This is no doubt that No 8 Courtyard Homestay is beautiful place to stay. As international visitors to China it was exactly as we hoped for when we booked. Authentic traditional Chinese accommodation with modern hotel facilities in a fabulous location. It’s very quiet despite the proximity to the busier areas nearby. However, we were very disappointed to find the Homestay misrepresents information about smoking that was important to our accomodation choices and selection on Trip.com. As the photo from the website below shows, No Smoking in Public Areas, there is a Smoking Area. The smell of cigarette smoke was very evident on our arrival in both the courtyard, and the internal reception area. We questioned the hotel receptionist who explained smoking is permitted in certain areas, including the Courtyard that guests enter and exit every time to go in or out of the Homestay. The Courtyard is an outdoor public space and the Homestay smoking area (as per the photo of the ashtray in the Courtyard below). It’s unavoidable. While the reception area is internal, the receptionist explained guests are asked not to smoke if they are smoking. Furthermore, the Homestay provides hotel style ashtrays as the entrances to the elevator and we pointed out there was a cigarette butt in the ashtray, evidence of smoking despite the information on Trip.com. There were no visible ‘no smoking signs’. This meant that we would not enjoy the beautiful public spaces of eitber the Courtyard or the Reception area without cigarette smoke or other guests smoking. The receptionist suggested to us we find another hotel, at nearly 10pm we found this was unsatisfactory. She offered for us to stay and pay one night (of our 3 night booking) but this was a problem for our itinerary. The following day we were offered to change to a room with its own courtyard which we did. However, we would never have booked this accommodation if the correct information about smoking by the Homestay was on Trip.com. As hotel guests have to trust 100 hundred percent that the information on the website is accurate and we reiterated this when the manager came to meet us. The filters for non smoking on Trip.com are very good. But, the Homestay allows smoking in the outside public areas, and internal public areas are only managed if the staff ask the guests not to smoke. The reception told us that does not stop the guests from smoking and they can’t control that. The manager said the Homestay would review its smoking policy. Regardless of this, It is necessary for the Homestay not to misrepresent information but to provide accurate information on their booking platforms.
