Romantic Hotels in Liaoning, China

The bathroom is too small. The shower relies on a water heater, so after one person showers, there's a waiting period before the next person can use hot water. Plus, the glass shower door leaks, flooding the bathroom floor. The TV is just for show; you can't actually watch anything (it's supposed to be smart TV). The underground parking is a two-way street that's both narrow and winding. There's no phone in the room to call the front desk or housekeeping; you have to add them on WeChat. It feels more like an apartment than a hotel.

The room facilities are quite good, and there's a smart toilet. However, the outlets on both sides of the bed in the suite bedroom are very loose. Even after having engineering come to fix them once, chargers still sometimes fall out when plugged in. If the air conditioning is on high fan speed, it makes a rattling noise, which is a bit disruptive to sleep, especially at night. During the off-season, the lounge is located in the lobby bar. Afternoon tea is set menu style and the quality is just okay. The evening service is also in the lobby bar, but one evening when I went, it was already roped off with no staff around. I had to call the front desk to get someone to come. I'm not sure if the lobby bar staff are aware that the executive lounge benefits have moved there, it's confusing. Dinner is also a set menu, with the menu changing and offering both noodles and rice – generally simple meals.

After a long afternoon exploring the Forbidden City, snapping tons of photos of the red walls and yellow roofs, my legs were pretty much dead. I didn't want to travel too far from the Forbidden City, so I searched for a nearby hotel and found the Northeast Asia Hotel. It was just a 10-minute taxi ride away. The room was clean, and the bathroom had great water pressure, so a shower felt amazing. The blackout curtains worked perfectly, and I slept soundly until morning. When I checked out the next day, the front desk even asked, ”Did you get enough photos at the Forbidden City?” I replied, ”Yes, I did! Next time I'm in Shenyang, I'll visit the Grand Marshal's Mansion.” This hotel is conveniently located and a comfortable place to stay after sightseeing. I'll definitely be back.