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Gladden Hotel ShiLong, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
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Address: Xihu Rd Section, Shilong Town
Address: Xihu Rd Section, Shilong Town (2 votes)
Ranked #1 out of 16 in Dongguan
Address: Xihu Rd Section, Shilong Town
Reviews
I stayed at this hotel recently when visiting the Canton Fair based on both the 2 previous reviews here, the fact they didn't double their prices during the fair period (as most hotels closer to the fair itself tend to do) and the fact they were a partner hotel for the event.
Getting to the hotel itself was a bit of a logistic nightmare - the hotel advised me on which bus companys run to their hotel from the airport but didnt help with booking a seat etc. As it turned out getting a bus was fairly easy however the trip to the hotel was quite a trek with side trips dropping other customers off to their hotels and a change of vehicles once across the border into China (dont be fooled by the lovely modern mini bus they show you at the booking counter - most of the trip was in a much older van) - of course nothing to do with the hotel just adding for informations sake for prospective guests.
The hotel itself is an oasis in the middle of a very industrial area - once you enter their foyer you would be forgiven for thinking you were in any 5 star hotel anywhere else in China.
Communication was difficult with most staff having very little if any English but no sweat - I dont speak Chinese either. It was here the assistant manager came into play... he was our saving light with helping us with everything from transport arrangements through to sourcing items we needed and recommending where to dine. he also seemed to work 24/7 being there every morning when we were up and about and still there every night after finishing dinner.
Regarding food, the hotel has 4 restaurants - 3 of which we were able to sample. The 'western' restaurant was ok but nothing special - however both the authentic Chinese and the Japanese restaurant would have to be a 'must visit'. Great food and exceptional value - the Japanese Tepanyaki restaurant offered a 'as much as you can eat (ordered from a vast menu) and as much as you can drink in 2 hours' for something like Aust $30 per head.
The hotel room was a good size without being huge, however everything was there that you could possibly need apart from an iron and ironing board for some reason.
We upgraded to a river view executive room for next to nothing which gave us executive check in/check out service, executive floor access with a 'happy hour' of free drinks, free computer use (although there is free broadband in-room - albeit with a bit of a dodgy connection) and executive room breakfast. To be honest you may be better having breakfast with the other guests in the larger didning area on the 2nd floor (although we didnt) as the food was always cold despite what time we arrived for breakfast. A result of few people eating there and therefore low turnover.
There wasn't really any vibe to to the executive floor so we only availed ourselves of complimentary drinks once.
A few notes:
As a previous poster mentioned organising laundry through the hotel was cheap.
Re: the hotel safes they are operated via a self selected 4 digit pin - not sure if that has changed since the last poster made comment about worrying about who had keys to it.
In terms of location I couldnt imagine anyone staying here who didn't have business in the area however if you do you could do much worse than staying here.
If revisiting the Canton Fair I probably wouldnt stay here again - not because of the quality of the hotel but rather the location (it was an hour bus or hour or more rail/cab trip to the fair). Of course this needs to be balanced with the cost of staying closer.
This is a very seriously swish hotel.
The grounds in which it is set are beautifully manicured, although the pollution level makes the outdoor pool a little redundant. I never saw anyone use it!
The common areas are clad in a remarkable selection of coloured marbles, and the main lobby is huge and airy, breathtakingly furnished.
Rooms are spacious and very well appointed, even the standard ones, with plenty of the extras that make things so much nicer: fluffy bathrobes, slippers, sewing kits, shampoos, and so on. There's a minibar, with reasonably-priced (for a change) food and drink, and coffee/tea maker. Usefully, there's a room safe, but beware the number of people who may have access keys! Bottled water is provided, although the sinks have a purified water spigot (of unknown effectiveness). In general in China, you drink bottled water if you want to enjoy the rest of your stay.
The internet service is complimentary, which is a nice touch, and it is relatively quick and not badly encumbered. I had some configuration issues, arising from a hotel router that was designed for compatibility with Windows' buggy network stack rather than for the general case, but with some careful thought I was able to hand-craft my (non-Windows) computer's networking to match.
The hotel laundry is worth a mention. Drop your clothes in at the bell-hop desk in the morning, and they'll be returned to your room by the evening, in a wicker or bamboo tray, beautifully cleaned and pressed. Shirts will be carded up (with a cute card bow-tie!) as if they'd just come off the shop shelf. The prices are remarkable: several shirts, a couple of pairs of trousers, a couple of sets of undies and pairs of socks, all done for under GBP 10 (USD 20) total. Don't bother taking a load of clothes for a long stay, just get your stuff cleaned at the hotel!
Staff are exquisitely polite and do their best to be helpful, although they often have limited English. They are a mixture of Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, so even if you know some of one or the other, you may still need to get assistance from a staff member who knows the right combination of languages, to help you communicate what you need.
The hotel has its own travel and concierge centre, and they can be very useful. It also has a tourist shop, with silks, antiques (of uncertain vintage!) and curios for sale. The shopkeeper has (very) limited English, but will show you prices (in CNY) on a calculator, and you shouldn't accept the first price you get! The key phrase you need is "Tai gui le!" ("TIE GWAY LUH", "too expensive!"). Enter the price you _want_ to pay on his calculator, and bandy back and forth for a bit. If he gets angry, just smile, shrug and leave. It's all part of the game, and few play it better than the Chinese. Be very careful about buying real antiques, as Chinese Customs officials are on the look-out for what they - probably rightly - view as cultural raiders.
There are a number of restaurants. I was being "entertained" by my business hosts elsewhere most of the time, so I can't give a comprehensive view. The main restaurant, which doubles as the breakfast place, is light, airy and serves a pleasant mix of European food and European-styled Asian. There is also a more traditional Chinese restaurant (which I didn't have the chance to try, sadly), amongst others.
The leisure facilities are comprehensive, and I wish I'd had the opportunity to use them!
Given that rooms start from around GBP 30 (USD 60), it's more luxury than most Westerner travelers will ever experience, for a price that wouldn't get you a cramped, basic and badly-cleaned hostel bed in some American or European cities.
The Gladden has a bit of an identity problem: it wants to be Chinese, European and American all in one go. Somehow, it seems to manage it most of the time, and it's wonderfully charming when it doesn't.
I'm expecting to head back soon. Watch for updates!
Extra tips:
1. Make sure you always have bottled water with you, wherever you go.
2. Expect to get a sore throat three days after you arrive, which will go away 5-7 days after you leave China. This isn't a cold, it's the pollution. Sorry, and all that, but it's how it is.
3. Take plenty of pocket tissue packs with you. I can't emphasise this enough! Chinese toilets (whether squat flush-toilets or the Western pedestal type) often don't have toilet paper provided. You'll be fine in the hotel, but you're in a different world as soon as you leave.