Hotel Metropolo Classiq a Shijiazhuang

Really nice! The decor was classy. The rooms were very clean and everyone in the hotel was very friendly. The bed was much more comfortable than at many Chinese hotels I've stayed at. I also like that they replenish the breakfast buffet throughout the operating time so you aren't left with crumbs if you don't arrive immediately. They have someone on site who will make fresh breakfast noodles or wontons for you. The hotel isn't very close to any attractions, but it is just a few steps away from a subway station, so it's very easy to do things like go to the provincial museum. There are also good restaurants nearby. I went to the hotpot restaurant Happy Lamb, which near the intersection just to the west of the hotel. They were very friendly and helpful even though I wanted a table for one. If I would improve anything, I'd make clearer signage explaining how to get to the lobby. (It's on the fifth floor of the building.) That wasn't clearly explained in either Chinese or English, so both a local couple and I were worried we had gone to the wrong address. No English was spoken when I went there, and the women at the desk told me I was the first foreign customer they'd had in three years. Still, they were very friendly and helpful. Just be aware if you're foreign you may need to learn some simple phrases in Chinese to communicate with them or have a translation program you can use.

I booked in just after 9pm after getting off the fast train. My host teacher picked me up from Shijiazhuang station and drove me to the hotel but we couldn't drive near, because the street was closed to traffic. We walked about 500m and my teacher helped translate at check in, as I was very tired after the long flight from Australia following directly by the 7hr train trip. I just used my passport. The room smelt a bit of cigarette smoke and the bad air quality seemed to be leaking in somewhere. I ran my portable air purifier all night. The bed was very comfortable and everything seemed in very good working condition apart from the thermostat. Despite trying to reduce the room temperature to 16-18°c it remained at 23-24°c which is too high for me. I had a boutique queen room that became very warm when opening the thick curtains. It is quiet and clean.