Unbelievable Nanjing Luxury: Starway Hotel Xintiandi's Hidden Gem!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups! We're diving headfirst into the labyrinthine luxury that is the Starway Hotel Xintiandi in Nanjing. Forget those sterile, perfectly-posed hotel reviews; this is gonna be raw, real, and hopefully, hilarious. Prepare for a rollercoaster of opinions, because honestly, this place… well, it's a lot.
First Impressions (and the Jet Lag Monster):
Walking into the Starway Xintiandi felt like stumbling into a movie set. Seriously, the lobby is all gleaming marble, impossibly tall ceilings, and a general air of "you're NOT wearing your travel sweatpants, are you?" (I was. Don't judge the jet lag, people!).
Accessibility – The Good, The Bad, and the Staircase Anxiety:
Okay, let's tackle the nitty-gritty. Accessibility: This is crucial, and the hotel mostly delivers. Elevator, check. Facilities for disabled guests, also, check. More on this later, but let’s get the bad out the way. Navigating beyond the lobby was a bit hit or miss. Some areas felt brilliantly thought out, others… well, I'm guessing someone forgot they were building for actual humans. Thankfully, the staff were incredibly helpful, and I couldn't fault them at all with the help.
- CCTV in common areas, CCTV outside property: This is great. Safe and sound.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Check
- Elevator: It runs smoothly, even if it's a bit slow at times.
The Rooms – My Sanctuary? Maybe. Possibly. Definitely.
My room? Ah, the room. It was a battle between "wow, this is swanky" and "is this…a little too much?" Think plush carpets, a bed you could (and did) get gloriously lost in, and a mountain of pillows. All of them, all of them! Oh! The slippers! So comfy I actually wore them for about 3 days; even at breakfast!
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!: Amen!
- Air conditioning: Thank GOD, it’s scorching hot.
- Daily housekeeping: Brilliant! And I can’t even tell you the relief.
- Free bottled water: Necessary for the jet lag.
- Alarm clock: Classic.
- Bathtub: Yes. It's huge, and perfect!
- Desk: Good for work! (if you are one of those people).
- Hair dryer: Essential.
- High floor: I liked my view.
- Hair dryer: Essential
- In-room safe box: Always a good touch.
- Interconnecting room(s) available: Handy for families.
- Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless: Both!
- Ironing facilities: Who irons anymore? But it’s there!
- Laptop workspace: Yay!
- Mini bar: Tempting.
- Non-smoking: Thank goodness.
- Private bathroom: Obvs.
- Reading light: Perfect for those late-night novel binges.
- Refrigerator: Useful.
- Satellite/cable channels: Yup.
- Separate shower/bathtub: Glorious.
- Shower: Good water pressure.
- Slippers: So comfy.
- Socket near the bed: The little things!
- Sofa: Perfect for collapsing on.
- Soundproofing: Much needed.
- Telephone: Still a thing!
- Toiletries: Quality stuff.
- Towels: Fluffy!
- Umbrella: This is an actual plus.
- Wake-up service: I needed this!
- Wi-Fi [free]: Essential.
- Window that opens.: Air!
The Spa – My Heaven (and Possibly My Pocketbook's Downfall):
Alright, so, about the spa… let’s just say I may have spent a significant portion of my budget there. The massage was divine. Truly, I nearly snored. The sauna and steamroom were a delightful sweaty escape from the Nanjing humidity. And the pool with a view? Yeah, that's where I went to contemplate the meaning of life (or at least, what I was going to eat for dinner).
- Body scrub: Delicious!
- Body wrap: Needed!
- Spa: Seriously, treat yourself!
- Spa/sauna: Fantastic.
- Steamroom: You need this.
- Swimming pool: Gorgeous!
Dining – A Culinary Adventure (with a Few Hiccups):
The restaurants: There are multiple choices and most of them are pretty darn spectacular. The Asian cuisine: In the main restaurant was superb. I had the best noodles of my entire life. The Western cuisine: Was solid.
- Breakfast [buffet]: Extensive. Delicious.
- Asian breakfast: Options galore.
- Coffee shop: Needed.
- Desserts in restaurant: OMG. Incredible..
- Restaurants: So many choices.
- Room service [24-hour]: Excellent for a late-night snack attack, and I did.
- Vegetarian restaurant: There is one.
Dining, drinking, and snacking:
Happy hour: Get into this and stay in this.
