Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar — Hotel in Ulaanbaatar

This is our second and last stay in a Shangri-lay. ||Let's start with the good. The position is excellent - right next to a big mall, a park, amusement park and many dining options as well as close to centre of town . The rooms are very big and well equipped .||Let’s skip right through to the bad . Breakfast . Upon arrival there was possibly a handful of areas that were not dirty and had a table setting , but at the same time the restaurant was maybe half full. All the cooked oats had run out , as had the fruit and salmon. There were no glasses for juice or bowls for cereal and the juices were mostly empty or had a dash of juice left . Two yoghurts left in a massive bowl and the bread and pastry area seriously in need of a refresh . Day 2 was the same with no nuts or raisin or boiled eggs or coffee left . Again about 2 yoghurts available . They constantly say they consider all allergy’s or intolerances , but their cement coloured gluten fee muffin was inedible . Day 3 dawned no different . The hotel was way less full and yet tables were left uncleaned; no boiled eggs, raisins and nuts; rice dishes were just scraps left, no gluten free bread either. Likewise when staff do clean the tables they just sweep all the dirt on the floor . Plus the state of the chairs and the tables in the restaurant are grim - chipped, dirty upholstery and linings coming out underneath . |They will tell you that their hotel is full and it’s a public holiday so that’s why the breakfast is a disaster . This is really an unacceptable excuse as they are a 5 star well established hotel chain and this is not their first public holiday. This is just plain poor organisation and management. ||On our first day out we were fine from 9 to 6pm and came back to our room which had not been made . We went down to management to complain and their excuse was again that it was a holiday …||With that kind of attitude there is no hope . I don’t think a Holiday Inn or Formula One would get away with this kind of attitude to service . |We will not bother with this hotel chain...

Stayed for 4 nights. Unfortunately have to agree with the reviews mentioning the price and level of the hotel not corresponding the subpar service. That’s supposed to be the best and most luxurious hotel in UB! There were some moments where I thought I am judgmental and it „reformed“, for instance a very sweet thoughtful birthday surprise in our room upon arrival (thanks to the team!), but then we sit in the lounge for 40 min waiting for our breakfast order until I come to the employee at the reception directly and ask to find out that she simply „forgot“….Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand that workers can be overwhelmed with work and be busy, but we were the only people having breakfast at the lounge that day. Or one day we came to our room in the evening to find someone else’s luggage was delivered to it and stood there for several hours…the list can go on! Not too much attention to detail unfortunately. Doorman and couple of employees were the only ones I ever received a short smile in return. People make the difference. There is a sport club, but note that it’s located in other tower so one needs to go all the way across in swimming/sport attire or change on spot. It is not exclusively for hotel guests and we were practically in the pool during a swimming lesson. Not a problem, but It did not appear obvious to me during booking.

But enough about minuses. Facilities overall are pretty good, although not brand new, room is well-appointed, spacious and clean. Horizon Club Lounge breakfast and evening canapes offered quite a balanced variety and one always had a choice as well as could enjoy amazing views at Bogd Khan right opposite in almost full serenity, was never crowded.

Hotel is located right in the center, two steps across a decent shopping mall with several restaurants and coffee shops and walking distance from a number of tourist attractions (Sukhbaatar Square, Choijin Lam Temple, National Museum of Mongolia, Chinggis Khaan Museum) so a good base to explore UB and surroundings.

Mixed...

Staff let me go to bed with wet hair; let a male engineer go to a female guest's room alone at 2am in the middle of the night.||||I washed my hair at 1:00 am and when I wanted to use the hair dryer I realized it was broken.||||Called housekeeping to ask them to send a new one. The response was that housekeeping was off duty and would work in the morning.||||I said, I need a good hair dryer, which is a service any hotel should provide. Response, housekeeping is off duty and will be working in the morning, he doesn't have a key for the hairdryer.||||I said, your housekeeping's commute has nothing to do with me, I just need a hair dryer, are you going to let me sleep with wet hair? Reply, he has no key and no way to get a hair dryer.||||I said, call your manager. Repeated the question to the manager and said send it now.||||Ten minutes later, someone came, I opened the door to find a male engineer, alone, at this time of the night it was two o'clock in the middle of the night and I was a female. I was tempted to ask Shangri-La what the hell were you thinking?||||Then I opened the door to my room and at two o'clock in the middle of the night, the man stood in the middle of the hallway and the door to the room, waiting for him to finish his repairs.||||I felt like my personal safety was threatened!!!!||||Once again, the entire time, no one, not a single word of apology was uttered to me.||||I stayed at the hotel for one night and one dinner, and the dinner experience was not good.||||The room amenities were also a lot of things that didn't make sense.||||The waiters in this hotel all, I mean all, looked unhappy. I didn't see a single smiling face from check in to check out.||||This is the worst review I have ever written for a hotel.||||I can't believe this is Shangri-La and everyone at the hotel should be ashamed of...