Hohhot's Hidden Gem: Shiyangqiao Hanting Hotel Review (You Won't Believe This!)
Shiyangqiao Hanting Hotel: Hohhot's "Hidden Gem" (Or Just A Really Good Nap Spot?) - A Brutally Honest Review
Alright, buckle up buttercups. You're about to get the real deal on Hohhot's Shiyangqiao Hanting Hotel. Forget the perfectly posed travel blogger photos and suspiciously glowing reviews. I'm talking raw, unfiltered… well, let's just say I'm gonna tell you what I actually felt. And I felt a lot. Prepare your eyeballs for a rollercoaster of emotion, because honestly, this place… was an experience.
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Accessibility: The "I'm-Not-Entirely-Sure-But-We-Tried" Edition
Okay, let's rip the band-aid off. Wheelchair accessible? Well, the listing says it is, and there's an elevator (thank the tiny hotel gods!), but navigating the hallways felt a little… dicey. I didn't have a wheelchair with me, but my gut feeling is that while technically accessible, maneuvering might require a little extra patience and perhaps a friendly staff member to guide you. Kudos for the effort though, and the Facilities for disabled guests listed gives hope!
Getting Around:
- Airport transfer: Listed, but I didn't use it, so I can't vouch.
- Taxi service: Present – essential!
- Car park [free of charge], Car park [on-site]: Score! Saved me some yuan.
- Bicycle parking: Didn't see it, but Hohhot's not exactly a biking paradise.
- Car power charging station: Nope. Not that I saw.
On-site accessible restaurants / lounges: Hmmm. This is where things get murky. I didn’t exactly scope out the entire dining situation for accessibility, but again, the layout felt a little tight. Proceed with caution.
Internet & Technology: Bless the Free Wi-Fi!
PRAISE BE FOR FREE WI-FI IN ALL ROOMS! Seriously, in this day and age, it's a must. The Wi-Fi worked reliably, which is a small miracle in some parts of the world. Plus, Internet [LAN] was also listed, which is helpful for some, though I just stuck with the wireless. There’s Internet services available, but I didn’t poke around too much. The Wi-Fi for special events bit makes me think they can handle a conference, which is a surprise!
Rooms & Amenities: Where the Real Story Begins
My room? It was… fine. Let’s go with “functional, with a hint of potential.”
- Air conditioning: Praise be, it worked! Needed it.
- Air conditioning in public area: Crucial.
- Blackout curtains: Absolutely essential for surviving jet lag.
- Alarm clock: Present and accounted for, though I used my phone because, you know, modern times.
- Bathroom phone: Slightly bizarre, but hey, who am I to judge?
- Bathtub, Separate shower/bathtub: I opted for the shower. Simpler.
- Bathrobes, Slippers: A nice touch, though the slippers felt a little… thin.
- Bed: Comfy enough to collapse into after a day of exploring. Extra long bed? I don't think so. Pretty standard size.
- Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea: Yes! Bless the caffeine, especially for that Inner Mongolian sunrise.
- Closet: Standard closet. Functional. Did the job.
- Desk, Laptop workspace: Essential for a bit of work (or, you know, desperately trying to upload photos).
- Free bottled water: Always a plus! Hydration is key.
- Hair dryer: Present. Thank goodness!
- High floor: Didn't specifically request one, but I ended up several floors up. Good view!
- In-room safe box: Always a comfort.
- Internet access – wireless, Internet access – LAN: Covered.
- Ironing facilities: Didn't use them, because wrinkles are part of my travel narrative.
- Linens, Towels: Clean and adequate.
- Mini bar: Not exactly stocked with gourmet goodies, but it had the basics.
- Mirror: Mirrors. Everywhere. Useful!
- Non-smoking: YES. Thank you, Hanting.
- On-demand movies, Satellite/cable channels: I didn't even bother. I was there to explore!
- Private bathroom: Obviously.
- Reading light, Socket near the bed: Crucial for late-night bookworms like myself.
- Refrigerator, Scale, Sofa: Added bonus.
- Seating area: Simple.
- Shower: Functional.
- Smoke detector: Safety first!
- Soundproofing, Soundproof rooms: Not bad. You could still hear some hallway noise, but it wasn't a dealbreaker.
- Telephone: I used it to order room service!
- Toiletries: Bare bones, but they did the job.
- Toiletries: Bare bones, but they did the job.
- Umbrella: Didn't need one.
- Visual alarm, Wake-up service: I used my phone.