Cleanliness and Safety – Reassuring in These Crazy Times:
I was genuinely impressed with the hygiene protocols. The staff were trained in safety protocols, there was daily disinfection in common areas, and the emphasis on hand sanitizer was reassuring, not just because it gave a feeling of control.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Great.
- Doctor/nurse on call: Peace of mind.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Good option to have.
Services and Conveniences – Your Home Away From Home (But Fancier):
The Starway Xintiandi really goes the extra mile with its services.
- Concierge: They helped with everything!
- Currency exchange: Convenient.
- Daily housekeeping: Superb.
- Elevator: Yes.
- Laundry service: Needed.
- Luggage storage: Useful.
- Smoking area: Sigh.
- Terrace: Nice for a breather.
Things to Do – Beyond the Hotel Walls:
Nanjing is a city brimming with history and culture. The staff will help to get you to the best spots.
Getting Around – Easy Peasy:
Airport transfer: Convenient. Car park [free of charge]: Amazing! Taxi service: Available and easy.
What bugged me. (Yes, There Were a Few Tiny Hiccups):
- The sheer size of the place! Walking from the lobby to my room felt like trekking across Antarctica. Then again, it’s good exercise, right?
- A small issue with the initial room I was given (it was a little noisy) This was quickly resolved.
- The price. It’s luxurious, and frankly, it comes with a luxurious price tag.
Quirky Observations and Emotional Reactions:
- The sheer number of staff members! They're everywhere, and they're all incredibly polite. It feels like being treated like royalty, which, let's be honest, is pretty fun.
- The breakfast buffet. It's a glorious, overwhelming spread of everything you could possibly imagine!
The Verdict – Is the Starway Xintiandi Worth It?
Absolutely. If you're looking for a luxurious, pampering experience in Nanjing, this is your place. And, there are all these things to do!! In my opinion, this hotel is absolutely worth the money.
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Las Caletas Village: Lanzarote's Hidden Paradise—Uncover Its Secrets!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups! We're going on a little trip to the STARWAY HOTEL Nanjing Binjiang Development Zone Xintiandi, Nanjing, China. Forget perfect, polished travel blogs. This is gonna be a hot mess express, fueled by jet lag, questionable food choices, and my own internal monologue. Let’s go!
Day 1: Arrival and Immediate Regret (Just Kidding… Mostly)
- 6:00 AM (Approximate): Wake up in the UK, still hazy from the flight and trying to remember which side of the world I'm on. Packed far too much and already feeling like I'm going to need a chiropractor by lunchtime.
- 9:00 AM: Flight takes off. Prepares to eat a really underwhelming aeroplane breakfast. Contemplates all the bad decisions that got me here.
- 10:00 PM (Local Time - GAH!): FINALLY, land. I stumble out of the plane looking like a zombie in a wind tunnel. The airport is HUGE. And bustling. Where's my luggage? Oh sweet heavens. I immediately regret not learning more than "Ni hao" before jumping on a plane and starting this entire ordeal!
- 11:00 PM: Finally find luggage! Feel a moment of triumph before realizing, I have no idea how to get to my hotel. After a lot of frantic pointing, bad hand gestures I find a taxi. Negotiating the fare is a glorious disaster. I'm pretty sure he thinks I just offered him my kidney and a lifetime supply of Yorkshire tea.
- 1:00 AM: Arrive at the Starway Hotel. It's… well, it's a hotel. Check-in is smooth, blessedly so. Collapse into bed. The mattress feels like a rock. Decide that sleep is more important than immediate comfort at this point.
- 1:30 AM: Fall asleep.
Day 2: The Great Nanjing Noodle Debacle and Urban Jungle
- 7:00 AM: WAKE UP! Jet lag is a cruel mistress. The sun is up, the birds are chirping (probably). The hunger is real. Am I hungry for noodles? Yes, definitely.
- 7:30 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. Its a buffet. I'm gonna try everything.
- 9:00 AM: Venture out. The hotel is in the Binjiang Development Zone. I have vague, pre-trip memories of researching what was nearby and I can't remember a bloody thing. Decide to walk anyway. Let's just go to the nearest noodle shop.
- 9:30 AM: Found a noodle shop! Or, more accurately, the noodle shop found me. Its tiny, bustling and smells AMAZING. I point vigorously at a picture of a bowl of noodles. Wait. Is the meat… chicken feet? It might be. I'm too far in to back out now.
- 10:00 AM: The noodles arrive. They're… an experience. Texture is… surprising. The broth is heavenly. The chicken feet… well, they're there. Trying to look cool while devouring my dinner is a Herculean effort. Decide that I am now a food adventurer.
