel-level lounge areas for guests on the remote part of the beach; basic items like sun loungers, parasols, and foot-washing stations were all missing. Fortunately, it wasn't crowded. There were virtually no children's play facilities. Few delivery restaurants were available nearby, and commercial facilities in the vicinity were underdeveloped. The main issue, however, was a significant lack of seamless service coordination. Before check-in, customer service called to inform us about personalized experiences. We had communicated that we were a family traveling with children, and they promised children's bath products upon arrival, but these were never delivered, even by check-out. We specifically emphasized that we had to catch a train on check-out day, leaving around 5 AM, which meant we'd miss the included breakfast. We requested some packed breakfast items, perhaps some bread prepared the day before. Both the customer service agent and the front desk staff promised to arrange this during check-in. However, at check-out, the duty staff claimed they knew nothing about it, stating the kitchen wasn't even open yet, leaving guests to depart hungry. Interestingly, they didn't forget to immediately charge us for an extra breakfast on the first day. This hotel's grand reputation, in reality, is hard to live up to. It might be suitable for a secluded retreat, but only for guests with low expectations for details and service.