economy hotel thread
Mar 16, 2014, 12:24 am
#1
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Location: Shanghai
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economy hotel thread
This thread is of little relevance to most FTers because you want to stay in great hotels (a decision I completely support), but road warriors that are using their own money can benefit from this discussion.
The brands are: 168, Home Inn, Super 8, 7 Days Inn, Hanting, Jinjiang ++
I don't have much of a preference with regard to brands because the product on offer is a commodity. That having been said, some properties are good and some are not.
I have a few VIP cards at these chains, but this is kind of silly in the current environment (e.g. Ctrip's rate is almost always better than the top level VIP rate).
While you might be inclined to think that you can get a better rate by cutting out Ctrip, you will be wrong in almost all cases (the front desk people lack the power and incentive to change this).
To get things started, here are some property reviews:
1) Yoyo Beijing
-amazing location, and nice rooms... just be sure to demand a window
2) 7 Days Inns in southern China
-try to avoid, if possible
3) 168 Jing'an (Shanghai)
-very nice property; well worth paying a slight premium (I know that the TA people say otherwise; they are mistaken)
4) Super 8 Jing'an (Shanghai)
-decent enough, but your taxi driver will never find it unless your Chinese is awesome
5) Hanting Express Jing'an (Shanghai)
-sad place to say the least, but it the others are sold out, you will survive
The brands are: 168, Home Inn, Super 8, 7 Days Inn, Hanting, Jinjiang ++
I don't have much of a preference with regard to brands because the product on offer is a commodity. That having been said, some properties are good and some are not.
I have a few VIP cards at these chains, but this is kind of silly in the current environment (e.g. Ctrip's rate is almost always better than the top level VIP rate).
While you might be inclined to think that you can get a better rate by cutting out Ctrip, you will be wrong in almost all cases (the front desk people lack the power and incentive to change this).
To get things started, here are some property reviews:
1) Yoyo Beijing
-amazing location, and nice rooms... just be sure to demand a window
2) 7 Days Inns in southern China
-try to avoid, if possible
3) 168 Jing'an (Shanghai)
-very nice property; well worth paying a slight premium (I know that the TA people say otherwise; they are mistaken)
4) Super 8 Jing'an (Shanghai)
-decent enough, but your taxi driver will never find it unless your Chinese is awesome
5) Hanting Express Jing'an (Shanghai)
-sad place to say the least, but it the others are sold out, you will survive
Mar 16, 2014, 5:36 am
#2
Join Date: May 2006
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I've had pretty good stays with hotels in the Hanting chain around China. Rooms are clean and with a good supply of power sockets. The free bottle of water has always been there in the Hanting hotels, unlike the Motel 268 in Hongqiao that I stay at often wherein the bottle is "forgotten" from time to time.
Just make sure that when booking, the hotel can accept foreigners - found out upon checkin at a Hanting in Jinan that they're not allowed to do so. Had to move to another Hanting near the airport which had no problems with foreign guests.
I've had pretty good stays with hotels in the Hanting chain around China. Rooms are clean and with a good supply of power sockets. The free bottle of water has always been there in the Hanting hotels, unlike the Motel 268 in Hongqiao that I stay at often wherein the bottle is "forgotten" from time to time.
Just make sure that when booking, the hotel can accept foreigners - found out upon checkin at a Hanting in Jinan that they're not allowed to do so. Had to move to another Hanting near the airport which had no problems with foreign guests.
Last edited by KIXman; Mar 16, 2014 at 5:44 am
Mar 16, 2014, 8:24 am
#3
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
My preferred chain has been Hanting, mainly for two reasons:
-individual A/C units where I've stayed (so I don't have to deal with cigarette smoke coming in through the vents, even though it's EVERYWHERE else in the hotel)
-some rooms offer desktop computers, albeit with proprietary software installed
Has anyone stayed at a Greentree Inn? Those are uniformly miserable.
I've stayed in some nice hotels in the mainland too, and don't find much of a difference between those and the lower-end, primarily because checking-in and checking-out is the most painful part of any stay. Throngs of people 插队 (and staff not enforcing queues), smokers (but not in the high-end lobbies so much) and generalized ignorance are the standard. Not to mention, self-absorbed mobile phone users are everywhere in the world, and China is no exception.
-individual A/C units where I've stayed (so I don't have to deal with cigarette smoke coming in through the vents, even though it's EVERYWHERE else in the hotel)
-some rooms offer desktop computers, albeit with proprietary software installed
Has anyone stayed at a Greentree Inn? Those are uniformly miserable.