- 11:00 AM: Walk along the development zone. Trying to process how massive and built-up everything is. It's all a bit overwhelming, honestly. Buildings, cars, people everywhere… and a constant hum of activity that is both exciting and exhausting.
- 1:00 PM: Lunch…Again! But this time, I know what I want: dumplings! Find another tiny restaurant; it's much simpler this time and I can actually point and order in peace!
- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: I decide to make my way to the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge to give my legs a rest and soak in the view. Even in the afternoon haze, it's still beautiful. The bridge is a testament to human endeavour. I feel a strange mix of awe and vertigo.
- 4:00 PM: Back to the hotel. Need a nap. Absolutely, desperately need a nap.
- 6:00 PM: Wake up, feeling groggy but, surprisingly, hungry. Order some hotel room service. It is a gamble but I'm going for it… and hope its not chicken feet…
- 8:00 PM: Room service arrives. It’s… dumplings! But these do not need to be eaten with courage.
Day 3: Lost in Translation and Finding My Place
- 8:00 AM: Determined to get my bearings, I try again to find a map of sorts. The hotel staff are kind, but my Mandarin is non-existent, and their English is… well, it's an adventure. We eventually manage to communicate, with a lot of gestures and frantic pointing.
- 9:00 AM: I manage to make my way to a local market. The sights, the smells, the sheer energy of the place! I pick up some snacks (mostly based on how pretty they look, not on what they are).
- 11:00 AM: Trying to find a park. Get lost. Wander down a side street. Meet a friendly old woman selling tea. She offers me a cup. Her smile is utterly disarming. Despite the language barrier, we manage to have a conversation. I feel a moment of connection that is way more profound than any tourist attraction.
- 1:00 PM: Discover a small noodle place - the menu is handwritten, the seats are plastic, and the dumplings are, once again, divine.
- 2:00 PM: Having walked back to the Yangtze River, I decide to take a boat tour. The river is vast, the air is thick with humidity, and I'm starting to feel a strange sense of… belonging? Still get vertigo.
- 4:00 PM: Attempt a local bus. It's a complete disaster. I get off at the wrong place, but end up finding amazing street food.
- 7:00 PM: Back at the hotel. Feeling surprisingly content, despite the chaos. I begin to appreciate the quirks of the city. This place isn’t perfect. It's messy, loud, and confusing. But it's real. And it's starting to feel like… an adventure.
- 8:00 PM: Contemplate if I want to eat more food. Get distracted by the TV.
- 9:00 PM: Sleep.
Day 4: Departure and Unfinished Business
- 7:00 AM: Wake up. Pack. Try to fit everything back in my suitcase. Fail.
- 8:00 AM: Last breakfast.
- 9:00 AM: Check out. Say goodbye to the incredibly patient staff at the hotel. They probably haven't seen the last of me.
- 10:00 AM: Taxi to the airport. The drive is a blur. I watch the city disappear, a little sad to leave. I can't help shake the feeling that I didn't see everything, didn't do everything. But it's okay. I'll be back.
- 1:00 PM: Flight back home. Contemplate whether I enjoyed the trip.
- 8:00 PM: Arrive home. Ready to go back.
Final Thoughts:
Nanjing, you magnificent, chaotic, noodle-filled beast. You were a whirlwind of sensory overload, unexpected adventures, and questionable food choices. I'm exhausted, slightly traumatized, and absolutely, positively in love. And the Starway Hotel? Well, it was a bed, and it was clean, and that's all I really needed. Now, time to plan my return… and maybe, just maybe, learn a few more words of Mandarin.
Lawton's BEST Hotel Near Fort Sill: Hilton Garden Inn Review!
So, is this place really *luxury*? Like, *Nanjing luxury* luxury?
Okay, okay, let's talk about the L-word. Luxury. Their marketing *screams* it, doesn't it? "Unbelievable Nanjing Luxury!" Oh, the audacity! Look, I've been to places where the soap is crafted from unicorn tears and the towels are woven from clouds. This? It's… *Nanjing* luxury. Which, let's be honest, is a slightly different beast. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong. The lobby? Stunning. That chandelier? I'm pretty sure I spent a good ten minutes just staring at it, mouth agape. The rooms themselves are spacious, well-appointed, and the bed? Cloud-like, as advertised. But… there were a few… *hiccups*. More on that later. But for the price? Yeah, I'd say it's a solid contender for "Nanjing Luxury," though maybe not "Dubai Penthouse with a Private Jet" luxury.
