Review: Hilton Nanjing Riverside (King Premier Suite)

I had a very enjoyable stay recently at Hilton Nanjing Riverside.

Lobby:

Front desk:

On arrival, I headed straight to the Executive Lounge on the 12th floor. No key card is required to access the floor in the lift.

At check-in, as a Hilton HHonors Diamond member, I was given the choice of an upgrade either to an Executive Room (with a view of the Yangtze River) or a King Premier Suite (with a view of the residential complex behind the hotel). I opted for the latter. This hotel is known on various Chinese travel forums for its generous treatment of Diamond members. According to numerous reports, this hotel frequently offers Diamond members the choice of an upgrade to an Executive River View Room or a King Premier Suite with no river view. Many users on Chinese travel forums also argue that this hotel is consistently more generous towards Diamond members compared to Hilton Nanjing.

I was impressed by the spacious layout (a comfortable living room area, a bedroom with a king bed and a huge bathroom). Wifi speed was good. One weakness, however, was the king bed mattress which was slightly lacking in support.

Cloakroom:

There was an additional lavatory by the entrance:

View from the suite:

A generous selection of hot and cold dishes, as well as drinks, were served during Happy Hour from 6 to 8pm in the Executive Lounge. I was particularly impressed that the buffet included langoustines, sushi and mussels.

The view of the Yangtze River from the Executive Lounge is wonderful (unfortunately the door to the balcony is locked). The hotel is situated at the confluence of the Qinhuai River and the Yangtze River.

There are 2 PCs and a printer:

Executive floor guests and Hilton HHonors Diamond members can have complimentary breakfast in the Executive Lounge or the River Cafe restaurant on the ground floor.

Breakfast in the Executive Lounge:

Breakfast in the River Cafe restaurant:

There was an extensive selection of Chinese and Western buffet food options, as well as made-to-order dishes (such as hundun dumplings, noodles and eggs). The dumplings were delicious, as were the freshly made Nanjing pancakes. I was given a feedback form to complete, which is a sign of the hotel’s effort and commitment to deliver great service.

The indoor swimming pool, fitness centre and spa are located on the ground floor. The fitness centre is open 24/7, while the pool is open from 6am to 10:30pm.

You can hire a bike/Segway to explore the surrounding area!

In addition, the hotel has thoughtfully provided a cycling/jogging map of the surrounding area.

The cycling and jogging path along the river is very pleasant, with locals fishing, chatting and doing tai chi/exercise in the morning:

View of the hotel from the cycling/jogging path:

Overall, I had a thoroughly enjoyable stay at Hilton Nanjing Riverside and would highly recommend this hotel.

Admittedly it is not as conveniently located as Hilton Nanjing if you want to visit the city centre/the main tourist sights (unlike Hilton Nanjing, which is next to JiQingMenDaJie metro station on line 2, there is no metro station near Hilton Nanjing Riverside). However, it is inexpensive taking a taxi from the hotel to the city centre (around RMB 30 for a one-way journey). The treatment which I received as a Diamond member, the Executive Lounge and the breakfast selection were all better at Hilton Nanjing Riverside than Hilton Nanjing. The surrounding area (which I have described above) is very pleasant and Yuejiang Tower (a tourist sight worth visiting) is nearby. In contrast, Hilton Nanjing is a city hotel situated next to Wanda Plaza shopping centre and other business buildings. Personally, if I visit Nanjing again, I would choose to stay at Hilton Nanjing Riverside over Hilton Nanjing.

Finally, I should mention the way in which the hotel dealt with the introduction of VAT which took effect on 1 May 2016 (and which was discussed in another thread). As I made my booking before 1 May 2016, the hotel could have charged a higher amount to account for the change from the previous service charge (equating to 15% of the room rate) to the new VAT + service charge (equating to 16.6% of the room rate). Instead, the hotel lowered the room rate in my booking, such that the total price (new lowered room rate x 1.166) was the same as the original room rate x 1.15. This is another example of the hotel's great customer service.