Switzerland is well
known for many things; beautiful people, incredible chocolate, discrete
banking, and let’s not forget the trusty Swiss Army Knife. I have had one of those in my pocket since I was
a young boy scout. But how are they in
hospitality? I had never experience the
Swissotel brand until this opportunity, albeit with Chinese characteristics. My review is mixed although below
par.
Building:
Location: It is located in one of the many districts of the city of Foshan, the lessor known cousin to
Guangzhou. In fact, if you were to
combine the two neighboring cities you would have one of the largest metropolitan
areas on the world rivaling Tokyo. The
city feels a little disjointed because of this.
It is heavily gridded and no definable center of town. The Swissotel Foshan is located in the Chancheng
district; known for its furniture wholesale markets and the more historical
parts of the city (which unfortunately were all closed during my visit.) It was difficult to find any convenience to
sites or business.
Facilities: The building,
built in 2008 and renovated in 2017, is the tallest structure in the city. So, the views are ultimately spectacular from
just about any room. Unfortunately,
almost everything was closed during my visit.
When I inquired why this was the case when all the other gyms, spas, and
swimming pools in the city were open for use, the staff suggested that the government
was keeping things closed. Being that I could
see clear as day the pools in neighboring properties operating and the spas
around the property brightly lit and opening, and the low occupancy of the hotel,
I had a tough time believing this was accurate.
How unfortunate.
Amenities: Most of
the amenities you would expect from a 5-star property were available, but at a
much lower quality than expected. Towels,
robes and a groovy looking foot scale were nice as well as a well-stocked
mini fridge. But the disposable
toiletries were that of a roadhouse off an American highway. Switch gear was old, no usb ports, and other
than a rather complete compendium, there were no reading materials; a rather
bare room.
Décor: Another disappointment. It was dark, cheesy, boring, and old. The chase lounge in the corner of my “upgraded”
room seemed completely out of place and lazily put there as an
afterthought. The strange accent designs
that were glued down probably cost a lot of money (20 years ago), but today
just seem like something from a garage sale (as did the rest of the
furniture). There was a simple attempt at
some kind of artwork throughout the lobby, but like most things in this hotel,
it seemed it like was put there for the mere fact of putting something there…. That’s all.
Service
Staff: They were
great! Aside from a little “not-so-true”
explanations at check in, they were actually very hard working and accommodating. The English of all the staff was superb and their
attention to me wasn’t too much, but wasn’t too little; just right. You have to be during these times traveling
in China with all the additional steps and paperwork required to handle a
foreigner checking in, patient Indeed, I
was most impressed with the restaurant staff with their personal attention and
dedication to delivering a great dining experience.
Food: The
breakfast buffet was small but rather complete with a great selection of fresh
offerings. Half way through my meal the
manager came over to offer an a la carte menu that was also included; I could
order just about anything to my liking all included. The food, for a breakfast, exceeded my expectations,
but wasn’t memorable beyond my stay.
Cleanliness: With a
Swiss hotel brand, one would expect precision and cleanliness to be world
class. It was not. Most of this is due to the aging furniture
and fixtures in the rooms. The carpets
were a mess and the corners here and there needed some attention. At first glance, the bathroom and mirrors were
spotless (And for the most part they were) but on close inspection in the cracks
was built up crud. The switch gear just
seemed old and heavily used. During this
time in China, I felt uncomfortable touching them.
Experience
Comfort: I did not
have a good night’s rest. The bed I was
given was rock hard and the room smelled of deionized smoke; even though I was
on a labeled non smoking floor. The
chair at the desk is a commonly used office chair that is also well known for
being uncomfortable; style over functionality.
In the morning, the front desk told me that they have some rooms with
beds that are a lot softer to accommodate foreign tastes… but these were not offered
or made aware to me at check in. I left,
unrested.
Uniqueness: It was my
worst nightmare… same same same. I have
stayed in this hotel a million times and I was happy to leave. The views are great, that’s the one unique
quality of the hotel in the city. But
other than that, yawn.
Value: Occupancy
being low during these times, I was able to secure a heavy discount for my
stay. But, even with the discount, I don’t
believe I got my money’s worth considering all the facilities (even the Chocolate
counter) were closed. I didn’t have a
good night’s rest, I didn’t enjoy myself at all, and wasn’t able to utilize the
time to work at the desk. Fail!
Rojo Rating:
Location: 5
Facilities: 3
Amenities: 4
Décor: 2
Staff: 6
Food: 6
Cleanliness: 5
Comfort: 2
Uniqueness:2
Value: 4
Total: 39/100
I understand that during these times in China, it’s difficult to
deliver a full hospitality experience on a 5-star level to guests. But, other hotels of a lesser, less expensive
category can do it and do it well. Therefore,
there is little excuse I can accept for this unfortunate evening. The staff seemed to know this and worked hard
to make up for the shortcomings they knew I was experiencing and I appreciate
that. Still, these reviews are my honest
opinions about my stay.