The "Hidden Gem" thing… is it *really* hidden? Because I'm directionally challenged.
Hah! "Hidden Gem." That's hotel marketing for "slightly off the beaten path, but hey, that means it's *exclusive*!" It's not *that* hidden, to be fair. It's not like you need a secret decoder ring or a Sherpa to find it. It's in Xintiandi, so you're basically surrounded by… well, stuff. Restaurants, shops, the usual suspects. But the entrance… let's just say it blends in. I walked past it *twice* before I realized I was standing right in front of it. Blame the jet lag. Or maybe blame the incredibly subtle signage. Either way, yeah, "hidden" is a bit of a stretch. "Slightly tucked away" feels more accurate.
Okay, spill the tea. What about the rooms? Worth the hype?
Alright, ROOMS. Okay, here's the deal. The room was gorgeous. Seriously, I'm talking Instagram-worthy. It was all sleek lines, plush fabrics, and a view that… well, it wasn't *the* view that made me go "whoa," but it was nice. Plenty of space to spread out - crucial for a messy packer like myself! (Don't judge, that's just who I am!). Now, the bathroom? Ah, the bathroom. Marble, a walk-in shower, all the fancy toiletries you could ask for. BUT… (and there's always a but, isn't there?)… I had a small, *tiny*, issue. The water pressure in the shower? Let's just say my hair felt cleaner when I LEFT than when I entered. I was practically begging for a decent rinse! It was like a gentle drizzle, my hair just… mocking me. "Is this it?" it seemed to ask. Sigh. Still, the bed? HEAVEN. I slept like a baby.
The Service: What's the deal? Are they actually helpful and, you know, *nice*?
The service… it was… *variable*. Some staff were utterly charming, falling over themselves to help. The front desk, bless their hearts, always tried their best, even when I was flustered and pointing wildly at a map. But there were other moments... where it felt a little… cold. A little *too* professional. Like they'd been programmed to deliver a script and anything outside of that was a genuine issue. I'm not saying they weren't helpful, just… sometimes it felt like they were going through the motions. I had a minor issue with the safe (user error, mostly, I'll admit) and yeah, the initial reaction was a little, "Did you TRY pressing the button again?" Fair, but still! But overall, yeah, a net positive. Just don't expect them to be your new best friends.
The Breakfast! Is it decent? I NEED my coffee.
Breakfast. Okay, here's a confession: I'm a breakfast snob. I NEED my coffee, my eggs, and ideally, something sweet. The breakfast buffet at Starway… it was *fine*. A solid "B." Plenty of options, from the usual Western fare (eggs, bacon, pastries) to the Asian breakfast standards (noodles, congee, dim sum). The coffee? Drinkable. Not the best, not the worst. The pastries? Hit or miss. Some were delicious, others were… well, let’s just say, they weren't exactly "the stuff of dreams." BUT, and this is important, they had fresh fruit. A respectable variety. That's the key! And the omelet station? Always a winner. Listen, it's not a Michelin-starred breakfast, but it'll fill you up and get you ready for a day of exploring. And, and this is a big AND, they had these little, tiny pancakes. And I ate them. Oh, how I ate them. Several stacks. Don't judge.
Any downsides? What sucked? Be honest!
Okay, here we go. The REAL downsides. The things that genuinely bothered me? The aforementioned water pressure in the shower. Seriously. *Torture*. The other thing? The noise. Now, I'm a light sleeper, but even for me, the street noise was… persistent. It's Xintiandi, so you're bound to get some traffic, but sometimes it felt like the trucks were driving *through* my room. Bring earplugs. Seriously. PACK. EARPLUGS. And… *sigh*… the pool. The pool. It looked amazing in the photos. Sparkling, inviting. In reality? It was… okay. A little smaller than expected. And the sun loungers… well, let's just say I spent most of my time fighting for a spot. A minor complaint, I know, but… expectations, you feel?
Would you go back? Spill!
Would I go back? Hmm. That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? Honestly? Probably. Despite the quirks, despite the shower's pathetic water flow, despite my earplugs becoming my best friend, I enjoyed my stay. The good outweighed the bad. The location is fantastic – so many options for shopping and dining. The bed was ridiculously comfortable. And that lobby chandelier? Still a stunner. But next time? I'm bringing my own shower head. And maybe, just maybe, I'll bring some of those unicorn tears soap along too, just for kicks.
Give me a single, random, completely bizarre observation...
Okay, here's a weird one. There was this… *thing*… in the elevator. A small, metal boxHotels With Kitchenettes
