Zhuhai, being right across
the boarder from Macau and very strategically located on a beautiful stretch of
costal sights in Southern China, has so much potential for domestic and
international tourism. Some resorts
really take advantage of this (like Chimelong Ocean Kingdom). But, The Ocean Spring Resort, although very
ambitious in trying to capitalize on its location and concept, fails to deliver
the goods as a complete package.
Building:
Location: In terms of proximity to anywhere well known, it’s in the middle of nowhere. Down an industrial peninsula on the far west side of the city of Zhuhai, and hugging the coast is a sprawling real estate development that includes homes, apartments, dorms, and the Ocean Spring Resort. The road infrastructure is laid out and there are massive plans to expand the development of the area, but those plans rest on the success of the centerpiece, the resort itself. Without it, there’s no reason to purchase property here unless you work in some of the nearby industries or farms.
Facilities: They’re quite aged.
The resort opened in 2006 and there’s a claim that it was renovated in
2015 (although I could not find any evidence of this). This place is massive! The hot springs facilities themselves are
located in the center of the action flanked on both sides by large hotels each
with their own lobby. During my visit,
the southern “hotel” was closed for “Renovation” but it was clear to see that
the demand was just not there to justify operating such a large property. Combined, the total number of rooms is over 1,000
making it one of the largest hotels in Guangdong. There’s a shopping area, a
fitness area, a live entertainment complex; all of which are completely unused
and falling into disrepair. The theme
park/waterpark that is adjacent to the hotel is a poor man’s version of the
competing Chimelong and misses the mark on just about every element. It’s best for kids, for even
teenagers will find it to be boring and unamusing. The star of the show is the hot springs
themselves, which surprisingly based on the condition of the rest of the
resort, are remarkably good and worth the price of admission. It’s large, clean, comfortable, and there are
many places at night you can find yourself and your date all alone for some
nice intimate moments. The kids will be
in heaven too as there’s plenty for them to do and explore both indoor and
outdoor.
Amenities: Again, missing the mark. Nothing has been updated since its opening. There are the bare minimums needed including a “western restaurant” that only serves a limited amount of pizzas (if you’re willing to dine in the dark and alone). The snack street on the walkway between the hotel and the springs is open late and there are a lot of tasty treats along the way. You can even have a coffee in the lush outdoor patio of a fairy good coffee shop. Other than that, and a couple of noodle shops, you’ll be hard pressed to find something decent to eat. The rooms are sparse with lower end amenities. The gym is also minimal and the indoor pool was closed during my visit. There is a huge capacity for business conventions here and I suspect that when the pandemic is over these services will be booked up because despite all the negatives I talk about, this resort does offer all that would be needed for a large scale conference at an affordable price.
Décor: Old and boring. It’s tough to describe it but when walking around you feel uninspired by anything. The rooms are… blah. I didn’t even film it for my video. The hallways and the lobby are.. .blah. Walking through many parts of the hotel I felt like I was in a movie set if the set decorator was asked to create generic airport hotel conference halls. Architecturally, it has some potential with a mix of tropical and Mediterranean elements. But because of the age and lack of maintenance, what might usually be considered faults hidden in the nooks are in your face and scream, “We are cheap!”
Service
Staff: I have good and bad to report about the service
here. Let’s start with the bad and end
on a good note. As a foreigner, I was
given a room in the furthest wing from anything.. a country-mile-walk to any
other part of the property. I was all
alone there. During my hikes to the
lobby, restaurant, or parking, I did not encounter any staff. The reason for this is whenever a staff
member saw me, they dashed into a linen closet and slammed the door, or
abruptly turned around and briskly walked in the other direction. I had little to know interaction with
anyone. I truly felt like they were
scared of me. That being said, the front
desk staff was more than helpful during my stay. Even with some common communication issues
because of my lack of Chinese, they worked very hard to help me through the
complicated check-in process and explain all the resort had to offer. A special “thank you” for the personal
attention should be given to the FOM who personally walked me to one of the
eating establishments and ensured I was given exactly what I wanted. I didn’t need his help in this manner, and I
repeatedly told him I didn’t need my hand held. But he took pride in his job. I could only stand back, let him fulfill his
duties and sincerely shake his hand afterwards for a job well done.
Food: Terrible! It’s
one of the worst hotels for food I have experienced in China. The dining options at first glance seem
abundant but the quality really does suffer.
The breakfast buffet was never-ending but on closer investigation I
discovered that it repeats itself. It
was a mass-produced banquet breakfast with too much oil and a rubber consistency;
a true disappointment. At the end of my
stay I was craving a McDonald’s burger on my drive home.
Cleanliness: Keeping a property of this size in good working order and clean in all the corners would require an army of engineers and housekeepers. Because of obvious staff cutbacks due to low occupancy, this could not happen and the hotel suffers as a result. There’s an ever-present smell of cigarettes everywhere you go; fully engrained in the carpets of the hallways and the rooms. But the hot springs themselves were a different story. Although the locker rooms were… well… used, the pools and areas around the pools were kept neat and orderly and on a constant cleaning cycle. It’s as if management knows where they’re money maker is and they’re putting all their attention there as a last resort, like a king fortifying is castle to ward off the invading decay of age and neglect from the surrounding facilities.
Experience
Comfort: I was not comfortable.
Even if the beds were soft enough for a good night’s rest after a soak
in the pools, I still didn’t feel as relaxed as I had hoped. The distance between buildings that you had
to walk, the lack of working vending machines for water replenishment, and the
hot, smokey hallways made my stay slightly above tolerable, at best.
Uniqueness: The uniqueness of the property comes at the cost of
overambition. It’s so big, and so empty
that at times I thought I was in the movie “The Shining”. It was eerie.
Although some people might be creeped out by a thought like that, I
found it to be one of the few redeeming qualities. I have long believed that the memories a
property creates during your stay (good or bad) are what warrant the stay in
the first place. And that “creepy”
feeling I felt wandering the hallways late at night, all alone, is something
that I won’t soon forget. Still, I have
stayed in enough hotels in my life to be quite familiar with this feeling and
it was boring as a result.
Value: If you can get there, there’s value to be had. If you’re an adult, skip it. You won’t get your money’s worth. If you’re a family with young kids, then they
will love the resort’s hot springs, theme park and water park facilities and
you’ll appreciate that entrance to all of these is included in the room
price.
Rojo Rating:
Location: 5
Facilities: 4
Amenities: 3
Décor: 3
Staff: 5
Food: 2
Cleanliness: 5
Comfort: 5
Uniqueness: 4
Value: 6
Total: 42/100
For me, this was an experience that I had to have in order
to appreciate the better managed and more popular Chimelong resorts in
Guangdong. It creates a contrast between
the well planned and well executed versus the wannabes. Still, the hot springs themselves saved this
place from becoming a forgotten “meh” of an experience. Time will tell if management can invest some
money and energy in developing this place into something more. A lot has been built here and it has the
potential to be something great with the proper marketing and investments. Until then, the pools at the center will
continue to be an oasis surrounded by an encroaching desert of dilapidation.