Crowne Plaza Zhangzhou — Hotel in Zhangzhou City

I am an IHG Platinum Member. I've stayed at this hotel three times since my last review. This is definitely THE place to stay in Zhangzhou. ||||Cindy, Kevin, Elian, Lynsi, Lily, and many others always make me feel like I'm at home and part of their family. ||||During this visit, the hotel had multiple special meetings and events, including two large meeting events that happened on the same week. The hotel was at 100% full capacity, which definitely put the CP Zhangzhou Team to a test! I've visited many hotels in Asia that falter during full capacity situations like this. I have to say, the CP Zhangzhou Team stepped up their game, showing no signs of gaps or weaknesses. Truly impressive!!||||A major typhoon also hit Zhangzhou in the early morning hours during my stay. When I awoke, I had no idea of the storm's severity. However, upon leaving the hotel to attend a business meeting, I saw significant damage to the area around the hotel. Trees snapped in half, awnings and fences ripped apart, etc. Apparently, whoever built the hotel planned for such weather. Aside from a shattered outer pane of glass (the inner pane of glass remained intact), there was no damage to the hotel and I never heard any of the noise!||||Regarding the hotel's main area, rooms, food, and other amenities....||||Lobby / Check In / Check Out: ||The lobby is huge, very clean, and has a nice layout. If you walk in and appear to be semi-lost, one of the lobby staff will suddenly appear and happily help point you in the right direction. Check in is generally quick and efficient. Check out can sometimes be challenging, but not due to the hotel staff. Many times I have been in line and had other (Chinese) guests walk up and simply cut to the front of the line. Those of you who travel to Asia frequently know what I am talking about. Since I am a Lao Wei (foreigner), these guests seem to think it's OK. The hotel desk staff is always polite in redirecting these people to the back of the line, and then proceed to apologize to me (apology form the hotel staff is NOT needed - they didn't cut in line!), and then complete my check out. Again - this IS NOT a hotel issue, but a guest issue. ||||Rooms: ||I have yet to get a bad room here. I prefer a room facing east or south, as it gives a great view of the surrounding area. However, if yo uget a higher room, you can get a nice veiw, regardless of which way your room faces. Each room is clean and well maintained, with new/modern furnishings, a large flat screen TV, great beds, and a nice sized desk. Power outlets are on both sides of the bed, at the desk, and in the bathroom. Some rooms even have a 4 port USB charger next to the bed, to make it super convenient to plug in any type of device. The desks have an HDMI and regular computer port to connect your laptop to the TV. ||||Bathrooms: ||The bathrooms are nicely sized and always spotless, with a separate toilet and shower area. Bathtubs vary by room type. There is a window between the main part of the room and the bathroom. It has a screen that you can raise or lower. If you are staying alone, leaving the screen open makes the room seem even bigger. If you are staying with others, the screen can be lowered for privacy. The shower has a rainfall type shower head and a hand-held sprayer. Some of the rooms have a tub that has the separate hand sprayer as well. Bathroom amenities include a Hair dryer, soap, shower gel, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, shower caps, vanity kits, and more. ||||Food:||In room dining is available 24 hours a day. During night hours, the selection is limited, but has something for everyone. During normal (daytime) hours, the room service menu includes everything that is on the Fresh All Day Dining restaurant menu. The menu selections range from Asian style, to Italian and Western. The Fresh ADD restaurant offers a daily buffet for breakfast and dinner. Depending on the hotel capacity and time of year, they also have a lunch buffet. Each buffet is different (they clean up and reset between each one). The buffet offers a huge variety of food, with Asian and Western favorites, along with specials based on a "theme" that changes every month (for example, one month, they featured Thai food). Pretty much something for everyone, from seafood, chicken, beef, pork, fish, seafood, sushi, sashimi, salads, pizza, pasta, various desserts, ice cream, a chocolate fountain, and more. They also offer a wide range of drinks, from coffee, tea, juice, beer, and wine. To my surprise (and delight!) they have added a SUPER FRESH canned DRAFT beer from Mut Krieger, a German brewery down the street. The beer is usually 2-3 days old and is quite refreshing!! Kudos to Kevin for finding that for me!!! There is a Chinese restaurant that I have not tried yet, but have heard that it is very nice. The Lobby Lounge is a great place to go in the evening for a night cap. ||||Executive Floor Lounge:||The executive floor lounge is a great place to go work in quiet. If you have access and don't want to sit in your room, this is a a relaxing place with a great view of the city. They offer a happy hour every night, with various drinks, hot snacks, small cakes, and a selection of nuts. The staff is always very polite and helpful. If you can afford it, it's definitely worth the upgrade!!! ||||Wifi: ||The wifi is fast and reliable - wired or wireless. They have a Hong Kong VPN, so you can access Facebook, YouTube, Google, and GMail (sites usually blocked in China). ||||Nearby:||The hotel is very close to a "green" park area that is great for walking or jogging. If you want to go shop or look for street food, you can head over to the Wanda Plaza, which is a mall and retail shop area about 2-3 minutes away by cab or 10-15 minutes by walking. The hotel staff can give you easy directions to both places. The Mut Krieger and other pubs are located along a nearby street that runs parallel with the lake, offering great views from their patios and fun places to hang out. ||||Many staff members speak English. Some more than others, but all of them have improved significantly over the last year or so. If you run in to a communication issue, the staff member you are talking with is quick to say "One moment please, let me go get someone who speaks English!". Help arrives and your questions/requests are quickly handled. ||||Cindy, Kevin, and the other managers are always asking me for feedback and what else they can do to improve. When I do offer ideas or suggestions, they take them very seriously and do their best to implement them. I've stayed at many hotels who ask me for feedback, but then promptly ignore it after I leave. The management of the CP Zhangzhou is genuinely interested in customer feedback and continuously improving their hotel. This definitely sets the CP Zhangzhou apart from other hotels in this area, as well as across Asia. I'm running out of suggestions for them, because they keep fixing things!!!! ||||If you are heading to Zhangzhou, the Crowne Plaza is the...

