New Land Hotel

Also known as the "New Land Hotel" or the "Newland Hotel", this is an almost brand new hotel which just about hits the mark of a decent 4-star hotel. The hotel is located in central Wuchang and was constructed less than a year ago. There are plenty of local shops around and eateries in the area, though no glossy malls. For those, go to Hankou. I have lived in Wuchang before so have the benefit of knowing the area. The hotel is not really walkable from Wuchang Station if you have bags, otherwise walking will take you about 30-45 minutes. The hotel is located close to the Yellow Crane Tower. Reception is clean and glossy and the staff very helpful and charming, though few speak decent English. That's more than made up for by their genuine welcome and smiles all around. I obtained their special 3 night deal which was 280 RMB per night. For that I got a double room on the 14th floor. The rooms were large and looked brand new, almost like they'd never been touched, which could've been the case due to the recent opening of this hotel. Beds were firm but not too firm, and comfortable. Everything was exquisitely clean. The bathroom was also sparkling clean and had everything you'd need. The one thing I was taken aback a little by was the 500 RMB per night security deposit. As I stayed for 3 nights, they asked for a 1500 RMB pre-authorisation on the credit card. Whilst this does not mean money is debited, the amount seemed rather high, even when compared to Hong Kong and Shanghai standards. The pre-auth receipt was however duly returned on check-out without any fuss. The rooms featured brand new HDTV flat screens but only with the usual choice of local Chinese channels (i.e. no foreign channels). There is also a free broadband connection and cable which was handy. Rooms were thoroughly serviced every day, and nobody knocked on your day or phoned you if you didn't want them to. In terms of furniture, there is plenty of storage place in new solid wood wardrobes. The bathroom looked great, and water temperature and shower pressure were fine. The bath is very deep and nice for a soak. However, the design of the bath is such that for westerners a lot of water splashed out on to the floor. After I finished showering there was quite a puddle of water on the floor, but this quickly drained. Just be careful when stepping out of the deep bath. All the usual complimentary toiletries were available and for once, they all smelled nice and lathered well. There is also a rack of "uncomplimentary" items such as condoms which you may want hide from children. The rooms did however lack a decent room service menu, particularly as there was no western food available, and the English translation of the service directory was rather poor, though amusing. Also the rooms are quite warm, sometimes uncomfortably so. The air conditioner, on the lowest temperature setting and highest fan speed didn't do a huge amount to cool the room. However, these are small gripes. The staff are genuinely helpful and seem delighted to meet you. I have stayed at many Chinese hotels, and know the difference between a fake smile and real ones, and the staff here are genuine. Although you might have problems if you cannot speak much Chinese,the cleanliness, modernity, service and comfort of this hotel means it is extremely good value and I whole heartedly recommend this hotel to fellow travellers.