I've stayed in some nice hotels in the mainland too, and don't find much of a difference between those and the lower-end, primarily because checking-in and checking-out is the most painful part of any stay. Throngs of people 插队 (and staff not enforcing queues), smokers (but not in the high-end lobbies so much) and generalized ignorance are the standard. Not to mention, self-absorbed mobile phone users are everywhere in the world, and China is no exception.
Mar 16, 2014, 10:54 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: EWR
Posts: 56
I've stayed in a bunch of these hotels in china: motel 168, super 8, Green tree inn, Home inn. I think each location is different, its hard to generalize. But for me, I usually check in late and leave early- so these cheaper hotels are more then adequate for a place to take a hot shower and get a few hours sleep.
Apr 19, 2014, 10:42 pm
#6
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Here are a few more tips:
1) book a "pay at the hotel" rate on ctrip at 3 properties
2) go to the best one
3) if you like the room, tell the hotel people that you want the "pay online" rate, and book it yourself on the spot, or let them match it
-they usually can't match it, but if they do, you'll save ~20% because the rate ctrip displays on its English site does not include their new service charge
1) book a "pay at the hotel" rate on ctrip at 3 properties
2) go to the best one
3) if you like the room, tell the hotel people that you want the "pay online" rate, and book it yourself on the spot, or let them match it
-they usually can't match it, but if they do, you'll save ~20% because the rate ctrip displays on its English site does not include their new service charge
Apr 20, 2014, 12:20 pm
#7
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Here are a few more tips:
1) book a "pay at the hotel" rate on ctrip at 3 properties
2) go to the best one
3) if you like the room, tell the hotel people that you want the "pay online" rate, and book it yourself on the spot, or let them match it
-they usually can't match it, but if they do, you'll save ~20% because the rate ctrip displays on its English site does not include their new service charge
1) book a "pay at the hotel" rate on ctrip at 3 properties
2) go to the best one
3) if you like the room, tell the hotel people that you want the "pay online" rate, and book it yourself on the spot, or let them match it
-they usually can't match it, but if they do, you'll save ~20% because the rate ctrip displays on its English site does not include their new service charge
Apr 20, 2014, 9:01 pm
#8
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Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,039
2. They are unable to guarantee rooms with WINDOWS at many of these hotels, and windows are important to me
Jun 3, 2014, 2:58 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Asia/Europe
Programs: CX, OZ, MU (+AY, DL), Shangri-La, Hilton
Posts: 7,236
Motel 168 has four superb locations in Shanghai that I'm not going to divulge but they do offer very reasonable prices at prime locations in Puxi and Pudong.
Oh, let's make an exception: There is a perfectly adequate Motel 168 a few hundred meters from T1 at Honqgiao Airport (SHA) Quite nice when arriving from, say Japan or Korea in late evening and continuing elsewhere in the Middle Kingdom the following day.
Oh, let's make an exception: There is a perfectly adequate Motel 168 a few hundred meters from T1 at Honqgiao Airport (SHA) Quite nice when arriving from, say Japan or Korea in late evening and continuing elsewhere in the Middle Kingdom the following day.
Jun 4, 2014, 10:23 pm
#12
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
I have yet to come across a hotel/motel/豆腐渣工程 that wouldn't accept me as a guest - which isn't to say there could always be a first time - however, one 宾馆 in Dongguan only let me stay one night because their scanner didn't work.
Last edited by BuildingMyBento; Jun 4, 2014 at 10:30 pm
Jun 5, 2014, 3:47 am
#13
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I can highly recommend the Asset Hotel in Shanghai for budget accommodation. Scores 4 on Tripadvisor - and at about $30 a night it is far superior to jin jinag and the like.
More of a solid three star hotel. On Wanping Lu.
More of a solid three star hotel. On Wanping Lu.
Jun 5, 2014, 8:03 am
#14
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,934
No kidding, even a Hanting? That's a sizable domestic chain too.
I have yet to come across a hotel/motel/豆腐渣工程 that wouldn't accept me as a guest - which isn't to say there could always be a first time - however, one 宾馆 in Dongguan only let me stay one night because their scanner didn't work.
I have yet to come across a hotel/motel/豆腐渣工程 that wouldn't accept me as a guest - which isn't to say there could always be a first time - however, one 宾馆 in Dongguan only let me stay one night because their scanner didn't work.
Jun 5, 2014, 3:34 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Asia/Europe
Programs: CX, OZ, MU (+AY, DL), Shangri-La, Hilton
Posts: 7,236
Btw. still able to get Chinese three or so star hotels (business hotels) in northern Suzhou for about 150 - 200 RMB including breakfast. Take a HSR train from Honqgiao to Suzhou North station (25 minutes) and subway line 2 from there to "Likou" stop.
Even motels mostly cost more in Shanghai. Not to speak of the Grand Hyatt where our guys overnighted last time...
