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Tuesday 2 February 2016

Harbin Part 9: Shangri-La Harbin

Shangri-La Harbin is the fifth Shangri-La Hotel I've stayed in. It is an upper end hotel in Harbin city centre and though not without flaws, I did have a pleasant 2 nights stay there.
There are a number of city attractions within a 5km radius around this hotel but there are no shops or restaurants in the immediate vicinity. Public transport or own vehicles will be needed to move around.
The hotel is generally well appointed and brightly illuminated though it may not be as lavish or grand as some other 5 star hotels.
The main lobby would have looked more elegant if not for the spoiler, an indoor children's playground which I opine made the place look a little cheap.
The reception area is not visible from the entrance as it is tucked away on the the left corner. The receptionists speak good English and this is a welcome change from a typical China hotel where hardly any staff speaks the language.
I rarely see an escalator in a hotel but this hotel has one, leading to the first floor where the conference rooms and grand ballroom are located.
The first floor where the grand ballroom and conference rooms are located
Hotel facilities include a swimming pool, a fitness centre and a sauna which are all located on the recreation floor. There are two main restaurants in this hotel. Coffee Garden is the restaurant where buffet breakfast is served.
Shang Palace Restaurant is exquisitely set up and looks rather posh. I assume it serves oriental cuisines.
There is a third restaurant which is not listed in the hotel's official website. Ice Palace Restaurant (click to see review) is literally made of ice and it is a seasonal restaurant opened only during the winter months. 
The hallway from where we took the elevators.
The lobby lounge

Accommodation
We stayed in a Superior Room, measuring only 29 sq metres.
The room comes with amenities one would get in a typical 4 or 5 star hotel.
The washroom is quite small and it comes with a curtained off built-in bathtub.
Toiletries provided
Other amenities provided
Among the the things that are complimentary in the room are bottled water, sachets of tea and coffee and Wifi which is very strong. 

Buffet Breakfast At Coffee Garden
Our room comes with daily buffet breakfast.  There is a fair spread of Oriental as well as Western cuisines. Among the various kiosks set up are a dumpling section, a porridge section, a noodle station and bread and western patisseries section.
There is a spot in the restaurant where you get a nice view of the snow and the barren trees. (Time of stay: end of December).
The food is generally tasty. Because it was very cold outside, I ate all these.
And this
And this.  

The minimum temperature in Harbin during my stay was -27°C but the hotel was a warm and cozy place. The heater functioned well and it was a great place to seek refuge from the biting cold outside. 

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