Forty-eight hours ago, we left Ningbo to head to Hangzhou and here we are, back where it all got started. For the second leg of our stay in Ningbo, I decided to check out The Westin Ningbo (寧波威斯汀酒店) situated on the eastern side of Tianyi Square. From our hotel room, we could actually see our accommodation on the first night, Atour S Hotel Ningbo Heyi Avenue (寧波和義大道亞朵S酒店) which was on the northern side of the iconic shopping and entertainment hub.
So, why didn't I book this hotel for our first night in the first place? To be honest, I had a lot of doubts about this The Westin establishment after doing my usual research online. The hotel was built back in 2011 and in China, hotels don't really age well. Fourteen years is a pretty long time and from what I've seen from traveler's photos, the premise was due for a major facelift if you ask me.
I heard some floors have been renovated recently and at first glance, everything looked alright. Very spacious and light flooded.
Ningbo lies at the confluence of three rivers: the Yong, Fenghua and Yuyao. Our room boasts a very nice view of the intersection where the three rivers actually converge (三江口).
But after spending more time in the room, it was easy to realize certain things just weren't right. This is an eye test. I know the room has been recently touched up but what happened to the painting on the right side of the wall? Someone forgot to hang it up? OK, this one was minor.
The curtains and blinds were all controlled electronically but the technicians seemed to have gotten it the other way around. The "On" button actually opens the curtain/blinds now whereas the "Off" button closes the curtain/blinds. Weird!
The curtains and blinds were all controlled electronically but the technicians seemed to have gotten it the other way around. The "On" button actually opens the curtain/blinds now whereas the "Off" button closes the curtain/blinds. Weird!
The bathroom had its own problems too. The basin and two connecting tables were probably from 2011 and they were somehow left untouched in the recent renovation. As a result, they looked totally out of sync with the rest of the design and color tone.
The toilet was actually alright but it was the sliding door to the bathroom that wasn't working during our stay. So, we had to leave the door wide open all the time. I wonder how they could miss it.
One last thing I noticed about the hardware here was the hotel lobby. Somehow they chose to abandon this spacious check-in counter and lounge right beside it. The check-in counter was moved to the corridor close to the elevators. This was really wasteful.
This was not the Westin we all admired as a luxurious five-star establishment. So many things have fallen out of our expectations during our stay but I was glad we were only here for one night. The management seemed to be a significant part of the problem. We noticed guests sitting around smoking, leaving burnt cigarettes scattered across the floor. The next morning, when we checked out, those cigarettes were still there as if nobody has ever seen them. It's just flat out ridiculous.
Rating: ❤❤
Price: ¥¥¥
Address: 75 Rixin Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
浙江省宁波市海曙区日新街75号
Closest Metro Station: Dongmenkou (东门口 - 天一广场)
Tel: +86 (574) 8910-8888
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