Mercure Beijing Chang An West

I've stayed at Mercure in many cities aroudn the world. One of the main reasons is that typically the staff could speak English well and also the rooms were clean and orderly. Unfortunately, in this case, the staff could not speak English, but even worse, the room was in bad condition.

I booked a deluxe suite, erroneously thinking that would be a good stay. Just for formatting, I'll list the issues I had:

1. The furniture was worn out,
2. the wall behind the door had a gaping hole since there was no door stopper on it,
3. the sink was clogged,
4. there was trash in the bathtub,
5. there were burn marks and unknown spots on the wall,
6. there were reddish-rubber-like blots almost like paint or blood in random corners of the bathroom,
7. the light instructions were all in Chinese so it took a while to get used to,
8. the non-carpeted area was dusty. I could only imagine what the carpeted part was like underneath.

Overall, I was very disappointed but was too tired from travels to lodge a proper complaint and sign my dissatisfaction with the staff. Rest assured I won't be coming back to this location again.

Even beyond the hotel condition, there were certain peculiar things I noticed which made me wonder what kind of patrons frequent this particular hotel. The hotel provided a day-rate by the hour for the room as well, which I haven't seen before when staying at Mercure in other cities around the world.

Location: Our Driver had many complaints about its location, it is however close tothe tiananmen square. Our complaint is that there is really nothing much surrounding the hotel, no shops, nearest restaurant is about 3 blocks away, and as the hotel is situated on a minor road, it is dark and very quiet at night. Best to stay inddors.

Rooms: If you are taking a Superior Executive Room, then yes, the rooms are quite well maintained and furnishings are relatively new and spacious rooms. Anything below that type of room(Deluxe or Superior room) , then you would find rusty bathroom showers and soap holders, poor water drainage in the showers, extremely dusty wardrobes, NO bath robes provided, torn carpets with large stains, re-used toilet-paper-thin bedroom slippers.

Be warned: There is no air-conditioning or air ventilation of any kind if the temperature OUTSIDE the hotel is 26 degrees celcius and below. All you would then have for ventilation is a small little window that doesn't even open fully.

Breakfast: Variety is ok, but less than other 4 star hotels in China I've been to. Always obtain a new pair of chopsticks from the buffett counter. Do not use chopsticks that are at the table you are seated. Why? Because when clearing tables, staff clear plates and drink glasses only. Waste is swiped onto the floor with a cloth, and their job is done. Place mats are not wiped and used chopsticks are simply placed back onto the chopstick holders. Food quality is good, but restaurant hygiene...... YUCK.