I stayed here for two nights on business in February 2007. I have visited Harbin before, but only for day trips from Beijing. Based on my previous visits, I had limited expecations of hotels in Harbin. Of course, Harbin is not a destination on par with Shanghai or Beijing. On the other hand, the Fortune Days Hotel was advertised as a five star hotel, and they have their impressive plaque hanging behind the front desk!

The lobby was quite tacky, and conditions did not improve when I reached my room. Basically, the room was a disaster:

The carpet was badly stained
The climate control was inoperable
The room was sweltering
The 'non-smoking' room left my clothes smelling of cigarettes
The internet connection did not work
The phone did not work
The closet was too small to hold more than one suit
The bed was huge (good spot for the rest of my clothes)
The bed was hard as a board (bad for sleeping)
All of the lights and TV are controlled via remote (broken)
The desk chair had a broken leg
The paint was peeling off the ceiling in the bathroom

My colleagues confirmed the same conditions in their rooms. Other than those minor details, everthing was fine. And all of this can be yours for < $100 per night!

Needless to say, five stars in Harbin do not equal five stars in other places. Until I find an eight or nine star hotel there, I will limit myself to day trips to Harbin.

Although I have actually heard good things about the Harbin Shangri-La. If I have to stay the night, that will be my next choice.