The hotel is perfectly located near the...
The hotel is perfectly located near the exhibition center. If you are in Guangzhou for a function there, it is the ONLY place to stay. If you are in town for other purposes, it is too far away from other things to make it a good place to stay.
The rooms are very nice, albeit done with some cheaper veneer that will break down soon enough. But the look is great and the facilities are very, very good throughout the hotel.
The service is on the better side for China, which is still not up to the level of places like Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, KL or other destinations that have been providing the kind of high level service that so many of us love about Asia. Nevertheless, this hotel is in the upper 10% of China and that works for me. Maybe another five years and we will be at world class service, but not yet.
There were some silly nickel and dime charges that just show the lack of understanding and a problem when I checked in. My voucher showed a river view room but their computer system did not. Instead of just giving me a river view room, they went through this ten minute routine, then gave me a corner room on the back side, which had a tiny river view from one corner of the room. After going through the whole process again, I finally got the proper room.
In the restaurant I ordered chopped chilly peppers with my spinach. At first they gave me a chilly paste but when I asked for the abundantly available fresh ones, they charged me 15 RMB for them. In many, many dozens of trips to Asia, this was a first and in typical rigid Chinese style, they could not discuss it. The rules are the rules and there is no flexibility or conversation.
I would stay here again, knowing the limitations one finds anywhere in China regarding service at this time. Perhaps one day, but that day is not here yet. In other words, good service for China but not for Asia at large.