I am an IHG Platinum Member. I've stayed at this hotel three times since my last review. This is definitely THE place to stay in Zhangzhou. ||||Cindy, Kevin, Elian, Lynsi, Lily, and many others always make me feel like I'm at home and part of their family. ||||During this visit, the hotel had multiple special meetings and events, including two large meeting events that happened on the same week. The hotel was at 100% full capacity, which definitely put the CP Zhangzhou Team to a test! I've visited many hotels in Asia that falter during full capacity situations like this. I have to say, the CP Zhangzhou Team stepped up their game, showing no signs of gaps or weaknesses. Truly impressive!!||||A major typhoon also hit Zhangzhou in the early morning hours during my stay. When I awoke, I had no idea of the storm's severity. However, upon leaving the hotel to attend a business meeting, I saw significant damage to the area around the hotel. Trees snapped in half, awnings and fences ripped apart, etc. Apparently, whoever built the hotel planned for such weather. Aside from a shattered outer pane of glass (the inner pane of glass remained intact), there was no damage to the hotel and I never heard any of the noise!||||Regarding the hotel's main area, rooms, food, and other amenities....||||Lobby / Check In / Check Out: ||The lobby is huge, very clean, and has a nice layout. If you walk in and appear to be semi-lost, one of the lobby staff will suddenly appear and happily help point you in the right direction. Check in is generally quick and efficient. Check out can sometimes be challenging, but not due to the hotel staff. Many times I have been in line and had other (Chinese) guests walk up and simply cut to the front of the line. Those of you who travel to Asia frequently know what I am talking about. Since I am a Lao Wei (foreigner), these guests seem to think it's OK. The hotel desk staff is always polite in redirecting these people to the back of the line, and then proceed to apologize to me (apology form the hotel staff is NOT needed - they didn't cut in line!), and then complete my check out. Again - this IS NOT a hotel issue, but a guest issue. ||||Rooms: ||I have yet to get a bad room here. I prefer a room facing east or south, as it gives a great view of the surrounding area. However, if yo uget a higher room, you can get a nice veiw, regardless of which way your room faces. Each room is clean and well maintained, with new/modern furnishings, a large flat screen TV, great beds, and a nice sized desk. Power outlets are on both sides of the bed, at the desk, and in the bathroom. Some rooms even have a 4 port USB charger next to the bed, to make it super convenient to plug in any type of device. The desks have an HDMI and regular computer port to connect your laptop to the TV. ||||Bathrooms: ||The bathrooms are nicely sized and always spotless, with a separate toilet and shower area. Bathtubs vary by room type. There is a window between the main part of the room and the bathroom. It has a screen that you can raise or lower. If you are staying alone, leaving the screen open makes the room seem even bigger. If you are staying with others, the screen can be lowered for privacy. The shower has a rainfall type shower head and a hand-held sprayer. Some of the rooms have a tub that has the separate hand sprayer as well. Bathroom amenities include a Hair dryer, soap, shower gel, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, shower caps, vanity kits, and more. ||||Food:||In room dining is available 24 hours a day. During night hours, the selection is limited, but has something for everyone. During normal (daytime) hours, the room service menu includes everything that is on the Fresh All Day Dining restaurant menu. The menu selections range from Asian style, to Italian and Western. The Fresh ADD restaurant offers a daily buffet for breakfast and dinner. Depending on the hotel capacity and time of year, they also have a lunch buffet. Each buffet is different (they clean up and reset between each one). The buffet offers a huge variety of food, with Asian and Western favorites, along with specials based on a "theme" that changes every month (for example, one month, they featured Thai food). Pretty much something for everyone, from seafood, chicken, beef, pork, fish, seafood, sushi, sashimi, salads, pizza, pasta, various desserts, ice cream, a chocolate fountain, and more. They also offer a wide range of drinks, from coffee, tea, juice, beer, and wine. To my surprise (and delight!) they have added a SUPER FRESH canned DRAFT beer from Mut Krieger, a German brewery down the street. The beer is usually 2-3 days old and is quite refreshing!! Kudos to Kevin for finding that for me!!! There is a Chinese restaurant that I have not tried yet, but have heard that it is very nice. The Lobby Lounge is a great place to go in the evening for a night cap. ||||Executive Floor Lounge:||The executive floor lounge is a great place to go work in quiet. If you have access and don't want to sit in your room, this is a a relaxing place with a great view of the city. They offer a happy hour every night, with various drinks, hot snacks, small cakes, and a selection of nuts. The staff is always very polite and helpful. If you can afford it, it's definitely worth the upgrade!!! ||||Wifi: ||The wifi is fast and reliable - wired or wireless. They have a Hong Kong VPN, so you can access Facebook, YouTube, Google, and GMail (sites usually blocked in China). ||||Nearby:||The hotel is very close to a "green" park area that is great for walking or jogging. If you want to go shop or look for street food, you can head over to the Wanda Plaza, which is a mall and retail shop area about 2-3 minutes away by cab or 10-15 minutes by walking. The hotel staff can give you easy directions to both places. The Mut Krieger and other pubs are located along a nearby street that runs parallel with the lake, offering great views from their patios and fun places to hang out. ||||Many staff members speak English. Some more than others, but all of them have improved significantly over the last year or so. If you run in to a communication issue, the staff member you are talking with is quick to say "One moment please, let me go get someone who speaks English!". Help arrives and your questions/requests are quickly handled. ||||Cindy, Kevin, and the other managers are always asking me for feedback and what else they can do to improve. When I do offer ideas or suggestions, they take them very seriously and do their best to implement them. I've stayed at many hotels who ask me for feedback, but then promptly ignore it after I leave. The management of the CP Zhangzhou is genuinely interested in customer feedback and continuously improving their hotel. This definitely sets the CP Zhangzhou apart from other hotels in this area, as well as across Asia. I'm running out of suggestions for them, because they keep fixing things!!!! ||||If you are heading to Zhangzhou, the Crowne Plaza is the...

