Address: 300 Wuning Road, Putuo district, Shanghai
Website: none
This UTEL hostel would most definitely rank as one of the top hostels, if not the top in China. Not that I've been to all the hostels in China but having all the amenities and services that this one had to offer, it'd be pretty difficult to beat.
Shanghai City Central is locatedis located about 5 minutes walk away from the Caoyang Road train station, down a quiet street off the main road. Several McDonalds and a KFC were closeby, as were local eateries. A Carrefour megamarket was also about 15 minutes away across the bridge which was very convenient, and there were numerous banks around the area.
Having booked via Hostelbooker for two nights initially to test the waters (40 yuan per dorm bed per night= A$6.50), we decided to stay for the remainder of the week after the two days but by that time we were advised that they had raised the dorm rate to 46 yuan per night which was still a decent price in Shanghai, reputably the most expensive city in the country.
The dorm rooms were all four bedders and together with the private rooms, were spread across five levels of this large hostel which was serviced by an elevator. We were pretty much in a private room as no one else was allocated the other two beds during our stay which was great as we had our own space and privacy. The room was sparkling clean and the bin was emptied daily by the efficient cleaners. Lockers were provided in the room but you needed to bring your own large lock. A heater was also provided but we slept comfortably without it as being in a building made the rooms quite warm already. There was ventilation through the window but the wi fi was only accessible in the lobby which was spaciously furnished with sofas and decorated with Chinese lanterns and paintings. The staff were able to speak basic English and were polite in assisting us with information and directions. A rare freebie was offered in the shape of breakfast from 7:30- 9:30am in the nice restaurant/bar area behind the lobby which contained a mixture of continental Western style breakfast (cereal, toast, cordial) and Chinese (steamed buns, red bean soup and pickled vegetables). The restaurant also served decent food, and by night the place turned lively with friendly fellow travellers frequenting the common area and a large projector screen and a large projector screen which showed the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Overall, this was one of the nicest and most relaxing stays of our trip so far, with every facility regularly cleaned, free breakfast which set us up nicely for the day and which sometimes even allowed us to skip buying lunch, and the friendly travellers who stayed there.
Rating: 10/10
Saturday, February 27, 2010
4 Eyes Backpacker Youth Hostel- Hangzhou, China
Address: 66 Hupao Road, West Lake district, Hangzhou
Website: http://www.hostelhangzhou.com/
With my basic Chinese and assistance from a rare, kindly local we were able to navigate two buses from the south railway station to reach a small neck of the woods near the famous West Lake of Hangzhou. The 4 Eyes Youth Hostel was located at the end of a small street branching off the main road which rose quite steeply but only for a short distance. It was about 2 minutes from the bus stop opposite the zoo and surrounded by three local restaurants which were quite handy. The main building was built of wood with a 'rustic' theme and decorated nicely with lanterns, streamers and posters. The staff were busy serving lunch to guests in their reception area which also was in the restaurant/common area which was arranged with sofas and a pool table. There were also three computers with internet access for which you had to pay for, and relaxing jazz music was the permanent genre of choice.
We checked into a private ensuite room for two people at 130 yuan per night (A$21) which basically was equivalent to an attic room, with a sloping ceiling that was so low, we encountered several head bumps before the end of the first day was out. The room as well as the bathroom were very clean and in good condition, with a tv also provided. The hostel had its private rooms contained in several different blocks, with four or five rooms spread over two levels in each block.
The main problem which marred our stay in Hangzhou was that the rooms had no heater, which in temperatures of close to zero degrees was a nightmare. We both got bad colds during our stay here which lasted well over a week, and would be chilled to the bone as soon as we stepped into the room which wasn't very nice after a day of walking around already bone cold!
The reception/restaurant area where wi fi was available was also never heated despite us discovering a heater behind a sofa on our last day- instead of being rugged up, the staff should definitely have used the heater for its built purpose turned the damn thing on which would also have provided a nice welcome to newcomers. At these prices and in these modern times, heaters in the rooms should be mandatory. The staff dorm was heated all day so I'm not sure how it was deemed unnecessary to provide the same service in the private rooms.
