Shangri-La Hotel Ningbo — Hotel in Ningbo

Ningbo, Zhejiang Province… a city that balances the surroundings of mountains and the East China Sea all around its metropolitan area. Some make the long journey here for the seafood shipped in from Seas of Zhoushan. Others come this way to understand and develop an interest in the bustling economy of a new trade port city. Most enjoy the surroundings of this dynamic city from the all-natural Dongqian Lake to the old ancient shopping strip of Nantang Old Street. Those who stay overnight would stay at one of Ningbo’s Finest Hotel: The Shangri-La Ningbo Hotel. ||I have had quite the history with the hotel that stands next to the Fenghua River and Yuyao River intersection that defines the heart of Ningbo. The first stay was scandalous as mentioned in my first review, the second was improving, and this third stay I am writing about would be in my opinion the perfect stay. I normally go to the InterContinental Hotel in Ningbo, but I wanted to be rotational on my frequent trips and wanted to revisit this nice hotel. ||I started my hotel experience with the hotel’s Resident Manager Rosanna Hao. Rosanna was the mastermind behind executing the very special second stay that was written about in June of 2021. Recognizing that I was yet to make another return to the Ningbo hotel over a year later, Rosanna arranged a special upgrade for me and my friend’s Deluxe Twin Room up to the Horizon Club Twin River View Room with its respectable Horizon Club Benefits. I would like to thank Rosanna for this generous upgrade. ||We came to the hotel from August 2nd to the 3rd for one night. During the unfortunate absence of Rosanna, the Front Office Manager Simon Bi oversaw our stay as he previously did during my second stay with family. Upon our morning arrival from Shanghai, the Concierge Team led by the Chief Concierge Manager Lee Li welcomed us from the taxi door and carried our bags to the room. The friendly front desk agent Lily Wang warmly facilitated our check-in. Simon emerged from the Front Office, and he welcomed me and my friend to the Shangri-La hotel. Our room key was well-prepared in advance as I asked Rosanna for early check-in. All that was needed was our payment/deposit and we were into our room!||Our room was 3204, located on the third tallest floor of this 2009-opened hotel. The Horizon Club Room has many features in its 45SQM/488SQFT space. Apart from the two super comfortable twin beds that are turned down in the evening, you have a nice TV, double lounge chair, working desk, plenty of USB + Universal Outlets, and spacious closet space. Mood lighting, reading lamps, and general lighting is always there to set the scene of the room to your liking. The bathroom is well stocked with amenities packed by the hotel armed with L’occitane en Provence Soap Amenities. You have the Japanese-Style Toilet Seat, the bathtub, and a shower. The room was clean, and fully functional, with minimal wear and tear throughout this room overlooking the River intersection and city center of Ningbo. Arguably, the rooms could use some renovations depending on your demand for modernization. I think for now it does not need any further improvements. The most impressive part of this hotel is the view, which undeniably for this hotel is the best-located accommodation in all of Ningbo. Waiting for us was a fruit plate and a welcome letter from the hotel’s General Manager Eddy Tao. ||The main highlight for me was the Horizon Club Lounge on the 28th floor. Overseeing Ningbo’s Most Prized Executive Club Lounge at the time of my visit was the Horizon Club Lounge Manager Bunny Shi. It was unfortunately sad to hear that the Club Lounge Managers Luffy She, Artur Anayev, and Club Lounge Chef Martin Mo have left the hotel. They were memorable staff members that I remembered during my last stay, Bunny was a perfect alternative to those fine gentlemen. She was attentive, friendly, and always willing to help you when you need something as a Club guest. Backing up Bunny during off-duty hours is the Horizon Club Lounge Supervisor Howard, who just like the last stay facilitated our trips to the lounge well. The rest of the Club Staff members were friendly and hospitable, with the motivation to help you with anything you need or want. Simon certainly helped us immensely with our stay, by helping us get small-wontons, to our COVID-19 testing trip, to our 5 PM late checkout. A lot of gratitude shall be given to him. ||In this lounge that covers half of the 28th floor of this hotel are many seating areas and options, a buffet room, self-service counter, club desk, meeting rooms on the 29th floor, bathrooms, and a grand view of Ningbo and its rivers. Available most of the day are cakes, small snacks, fruits, and mini-bar drinks for your pleasure. Happy Hour is a mini-buffet version of the Yi Cafe, which could easily substitute for a good dinner. Breakfast was the best, however, with great dishes such as the small-wonton, omelet, fruits, milkshakes, and all the other goodies on offer. ||The facilities of the hotel were well stocked. One prime example of this point was the fact that there is a COVID-19 testing site opened by Shangri-La every afternoon for travelers who need it. The fitness center is a great place to have a good swim in their swimming pool, backed up with other locker room facilities like a sauna, jacuzzi tub, and 8-second swimwear spinner. You also have a hair salon, which is very rare to see in hotels these days. I certainly enjoy the facilities the hotel has provided for the convenience of a busy traveler like me. The only criticism I have is the fact that people are smoking in non-smoking areas like the lobby or club lounge bathroom, I think there needs to be better enforcement on that. This I believe however is a matter of the guests’ behavior over the hotel management. In the future within 5 years I would have this hotel renovated, it could use one. ||Overall, I am pretty satisfied with my return to the Shangri-La Ningbo Hotel. It was better than how I left it a year ago. Disregarding the uncontrollable minor issues I had with this hotel, it was indeed for me and my friend a perfect stay. Nothing too complicated or irrational from this hotel this time. We were happy with how our clean well-prepared room turned out to be, along with the services of the front office and the club lounge. It is indeed a marvelous hotel. I left the hotel wanting to come back as soon as I come back to Ningbo, which is a huge wish for me now. ||I would like to thank for following for making my stay a memorable one:||Resident Manager Rosanna Hao||Front Office Manager Simon Bi along with his Front Desk Staff Members||Club Lounge Manager Bunny Shi and her Horizon Club Team||Chief Concierge Manager Lee Li and the Concierge Team||Thank You...