I can't say enough about the friendly and accommodating staff at the hotel.

Phillip and Leon always stop to say hello and make sure everything is OK. They ask about my kids and work - not because it's their job, but because they care.

Elian, Sabrina, Lily, Anne, Lara, and several others on the All Day Dining staff make sure I have a great breakfast, lunch, dinner, or room service experience. I've also watched every one of them go out of their way to help any guest during their dining experience. Even during days where the hotel is full of meeting attendees who flood the ADD restaurant, they are kind and polite to everyone.

The hotel lobby is always clean and the check in staff is very welcoming. Check in is quick and efficient.

The rooms are spotless - both the sleeping area and bathroom. They have the pillow menu, which I like the side sleeping pillow - simply ask for it and they will deliver it to the room.

Internet - both wired and wireless - is quick, especially for China. Also, the hotel has VPN so you CAN access Google, Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

If you are having a group meeting here, you will probably have Lynsi take care of you at some point - another one of their friendly, hard working staff members.

Only 2 small issues to note - one is that the hotel air conditioning is shut down in late Nov or Dec. This is quite normal for every hotel in China, so I can't really fault the hotel on this - it's more of an FYI to guests staying in the winter. If you like sleeping in a cold room, you may need to open a window during the 2-3 winter months. The other issue is the ADD and room service menus. The hotel has had to drop some of the menu items due to very low or no demand for certain items - which I can fully understand. However, the staff has to face disappointed customers who ask for item(s) from the menu that have been discontinued. An updated menu should be printed to replace the current one and avoid confusion with the guests. Again - these are not significant issues, and by no means does this impact the wonderful care I am given EVERY day of my stay.

For those of you who enjoy a nice beer from time to time, the hotel carries two beers from Mut Kreiger, a German style brewery right down the street. These beers are bottled fresh, with no preservatives. If you are looking for a great alternative to the regular brands usually found on the menu, then ask to try these!! A real treat for beer lovers visiting ZhangZhou!

The Executive Lounge is a hidden gem. They feature a happy hour every evening, with a selection of snacks, various drinks, and dessert items in a quiet, relaxing environment. If you have the opportunity, upgrade to a Club Floor room and enjoy!!

This will continue to be my "go to" hotel for my business stays in Zhangzhou. Cindy and the rest of the management team always amaze me at how they seek continuous improvement and keep their staff motivated. Many hotel managers ask for your comments, but then do nothing after you leave. This hotel continues to improve with every visit, while maintaining a highly engaged staff at every level, who do their job with care. I can't speak highly enough of the people working here. Their kind, caring attitude and attention to detail make each stay a pleasure - and make this hotel very special!

Highly...