- Window that opens: Good for fresh air and feeling less like you're trapped in a box.
Cleanliness and Safety: The COVID Era Edition
Okay, this is where Hanting actually shined. They really nailed the hygiene game.
- Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, Rooms sanitized between stays, Professional-grade sanitizing services, Sterilizing equipment: Check, check, check. I genuinely felt safe. Seeing this level of hygiene commitment was reassuring.
- Cashless payment service: Easy and convenient.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere. Good.
- Individually-wrapped food options: Appreciated.
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter, Safe dining setup: They were trying, bless them.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: They seemed to know their stuff.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Didn't use it, but nice to have the option.
- Shared stationery removed: Smart.
- Hot water linen and laundry washing Also a crucial.
- Hygiene certification Didnt see this, but the efforts spoke volumes.
- First aid kit: present and accounted for.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: My Stomach's Adventure
Ah, the food. Let's be honest, it's a major part of travel. Was it Michelin-star quality? Absolutely not. Was it… interesting? Absolutely.
- Breakfast [buffet], Asian breakfast, Western breakfast: The buffet was the highlight, offering a decent selection of both. The Asian options were more my speed. The Coffee/tea in restaurant, Coffee shop options were a bit basic.
- A la carte in restaurant, Buffet in restaurant: Convenient for sure.
- Restaurants, Bar, Poolside bar, Snack bar, Room service [24-hour]: The room service was a lifesaver after a long day of sightseeing. They also had a Vegetarian restaurant option.
- Bottle of water: Always.
- Desserts in restaurant: A tiny, tempting display.
- Happy hour: I missed it. Boo.
- Salad in restaurant, Soup in restaurant: Mostly the usual.
- International cuisine in restaurant, Asian cuisine in restaurant: The Asian food was the way to go. The "international" options were… trying.
Things to Do / Ways to Relax: Spa Day? Maybe Not.
Now, about those "ways to relax"… let's just say my expectations were slightly… adjusted.
- Fitness center, Gym/fitness: Looked… compact. Didn't use it.
- Pool with view, Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor]: Sadly, the weather was not conducive to pool lounging.
- Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom, Foot bath, Body scrub, Body wrap, Massage: The spa situation was… advertised, but I had a nagging suspicion it might be more of a suggestion. I didn’t indulge.
- Sauna: Listed, but I
Okay, buckle up, buttercups! This isn't your polished, Instagrammy travelogue. This is the real deal, Hanting Hotel Hohhot Shiyangqiao style. Get ready for a bumpy ride… (and maybe some questionable food choices, because, let's be honest, that's half the fun).
Hohhot Hellscape (Or, You Know, China)
Day 1: Arrival - Or How I Immediately Regretted My Packing Choices
1:00 PM: Landed in Hohhot. The airport… well, it's an airport. Smelled vaguely of something I couldn't identify. My first thought? Why did I wear this itchy sweater? I'm sweating like a Mongolian yak.
1:30 PM: Currency exchange. Okay, the Yuan looks way cooler than the dollar. I feel like I should be buying a dragon or something.
2:00 PM: Finding a taxi. This is where the adventure really begins. My Mandarin is nonexistent, and the driver either doesn't speak English or pretends not to. Pointing and miming is my new life.
2:30 PM: Finally, finally at the Hanting Hotel Shiyangqiao. It's… clean. Surprisingly clean, actually. My room? Tiny, but hey, it's a bed! And blessedly air-conditioned. Immediate unpacking of the essentials: phone charger, wet wipes (a MUST), and that emergency chocolate bar.
3:00 PM: Attempting to navigate the neighborhood. This is where I realize my map app is less helpful than a goldfish. Wandering aimlessly, dodging scooters, and feeling like a colossal idiot. Locals stare, a mixture of amusement and mild concern. My first purchase: a bottle of suspiciously green-colored juice. (Update: Tastes like grass and regret).
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM: The Dumpling Debacle: Found a little dumpling place (looked divey – perfect). Ordered everything in broken Chinese. I managed to order at least something, and that's an accomplishment. The dumplings arrived, steaming and delicious. So, the best thing about the dumplings? The chili oil! Hot, spicy, and made me momentarily forget about my questionable juice purchase. Now, here's where the "debacle" part kicks in. After the first few bites, I began to feel odd. It started as a tickle in my nose, then a slight tingling in my tongue. Then my face started to itch, real itchy. Was it something in the dumplings? Was I allergic to something? Or had I just gone full crazy after 12 hours of traveling? My face turned red, and I broke out in hives. The staff looked confused, but thankfully after guzzling down 3 bottles of water, the itching subsided. I’ll consider myself lucky, it could have been a lot worse.
