When I first arrived at about 6pm they claimed I had no booking. Five minutes later, after I had got on the phone to call my travel agent at home (an international mobile call at my expense), all of a sudden everything was OK - seemingly with no apparent extra effort by them.

The bellboys demanded payment for carrying bags to the room and for leaving them in storage after checkout until I left for the airport. This had never been required of me before in a Chinese hotel.

Service in the room was slip shod - on Day1 it was not completely cleaned and serviced, on day 2 it was not cleaned until I requested it in mid afternoon and on Day 3 staff entered the room while I was inside without knocking, did not leave immediately, and made no attempt to excuse themselves. The room was also very overheated, and the bed and furnishings very hard. The TV only appeared to carry Chinese stations. On one occasion all lifts were stopped and I was told to use the stairs.

In the restaurant for dinner the alternative menu I was given was in Russian, but there was plenty of food at the breakfast buffet, albeit much of it unidentified/unidentifiable - my western eye couldn't even guess at some of the dishes. The "juices" were strange concoctions that I think were supposed to be apple and orange, but bore little resemblance to the real thing, and were served hot.

The location is good for the main sights and quiet with no passing traffic, but it was not quiet inside, presumably because of thin walls.

Perhaps this hotel is best left to the Chinese groups and Russians that were there at the same time as me.