We stayed at the Shangri-La Ningbo for four nights with our family of four while in town for business. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. The hotel is beautifully maintained and offers stunning views of the river—we spent many evenings simply gazing out the window and enjoying the scenery.Check-in went fairly smoothly, though we ran into a hiccup trying to exchange USD for CNY. The staff initially didn’t want to accept our bills due to small tears—understandable, but frustrating given how common that is with U.S. currency. After some polite persistence, they did agree to complete the exchange, which we appreciated.We booked a family-style setup with two connecting rooms, which was perfect for traveling with young kids. That extra space made a big difference. However, the connecting door was locked when we arrived, and getting it opened took more effort than it should have. The front desk didn’t understand our request over the phone and didn’t follow up with anyone who spoke better English. We eventually found a member of the housekeeping team in the hallway, pantomimed the issue, and they were kind enough to track someone down to unlock it for us.The breakfast buffet offered a wide variety of options, including baby chairs and kid-friendly cutlery, which we appreciated. That said, service was minimal—we weren’t offered help setting up the high chair despite clearly arriving with an infant. Still, the food itself was very good and we enjoyed dining there.Room service was excellent: prompt, professional, and delicious. The staff overall were warm and eager to help—especially the front door team. However, English proficiency was limited throughout the hotel, which made communication difficult at times. We completely understand this can vary by region, but we did expect stronger language support from a Shangri-La, given its reputation as a top-tier international brand.In the end, we appreciated the comfort, cleanliness, and great location. With a bit more focus on multilingual support and service consistency, this property could be exceptional. As Shangri-La Circle members, we love staying with the brand, and we’d consider returning for future trips to Ningbo—but it didn’t quite match the stellar experiences we’ve had at other Shangri-La properties. A solid stay, but...

We stayed at the Shangri-La Ningbo for four nights with our family of four while in town for business. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. The hotel is beautifully maintained and offers stunning views of the river—we spent many evenings simply gazing out the window and enjoying the scenery.Check-in went fairly smoothly, though we ran into a hiccup trying to exchange USD for CNY. The staff initially didn’t want to accept our bills due to small tears—understandable, but frustrating given how common that is with U.S. currency. After some polite persistence, they did agree to complete the exchange, which we appreciated.We booked a family-style setup with two connecting rooms, which was perfect for traveling with young kids. That extra space made a big difference. However, the connecting door was locked when we arrived, and getting it opened took more effort than it should have. The front desk didn’t understand our request over the phone and didn’t follow up with anyone who spoke better English. We eventually found a member of the housekeeping team in the hallway, pantomimed the issue, and they were kind enough to track someone down to unlock it for us.The breakfast buffet offered a wide variety of options, including baby chairs and kid-friendly cutlery, which we appreciated. That said, service was minimal—we weren’t offered help setting up the high chair despite clearly arriving with an infant. Still, the food itself was very good and we enjoyed dining there.Room service was excellent: prompt, professional, and delicious. The staff overall were warm and eager to help—especially the front door team. However, English proficiency was limited throughout the hotel, which made communication difficult at times. We completely understand this can vary by region, but we did expect stronger language support from a Shangri-La, given its reputation as a top-tier international brand.In the end, we appreciated the comfort, cleanliness, and great location. With a bit more focus on multilingual support and service consistency, this property could be exceptional. As Shangri-La Circle members, we love staying with the brand, and we’d consider returning for future trips to Ningbo—but it didn’t quite match the stellar experiences we’ve had at other Shangri-La properties. A solid stay, but...