Yangzhou Hotels with Balcony

"First off, the service was excellent. Both the front desk staff and the cleaning aunties were incredibly warm and welcoming, making me truly feel at home. The room had no strange odors, and I even got a free upgrade. The bedding was clean. I left some belongings behind, and they even mailed them back to me free of charge – I'm so grateful! The hotel's location is superb, right next to the old ferry crossing and Dongguan Street, with plenty of dining options. There are shared electric scooters right outside the hotel, which are much more convenient for getting to attractions than taking a taxi. There are parking spots and plenty of scooters near every attraction. It's just a few minutes to about 10 minutes by scooter to places like Heyuan, Geyuan, the Han Tombs in Tianzi, Daming Temple, and Slender West Lake."

"Let's start with the downsides: Since the family room can accommodate three adults, there should be three sets of towels, bath towels, tooth mugs, drinking glasses, and coffee cups, not just two. Even children or teenagers need their own bath towel and tooth mug. Also, the curtain button was sometimes a bit unresponsive. Now for the positives: 1. The location is excellent, making it convenient to get anywhere. You can walk to the South Gate of Slender West Lake, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby. 2. The breakfast was good; while not exceptionally lavish, it had everything you'd expect. The coffee came from a machine and tasted great. 3. The terraces on four of the floors are a major highlight! Breakfast is on the 11th floor (top floor), and on a nice day, you can dine on the terrace, enjoying the lush forest view and a distant glimpse of the Qiling Pagoda while being shielded from the sun – a fantastic experience. You can also enjoy the night view in the evening. 4. The hairdryer is a Dyson, and in the lobby downstairs, there's a coffee machine, tea, hot water, and bottled water available."

"Extremely satisfied with everything. I absolutely loved the hotel's Chinese cultural style; every corner was beautiful. The service paid great attention to detail. When I checked in, the front desk lady handed me a warm cup of water, which made me feel right at home. The facilities also showed great attention to detail, especially the power outlets in the room, which were scientifically designed and perfectly met various needs. The location was very convenient. When I checked out, I received a Yangzhou intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting souvenir. I highly recommend this hotel."

"The hotel was very comfortable, and I had a pleasant stay. The breakfast was unique, exquisite, and beautifully presented. The antique charm and ambiance were great, and the hygiene was excellent. The front desk even helped me with my luggage. I'll definitely come back again; it's great value for money and highly recommended."

"The biggest pleasant surprise of my trip to Yangzhou was this one-night stay. It's a peaceful oasis tucked away from the hustle and bustle, with every brick and tile in the courtyard showing thoughtful design. Strolling around felt like an immersive experience in a Jiangnan garden. The guest rooms steer clear of generic decor, with meticulous attention to detail, making the living experience far exceed expectations. Xiao Zhao (Zhao, the staff member) was genuinely attentive and thoughtful, proactively helping with many small things we hadn't even considered. This kind of heartfelt service is much more touching than mere pleasantries. This isn't just a place to crash for a night while sightseeing; it's somewhere you can slow down and truly enjoy your journey. I've saved it for future reference and will definitely return on my next visit to Yangzhou."

