The hotel rooms are very old and tired. Kunming was the only down side on our Helen Wong 'Golden Route' tour. The guide was telling us about how much we had to tip as instructed by Helen Wong. This was not true and we thought a bit rude! This hotel is supposed to be 4 star, 2.5, would be close to it.

We stayed in this hotel for 2 nights as part of Helen Wong Tours. The check in process was the worst of any hotel-they claim they had not received the booking, but we had no problems with any other Hotels on the Tour, so I assume the hotel was at fault there. It took about 2 hrs for them to sort it out, as the group sat in the foyer area, following an internal flight. No explanation was given at the time. The rooms were shabby, dirty, old-in my word to the Tour Leader "crappy".

The hotel is close to the airport and railway station. We had no problem finding english speaking staff. The room was ok but the service a bit slow.

Location: The KaiWah is located in the city, about a 5 minute cab ride from the city centre and 5 minutes from the airport (which must be one of the most central airports in China). Taxis in Kunming are really cheap, with taxis costing no more than €2 anywhere in town. The hotel is located about 5 minutes walk from Kunming Station, and about two minutes from the newly opened elevated central ring-road. There is an underground car-park.

Right around the hotels are shopping streets, offering both local and international products - there are a number of other hotels in the immediate locale, so there is a great selection of places for dinner.

For those looking for a home - from - home experience, walmart is about a two minute taxi ride away, as is a fantastic (but devoid of customers) deluxe brand mall, complete with all the famously overpriced western brands.

Dining: The hotel has a number of places for dinner with menus in both English and Chinese. The food is good quality, and not expensive for a five star hotel. Alongside the typical Chinese food there is a selection of international meals too. Breakfast is excellent, with a wide range of international and local style food. The executive lounge also offers breakfast alongside evening snacks.

Rooms: Spotlessly clean, with good quality furnishings. The rooms have a modern flat screenTV, safe, etc. Like nearly every Chinese hotel I have stayed in, the air conditioning is a bit hit and miss. Room service is available, but often there is a language challenge for non Mandarin speakers in succeeding to order - again this is usually the case in non western chain hotels in the region. TV options in the room are limited, with some international channels and with about 15 local channels. There is a mini bar in the room. There is free high(ish) speed internet in the rooms via cable. The rooms are well soundproofed.

Amenities: Within the hotel there is a pool and health centre with sauna. There is also a bank, with ATM (remember that some foreign debit cards have a limit to what you can withdraw in 24hrs in China - usually around 900rmb). There is also a comedy / nightclub and Karoke bar on the fifth floor.

Staff: The staff in the bars and resturaunts speak passable english, which is useful. They seem to enjoy themselves, and try hard to provide a good service.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere in the hotel is quite good - there is a buzz in the bar in the evenings. People in Kunming eat really early, so resturaunts either close early or will be empty post 8pm. The decor of the lobbies is good, and comfortable.

Booking: Dont book directly with the hotel, as they charge rack-rates, as do the usual foreign hotel reservation systems. I usually book using a reputable chinese booking site like ctrip.

Summary: Very pleased with the hotel in comparison to others I have stayed in the city. The rooms are comfortable and quiet, the lobbies are grand, and good for business meetings, as is the executive lounge which is quiet during the day.

This hotel was built to the Westin standard so decor and finishings are to an excellent standard. Service is lacking the finesse of a five star hotel, something experienced all over China outside of the major chains, of which there are none in Kunming.

Although not central, a cheap quick taxi will bring you anywhere you want to go. Being close to the airport and station is very handy for late arrivals and early departures.

I have stayed in this hotel four or five times over the last twelve months, so my review covers more than just one stay.