I’ve traveled many times and stayed in countless hotels, but my recent stay at Zhuoyue Qingshuiwan Hot Spring Resort was, by far, the worst experience.
I’ve stayed in both expensive and cheap hotels, and I never judge a hotel solely by its price. Instead, I evaluate whether it’s worth what you pay. For this trip, I booked a Japanese-style twin room with a private hot spring tub. The total cost for two nights was 2596 RMB, which averages to 1298 RMB per night. This price point is considered quite high for hotels in Liaoning.
Now, let me share my experiences during these three days and two nights at this hotel.
(1) I arrived at the hotel on May 3rd. Since it was a public holiday with free highway tolls, I was worried about traffic and left early to ensure I wouldn't be late. I got to the hotel at 12 PM. Upon arrival, there was no concierge to greet me, so I drove into the underground parking garage myself. I found that both the surface and underground parking lots were completely full. I drove out of the garage and back to the hotel entrance. I rolled down my window and found a uniformed staff member standing at the entrance to ask about parking. This staff member immediately told me that parking was tight due to the holiday and that I should find a spot myself. I told him I was a guest and asked if they couldn't even arrange parking. He directly replied that he was just a guard and wasn't responsible for parking, and again told me to find an empty spot myself.
Even in a 200 RMB-per-night budget hotel, if I can't find a parking space, the front desk staff will come out to help coordinate. Do I really have to find my own parking at a hotel costing over 1000 RMB a night? Moreover, for a hotel in this price range, there wasn't even a dedicated concierge. After an immense struggle to find a parking spot, we had to carry all our luggage to the hotel lobby ourselves. This is definitely not the kind of service one should expect from a hotel at this price point.
(2) After reaching the hotel lobby, based on my experience with similar hotels, I assumed early check-in would be possible. I asked the front desk if I could check in early, but they said no, as the rooms weren't ready yet. I asked roughly what time check-in would be possible, and the front desk staff said they didn't know. Later, they mentioned check-in would be at 2 PM, which I acknowledged. I then asked if there were any recommended places in the hotel we could visit or explore while we waited, especially since I was with my child and the hotel's main theme is family-friendly. The front desk informed me that without checking in, facilities like the children's play area (naughty fort) were inaccessible. Throughout this entire conversation, the front desk staff had a blank expression and spoke very softly. This is not the professional demeanor expected from staff at a hotel of this caliber.
(3) After finally checking in, I still had to carry all my numerous bags to the room myself. Although a staff member led the way, we had to carry all our luggage by hand the entire time. This staff member was constantly on a WeChat voice call with someone and only pointed to a general area, saying '3003 is this room.'
(4) The quality control in the room was terrible. It was very hot during the day, and the room's window faced south, making 2 PM the hottest time. When I turned on the air conditioning, I found it only blew hot air. I called the front desk, and they replied that the AC only provided heat and no cold air. Is it normal for a 1000+ RMB per night hotel not to allow guests to choose between hot and cold air conditioning? Furthermore, only one toothbrush was provided in the room, and the faucets and showerhead were covered in water stains. Such issues were rampant. My own showerhead, which I've had for seven years, doesn't have this much limescale.
(5) Zhuoyue Qingshuiwan Hot Spring Resort markets itself as a hot spring family-friendly resort. However, the family-friendly facilities consist of a ridiculously small children's play area ('naughty fort'), a small corner in the third-floor dining area designed for kids to play while parents eat, an outdoor slide, and a hot spring pool with some sponge balls and occasional foam. Outdoors, there were two alpacas and three corgis. If these are the only entertainment options, then it shouldn't be called a family-friendly hotel. Even a random public bathhouse in Shenyang offers more for kids to do than this hotel.
I’ve always believed you get what you pay for. In similar hotels I've stayed at previously, I felt the service was appropriate for the price. So, when I saw this hotel, I didn't think the price would be an issue. However, after these three days and two nights, this hotel is far from worth its nearly 1300 RMB per night price tag. I hope anyone planning to bring their children here will carefully consider whether to find another, more worthwhile hotel. (P.S. I booked two rooms: one Japanese-style twin with a private hot tub for two nights at 2596 RMB, and one Mediterranean king room for two nights at 1700 RMB. The total for three days and two nights was 4300 RMB. I strongly do not recommend this hotel.)
Original TextTranslation provided by AI
