Holiday Inn Express Shenzhen Futian Center, an IHG Hotel — Hotel in Shenzhen

I was pleasantly surprised by this Holiday Inn Express. Typically, they aren't known for being particularly upscale in the US, so when I stayed at this hotel, it far exceeded my expectations.

The hotel was brand new when I visited, so everything was exceptionally clean and modern. While the hotel staff doesn't speak much English, they effectively use a translation app to communicate, which worked well enough. I can speak a bit of Mandarin, so I had no issues at all.

The room they gave me had a stunning view overlooking the golf course in the heart of the city. As an avid golfer myself, I enjoyed watching golfers tee off on the par 3 right outside my window—quite the unexpected treat!

The breakfast spread was more generous than I anticipated. While it’s primarily geared toward the Chinese palate, they do offer eggs and bacon, which was a nice touch. I tried the noodles, and they were delicious.

The staff were incredibly accommodating as well. I had an issue with a latte I purchased from the machine in the lobby—it had expired milk. When I mentioned this to the staff, multiple members, including the hotel manager, called to personally apologize. They even sent two cups of lattes and a fruit bowl to my room afterward. I really appreciated their efforts and the care they showed.

There are a few potential drawbacks for some travelers. The hotel doesn’t offer room service, it’s not close to a subway station, it had the new paint smell, and many features are tailored for domestic travelers. However, these weren’t major issues for me since I prefer using takeout apps, ride exclusively with DiDi, the smell will fade over time, and can speak Mandarin.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed and will definitely be returning during my...

The hotel itself is pretty nice — clean, fresh, and has all the basics you need. I liked that everything felt well kept. From my room the view of the golf course was great too. That said, there were a couple of small things missing like no bathrobe in the room and no built-in closet, which was a bit inconvenient. Now, about the service... honestly, it was kind of disappointing.First, I hurt myself while exercising outside and when I got back late at night, I asked the front desk if I could get some ice. The receptionist just said, “We don’t have ice.” When I asked if maybe the kitchen had some, they said the kitchen was already closed. Felt a bit cold and unhelpful. I expect the reception to give some recommendations where to get ice even if they don't have it inside the hotel.Then during breakfast, I saw other guests with to-go coffee cups and asked for one. The staff said only IHG members could get them. I told them I’m an IHG member, but they said they checked my room and I wasn’t on the list. I had forgotten to mention my membership at check-in, but when I showed them my membership on the app, the staff seemed impatient and just walked away. It was a bit frustrating since the membership is free (and I was just asking for a paper cup) and it’s not a big deal.Also, the manager was walking around the restaurant while we were having breakfast. We were just a few guests there, and when we passed by, she gave us a pretty hard stare — no smile or even a nod. That was kind of off-putting.Lastly, housekeeping came into our room around 8 a.m. while we were still sleeping, which was really annoying.Overall, the hotel is nice and clean, but the service really needs some work. A bit more friendliness and helpfulness would make a...

when I entered the room, I could not feel the air conditioning working and I could smell mold on all 3 pillows . It was terrible and disgusting (Hotel was completely full on 17Aug, so they cannot change another room for me)

When I returned to the hotel the next night. I was told that the lobby manager asked me to go back to my room and wait while they would send a technician to check. They didn't change the room immediately. After the technician came, he said it might be related to the air conditioning mesh being too dirty. He said he would clean it now and asked me to wait. After waiting for another 10 minutes, it was already 11:30 pm, and the technician replaced the air conditioning mesh with a new one. But the air conditioner still doesn't work. He asked me to wait while he checked for another problem so I called the reception because I couldn't wait any longer. I was already exhausted. I asked to change rooms. They agreed . Unexpectedly, the room key card they gave didn't work. I had to go down to change the key card AGAIN!! The staff are poorly trained. The next day morning, The ceiling was leaking. They also sent people to check and confirm there was a leak.

I am very disappointed and unacceptable. Holiday Inn is a global brand, I didn't sleep well the first night as there was no air conditioning and it caused

me trouble again on the second night. The experience was very bed and...