“Good for a Transit Stay, but the AI-Driven Service Needs Work”
I booked this hotel mainly because of the reviews mentioning the good food and free pick-up/drop-off shuttle service. Communicating with the hotel before check-in to arrange the shuttle was easy through the hotel’s WhatsApp number, which I found on Trip.com.
Upon arrival, I noticed that the hotel seems to cater quite heavily to Chinese visitors. There was a line of Chinese guests checking in, and one of the front desk staff spoke Chinese fluently. Some of the notices around the hotel were also written in Chinese, presumably Mandarin.
Check-in was smooth, and the front desk staff was nice and helpful. However, I was informed that I needed to install an app to use various hotel services during my stay, including the digital room key and room service. While this may be convenient for some guests, I personally found it a bit of a hassle at the time. The installation itself took some time, followed by an explanation of how to use the system.
The food was average, with a reasonable selection of options. However, the refilling of some items was rather slow. For example, the milk for the coffee machine ran out and was not replenished promptly, and at times there was no cook available.
The room itself was nice and spacious. One thing I particularly liked was the layout, with the washing area located near the entrance. The toilet unit also looked new. Unfortunately, the towels looked rather shabby and could use an upgrade. Complimentary bottled water was available upon request, which was a nice touch.
One of the biggest downsides for me was the lack of a telephone in the room. All service requests have to be made through the app. I had to communicate with an AI chatbot, but the chatbot would often instruct me to go downstairs and confirm the request with the reception desk anyway. I found this rather confusing and wondered what the point of the AI system was if I still had to speak to a staff member in person.
It seems the hotel is trying to adapt to AI and reduce the need for human staff, but the system does not seem to work effectively yet. In my experience, it actually added an extra step rather than making things easier.
This was especially noticeable during check-out. There was only one front desk staff member, which was surprising. He was very patient and did his best to serve everyone, but the hotel really could have used more staff at that time. As a result, the line became quite long. Had I been informed during check-in that I could simply use the self-service machine to check out, I could have avoided the queue altogether.
The location is in the CBC area, although finding the hotel felt a bit like navigating a labyrinth. It wasn't the easiest place to locate, especially for a first-time visitor.
Overall, I would say you get what you pay for. For a one-night transit stay, the hotel was acceptable, especially with the free shuttle service and spacious room. However, the hotel could significantly improve its service by having more human staff available and making its AI-based system more practical and user-friendly.
