TTuomaxixingAsaka is a newly popular hotel and community in Beihai, bearing a striking resemblance to Aranya in Qinhuangdao. The hotel's prices are very budget-friendly, offering great value for money in Beihai.
We visited during the National Day holiday, when prices at popular hotels typically soar 2-3 times. While Asaka Hotel also had a significant premium, it remained quite competitive compared to the beachfront hotels at Silver Beach. We initially stayed two nights at Silver Beach, then explored the Asaka community, found it impressive, and decided to move to the Ferris Wheel Seaview Resort.
**⛲️Environment:** Asaka Hotel currently primarily consists of the Ferris Wheel, Summit, and other sub-brand resorts. These are essentially hotel-style apartments designed and decorated within the community's high-rise residential buildings. They feature IKEA furniture and appliances, with a Nordic design aesthetic. The main differences lie in location, orientation, and floor level.
This time, we stayed in a Deluxe Seaview Room in the annex building of the Ferris Wheel Resort. It offered expansive views of the southeast-facing beach and the adorable Ferris Wheel 🎡 nearby. The room was a one-bedroom, one-living room, one-bathroom setup, similar to a small suite. There was also a private small courtyard at the room entrance with a washing machine and exhaust fan, perfect for storing odds and ends or drying clothes. A sizable balcony allowed for enjoying the view, relaxing, and catching the sunrise if you woke up early. Both the hotel and the room were relatively new and very clean. The living room had a small refrigerator and a stove (though not used). Breakfast was served as a set meal in the staff canteen; it was simple but decent. Alternatively, you could dine at one of the restaurants within the park. The service was quite good, with quick responses to inquiries. Overall, it felt like a well-serviced hotel-style apartment, suitable for an extended staycation.
**🎡Facilities:** Asaka Park boasts a large outdoor water park, a children's pool, an indoor children's playground, and a children's library, making it ideal for families with kids—this is its biggest selling point compared to other hotels! Unfortunately, we encountered Typhoon 🌀 Muifa, which led to the closure of both indoor and outdoor children's facilities for several days.
There are also adult pools, a cinema, a bookstore, an art gallery, several specialty restaurants and bars, and charming plazas with art sculptures and installations perfect for relaxing and taking photos. Around the park, you'll find numerous art installations and landscaped gardens with a similar theme. To the south are the landmark Ferris Wheel and a larger water park, though they were not open during my visit. Overall, Asaka is a community with a strong sense of design and plenty of recreational opportunities, well worth exploring, photographing, or even staying for a short visit.
**🌀Typhoon Days:** We happened to be there during a direct hit from a typhoon, which significantly impacted our experience. The water park and children's playground were closed, and park restaurants were overcrowded. Waking up in the middle of the night, I could hear the howling wind outside and the slight swaying of the ceiling lamp inside 🫨 After the typhoon passed, the outdoor areas were a mess… However, I was impressed to see many service staff standing firm at their posts, ensuring the normal operation of the hotel community.
**Finally, let's talk about the downsides:**
The hotel rooms are all located in high-rise buildings, but each building only has 2-4 elevators. When you factor in delivery personnel, you can imagine how busy it gets during peak hours. Our luck was pretty good, but we still had to wait a long time for elevators a few times. I suggest strictly enforcing the rule that delivery personnel are not allowed into the hotel.
Surprisingly, the in-room phone in the annex building couldn't dial the front desk. We had to use our mobile phones to call the hotel's main line, and some front desk staff weren't even aware of this issue. I recommend fixing the direct-dial phone problem or at least informing guests upon check-in and providing alternative contact methods.
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