XXingguangcunhashiqiBooked an Executive King room, but since it wasn't available, the front desk attendant kindly upgraded me to an apartment suite. What more could I ask for?
Seriously, nothing but praise.
The Executive Lounge's Happy Hour offers plenty of food; if you really try, you can certainly fill up. Normally, no one mixes drinks there, but I insisted and they made me a Gin and Tonic. A little later, I went back for another, jokingly asking if a Gin and Tonic was really that challenging. They relented and concocted a passionfruit-infused drink with tonic – I forget what liquor was in it – but it was sweet and quite delicious. They truly made something out of nothing, as all the colored syrups were gone. So grateful, truly grateful.
From the living room, you get a panoramic, unobstructed view of Quancheng Square, and you can see the Guohua InterContinental across the way. I specifically checked at night, and thankfully, no one was flying drones, which is a HUGE plus.
Breakfast had a decent variety, pretty standard. Besides their special omelet-wrapped everything, I highly recommend 'Bazi Rou' (braised pork) when you're in Jinan. The presentation is plain, even uglier than what you'd find at Chaoyixing, and it comes in small pieces, but the flavor is spot on – absolutely delicious.
In the suite, they provided a bunch of random samples – all the toiletries were miniatures. I looked them up and they were Acqua di Parma. I didn't recognize the brand, so I just took them all home. Before leaving, I even called housekeeping to request another set. We Shangri-La members are basically beggars, after all.
The pool was also excellent – clean and not crowded. Swimming next to the 'Eye of Quancheng' really is a unique experience. The sauna and steam rooms were also well-maintained.
Right across from the hotel is Jinan's traditional CBD (though there's a proper, newer CBD now, quite far away). I recommend crossing through the Hang Lung Plaza opposite, and just a short walk away, you'll find Yanxi Tang, whose scallion oil carp was unexpectedly delicious.
Finally, I'd like to give a special shout-out to two staff members: Niki at the front desk and He Mengyao at the lounge. Thanks to their professional service, our trip concluded perfectly. We will definitely be back.
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