"Having enjoyed my stay at Yangzhou Slender West Lake Guesthouse last year, I've always held it in high regard. This time, with another opportunity to visit Hangzhou, I extensively researched and ultimately chose the Yangzhou Slender West Lake Guesthouse • Grand Canal Sanwan Hotel, which is also managed by the Yangzhou Slender West Lake Tourist Resort Investment Management Group. My experience this time was very clear-cut: Hardware: 95 points Service: 40 points **Nearly Perfect Hardware and Design Style** The hotel's architecture was designed by Academician Wang Jianguo of Southeast University, while the interior design was handled by CCD, known for their work on numerous luxury hotels. This combination of an academician and CCD ensures an extremely high standard for the hotel's design and aesthetics. The overall color scheme is dominated by brown and black, accented with hints of green, conveying dignity and elegance with a touch of vibrancy. For example, the lobby features a base of low-saturation browns, natural wood tones, and black and white, complemented by a striking emerald green marble front desk, which immediately sets a fantastic atmosphere. At the end of the lobby is the iconic grand staircase, leading directly to the 'Qu Yuan' restaurant, with a dynamic and lively design. In the guest room corridors, each room entrance is adorned with a potted plant, and spotlights guide guests' eyes, a very clever design. The color palette within the rooms harmonizes perfectly with that of the public areas. The black marble vanity in the bathroom is particularly eye-catching, and the peacock green vintage mini-fridge at the bar area is a brilliant touch. As a new hotel opened in 2024, features like smart home controls and electric curtains are, of course, standard. From a hardware and design perspective, this hotel delivers an astonishingly high-quality experience, approaching near perfection. **Unsatisfactory Service Standard** In stark contrast to the high-quality hardware is the disappointing service standard. To summarize in one sentence: All staff members exude a subtle, underlying arrogance. * Upon arrival around 10 PM, the doorman at the lobby entrance not only failed to assist with opening/closing doors, guiding us, or handling luggage, but also didn't even offer a basic greeting or eye contact. It felt as if he wanted to be completely uninvolved and undisturbed. * During check-in at the front desk, there were no 'hello' or 'thank you'. The hotel's service introduction was also very perfunctory, only mentioning travel photography appointments and hot spring tickets. Details like the Yangzhou University yogurt provided during nightly turndown service, the intangible cultural heritage handicraft classes and theater performances every Saturday, the shuttle service to the Grand Canal Museum, and even fish and swan feed were completely omitted. * After check-in, the staff member escorting us to the elevator led us in the wrong direction and offered no apology. The staff member merely complained through her earpiece to the front desk about being given the wrong room number, without expressing any regret to us, the guests. * The Saturday intangible cultural heritage performance took place in the hotel's bar area. The bar's design isn't really suited for performances, requiring guests to drag chairs around to find a good spot, and there were no hotel staff to guide or assist throughout the event. * At the Qu Yuan restaurant, after we had given our room number, were seated, and waiting for our food, a staff member questioned if we had already had breakfast at 7 AM. Upon receiving our negative reply, they offered no further feedback. I suspect it's highly likely that another guest mistakenly reported our room number earlier, and the breakfast restaurant simply didn't bother to verify. * When I called the front desk at night to request a buckwheat pillow, the receptionist hung up before I could even fully explain my request. The most accurate words I can think of to describe this service are ”arrogant and unprofessional.” It felt like the customer service attitude from state-owned stores 20 years ago had traveled through time and reappeared here. Upon checking Tianyancha (a business information platform), I discovered the hotel is 10% owned by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Finance and 89% by Yangzhou Cultural Tourism Industry Group Co., Ltd. (fully controlled by the Yangzhou Municipal People's Government). This purely state-owned background perhaps explains such service performance. However, the service at Yangzhou Slender West Lake Guesthouse, which I stayed at last year and belongs to the same operating group, wasn't nearly this off-putting. I don't understand the significant difference. **Location and Breakfast** The hotel's geographical location has both very prominent advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is its proximity to the China Grand Canal Museum, with a convenient complimentary shuttle service provided by the hotel. Additionally, the Sanwan Scenic Area of the Grand Canal is right across the street, perfect for leisurely strolls. The disadvantage is its considerable distance from Yangzhou city center and Slender West Lake, making it less suitable for first-time visitors to Yangzhou who are not driving. On the first day, we opted for the hotel's buffet breakfast, which, while not exceptionally lavish, was quite good. For the second day, we chose the set menu at Qu Yuan restaurant, and the quality was very impressive, living up to its reputation as a 'Black Pearl Two-Diamond' restaurant. **Conclusion** Overall, this is a hotel with extremely pronounced strengths and weaknesses. The renowned design by master architects and its 2024 opening ensure impeccable hardware standards. However, the overall service level is very disappointing and completely inconsistent with its high-quality hardware."