Zhangjiagang Marriott - known as the "Little Ritz of Southern Jiangsu"||

||1️⃣Reservation The hotel's weekend rates are cheaper than weekdays. I booked for Friday and Saturday nights, with the APP price at 874 RMB per night. One day in advance, the APP suggested an upgrade to a suite, and on the day of check-in (Friday) morning, I found the upgrade was successful. Then I saw the price was 790 RMB per night, so I canceled the reservation and rebooked, and still managed to get the suite upgrade smoothly after contacting customer service. 2️⃣Room The suites at Zhangjiagang Marriott are 98 square meters, with plenty of them available and all with broad views. It's rare to see all the suites occupied, so the chances of getting an upgrade are high. The hotel opened in 2019 and the facilities are well maintained. Upon entering the room, the lights turn on and the curtains open automatically. The large floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedroom, combined with the electric curtains, are my favorite, even though there isn't much of a view outside, and it can't compare to the lake view suites at the Xuzhou Marriott. The bathtub in the bathroom is really big, taking half an hour to fill, but it's not deep enough. It's a bit difficult to submerge your neck, and taller people might not be able to soak completely. 3️⃣Turndown Service I checked in on Friday night around nine o'clock, and the turndown service had already been done in the room. Welcome fruits and a handwritten welcome card were placed in the living room, and a small nail clipper was left by the bed. The bathroom was also prepared with a floor towel and a non-slip mat, showing meticulous and thoughtful service. 4️⃣Executive Lounge The lounge closes at ten o'clock at night. I finished checking in after nine and missed the happy hour, but the lounge still had some bread, fruit, and desserts available, along with attentive service. The afternoon tea was standard. The happy hour at Zhangjiagang Marriott is highly praised, and after experiencing it myself, it's indeed one of the best among hotels of the same level. It's not perfunctory at all, and even better than some JW Marriotts. The lounge wasn't crowded on Saturday night, with no fighting over food or waiting for seats, and there were quite a few foreigners. The variety during happy hour was rich, and I was too shy to take pictures of the buffet, so I only took photos of what I got for myself. Some of my favorite dishes were seafood spicy pot, cold duck tongues, steamed fish, roast duck rolls, radish and pork rib soup... In short, the variety and quality of the dishes under the Marriott level are really excellent and generous, and the food was replenished quickly. 4️⃣Conclusion Overall, I think Zhangjiagang Marriott is a very member-friendly hotel. The generous suite upgrades and excellent lounge quality allow members to fully enjoy their benefits. The room facilities and services are also very good, making it a hotel I would like to visit often. Lastly, about the breakfast, I think it's the weakest part. The choices are not that many, and there's a pitifully small amount of meat. Moreover, after nine o'clock, some dishes were not replenished. I already found the breakfast at Xuzhou Marriott quite average, and this was even worse than that.