8:00 PM: Bed. Collapse. Exhausted, slightly nauseous, but mostly, just… existing.
Day 2: The Unexpected Temple and The Worst Noodles Ever
- 9:00 AM: Waking up, slightly less terrified of the day. Breakfast at the hotel: instant noodles (surprisingly not terrible, but a far cry from my grandmother's cooking) and lukewarm coffee (classic).
- 10:00 AM: Decided to brave the bus system. Big mistake. I got on the wrong bus. I have no idea where I'm going. I'm pretty sure I'm the only foreigner on board and I was already beginning to sweat again.
- 11:00 AM: Miracle! Accidentally stumbled upon a beautiful Buddhist temple. Gorgeous carvings, vibrant colors, and a sense of peace that somehow washed over all the confusion. I felt a little guilty for not knowing any of the Buddhist rituals, but hey, I'm trying! Really tried to be respectful.
- 1:00 PM: The Noodle Incident: Decided to try a local noodle place. Looked promising from the outside. Nope. The noodles were… textureless. Imagine eating rubber bands that had been boiled in dishwater. The broth tasted of nothing and grief. I'm pretty sure the chef was trying to poison me out of spite for being a tourist. Ate half (because I didn’t want to offend anyone), paid the bill, and fled.
- 3:00-5:00 PM: Shopping for Souvenirs: Bought a yak-wool scarf that's probably going to make me itch for a solid week and a suspiciously friendly stuffed camel. Spent a good amount of time bartering, a skill I clearly lack.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner: Back to the dumpling place (yes, really. I’m a masochist at this point). Ate cautiously. Survived. Victory! Slept like a rock.
Day 3: Genghis Khan and Getting Lost (Again)
- 9:00 AM: More instant noodles. This is becoming a lifestyle.
- 10:00 AM: Decided to visit the Genghis Khan Mausoleum. The bus journey was an odyssey. I somehow managed to get on the right bus this time, which is practically a miracle. The Mausoleum itself was impressive, a grand monument to a legendary figure. I was wandering around, trying to sound knowledgeable, pretending that I had even a sliver of an idea about Mongolian history.
- 1:00 PM: Lost again. This time in a park. Found some kids playing, tried to communicate with them. They probably thought I was a complete lunatic. Ended up buying some street food that looked like… well, I'm not sure what it was. But surprisingly, it tasted good, or maybe I was just really hungry at this point.
- 3:00-5:00 PM: The Great Tea Experiment: I found a tea shop, and I tried to order some Mongolian milk tea. The language barrier was epic. Pointing, miming, and using every Chinese word I knew. Eventually, I got a cup of tea. It tasted… unique. Salty, and a little bit savory. I think I'm going to be smelling like butter and salt for the rest of the trip.
- 7:00 PM: Final dinner. Back to the dumpling shop (sensing a theme?). This time, ordered conservatively. Ate slowly. Lived to tell the tale.
- 9:00 PM: Packing. Tomorrow, I escape Hohhot. Part of me is sad, part of me is… itching to get out of here.
Final Thoughts:
Hohhot was a wild ride. It was frustrating, confusing, and frequently hilarious. I ate some questionable food, got lost more times than I can count, and learned that my Mandarin is as useful as a chocolate teapot. But, I also experienced something real, something raw, something… human. This trip was a rollercoaster of emotions, an absolute mess. I wouldn't trade it for anything. And although the noodles were a cardinal sin, this trip will always stick with me.
Would I come back? Maybe. But next time, I'm bringing an interpreter. And maybe, a lifetime supply of antihistamines.
Sheraton Redding: Sundial Bridge Luxury Awaits!
Shiyangqiao Hanting Hotel: The Unexpected Gem (Or Maybe Not?) - You NEED to Know!
Alright, buckle up folks. I’m just back from a trip to Hohhot, and let me tell you, finding decent accommodation there felt like searching for the Holy Grail. I landed (somewhat by accident, let's be honest) at the Shiyangqiao Hanting Hotel. And honestly? It was... an experience. So, let's dive into the messy, hilarious, and sometimes questionable details, shall we?
1. Why did you even *choose* the Shiyangqiao Hanting Hotel? Hohhot's a whole city, right?
Okay, full disclosure: this wasn’t my *first* choice. My usual haunts were either booked solid or looked like they hadn't been updated since the Qing Dynasty. Shiyangqiao Hanting was, shall we say, strategically located near my business meeting (the *real* reason for the trip – hotel reviews are just a fun bonus, you know?). Plus, the pictures... they were *decent*. A tad optimistic maybe, but who expects perfection? I wanted something cheap and cheerful. I got... something. Heh.
2. Let's cut to the chase: What was the room *really* like? Be brutally honest!
Alright, alright. The room! Well… imagine a very standard hotel room. Now, imagine that standard room had been slightly rearranged by a committee of sleep-deprived squirrels. Beds were fine, perfectly acceptable, nothing to write home about except... the pillows. Oh, the pillows! They were either rock-hard or more like a deflated whoopie cushion. I spent the first night battling a pillow that seemed determined to give me a crick in the neck. I eventually folded a towel and used that as my pillow. (Pro-tip, people!) The bathroom… functional. Let’s leave it at that. Don't expect luxury, expect… the bare minimum. And for the love of all that is holy, bring your OWN shampoo. Seriously.
3. You mentioned it was "an experience." Spill the tea! What was the *weirdest* thing that happened?
Okay, this deserves its own little anecdote. So, one morning, I'm getting ready for my meeting, right? And the hot water… vanished. Poof! Gone! I called the front desk, and they assured me it would be fixed. A few hours later? Still freezing. Okay, I’m a patient person, but I was picturing myself showing up to my meeting with icicles hanging from my hair. Finally, around lunchtime, I ventured down to the lobby. The receptionist, bless her heart, was a whirlwind of frantic energy. She explained, with a dramatic flourish and a LOT of hand gestures (language barrier, you see), that there'd been a "water system incident." (I think a pipe burst, but I never got a straight answer). Anyway, I had to take a lukewarm shower that day. And I mean *lukewarm*. It was a total disaster, but honestly, the whole situation was so absurd that I couldn’t help but laugh. It definitely made for a memorable experience! It's the kind of experience you get to tell people later on, right? Like, "Oh yeah, the hotel in Hohhot? Had a water system incident. But hey, the coffee was good!"
4. What about the breakfast? Was it edible?
Breakfast! Ah, the daily buffet of… possibilities. I would call it a "continental breakfast", but I am pretty sure they were pulling out the goods from a time machine. There was a limited selection of… let's just say "savory pastries" that looked a bit sad, some congee of questionable origin, and instant coffee that tasted suspiciously of burnt rubber. I discovered toast was my best bet. Toast and maybe a slightly terrifying egg. I mostly stuck to fruit. Which sometimes looked like it had seen better days. Look, the food wasn't the *highlight* of the trip, okay?
5. Okay, okay, was there *anything* you actually liked? Give us a positive!
Alright, Mr. Negative, let's find a silver lining! The *staff*. Honestly, despite the language barrier (and the occasional plumbing crisis), the staff were genuinely lovely. They were always trying their best, and they were incredibly polite. And, I swear, the cleaning crew worked miracles. The room was always tidy, even after I’d… you know… lived in it for a few days. So, kudos to them! Plus, the location, once I got my bearings, was actually pretty convenient. Close to… some things. (Details are hazy after the great lukewarm shower incident.)
6. The Internet: was it reliable? Because we all know that's a necessity.
The internet was… intermittent. Let’s just put it that way. It got the job done, eventually. I wouldn’t plan on streaming anything in HD. It was definitely fast enough to check emails and get some basic work done, but don’t expect lightning-fast speeds. Expect the occasional buffering wheel of doom. I found myself wandering into the lobby at odd hours, just to get a more stable connection at times.
7. Would you recommend the Shiyangqiao Hanting Hotel? Be honest!
Okay, here's the deal. If you're on a super-tight budget, and you’re not expecting the Ritz, and you have a serious sense of humor, then yeah, maybe. Just pack your own pillow, shampoo, and maybe a portable hot water heater, too. I survived, and in a weird way, I even have some fond memories. (Mainly because the whole experience was so ridiculously *unpredictable*). If you want luxury or even a slightly above-average experience? Run. Run far and fast. But if you’re looking for a story to tell around the water cooler? Shiyangqiao Hanting Hotel might just be your perfect stay. Use this review to take it with a grain of salt. Proceed with caution, and prepare for an adventure. You might even find yourself laughing about the lukewarm showers years later, just like me. And hey, who knows? Maybe by the time *you* go, they'll have fixed the water system. Probably not, but hey, a girl can dream, right?