Overall, a nicely decorated hostel staffed by people who were polite but lacked basic English. The one major issue that prevented us from enjoying this pretty town as much as we could have were the freezing rooms which were almost equivalent to sleeping outdoors- not a good look.
Rating: 4/10
Website: http://www.hostelhangzhou.com/
With my basic Chinese and assistance from a rare, kindly local we were able to navigate two buses from the south railway station to reach a small neck of the woods near the famous West Lake of Hangzhou. The 4 Eyes Youth Hostel was located at the end of a small street branching off the main road which rose quite steeply but only for a short distance. It was about 2 minutes from the bus stop opposite the zoo and surrounded by three local restaurants which were quite handy. The main building was built of wood with a 'rustic' theme and decorated nicely with lanterns, streamers and posters. The staff were busy serving lunch to guests in their reception area which also was in the restaurant/common area which was arranged with sofas and a pool table. There were also three computers with internet access for which you had to pay for, and relaxing jazz music was the permanent genre of choice.
We checked into a private ensuite room for two people at 130 yuan per night (A$21) which basically was equivalent to an attic room, with a sloping ceiling that was so low, we encountered several head bumps before the end of the first day was out. The room as well as the bathroom were very clean and in good condition, with a tv also provided. The hostel had its private rooms contained in several different blocks, with four or five rooms spread over two levels in each block.
The main problem which marred our stay in Hangzhou was that the rooms had no heater, which in temperatures of close to zero degrees was a nightmare. We both got bad colds during our stay here which lasted well over a week, and would be chilled to the bone as soon as we stepped into the room which wasn't very nice after a day of walking around already bone cold!
The reception/restaurant area where wi fi was available was also never heated despite us discovering a heater behind a sofa on our last day- instead of being rugged up, the staff should definitely have used the heater for its built purpose turned the damn thing on which would also have provided a nice welcome to newcomers. At these prices and in these modern times, heaters in the rooms should be mandatory. The staff dorm was heated all day so I'm not sure how it was deemed unnecessary to provide the same service in the private rooms.
Overall, a nicely decorated hostel staffed by people who were polite but lacked basic English. The one major issue that prevented us from enjoying this pretty town as much as we could have were the freezing rooms which were almost equivalent to sleeping outdoors- not a good look.
Rating: 4/10
Guangdong Youth Hostel- Guangzhou, China
Address: 2 Shamian 4 Jie (street), Shamian Island, Huangsha
Website: none
COST 160 yuan total for private ensuite double
We'd had trouble finding this hostel after getting off at the nearest train station, crossing the highway and walking about 10 minutes into the Shamian area towards the White Swan Hotel, which is apparently diagonally across from the hostel. This was because the whole block was one of many in the area currently undergoing renovation so the sign was covered by canvas. We eventually found it and after viewing the dorm room (which was slightly crowded), decided to go for the private ensuite room for two people which cost 160 yuan (A$26) which was quite expensive, being the most we'd spent in China so far. However, we remembered that this hostel was apparently one of the cheapest options in Guangzhou and there were only proper hotels in the nearby area so we went ahead and checked in.
The room was actually quite nice, pretty much up to hotel standards (not just a hostel as it's name suggests) with clean interiors and bathroom. There was also tv which had the Pearl channel (the only channel with English shows and which we also didn't get during the rest of our China trip) which was great. There was also a wireless connection despite the reception advising us that it had been disrupted due to the reconstruction going on. The only major downside to the room was that it was very cold, with no heater in the room and the windows probably thin which let the freezing outside air transmit in.
Overall, a decent stay in Guangzhou although I would have preferred a slightly more downtrodden room for a cheaper price. The atmostphere of the hostel remained empty and unfriendly, but that could possibly be due to Guangzhou not having many tourist sites in the first place to be able to attract enough friendly travellers to this hostel at least.
Rating: 4/10
Website: none
COST 160 yuan total for private ensuite double
We'd had trouble finding this hostel after getting off at the nearest train station, crossing the highway and walking about 10 minutes into the Shamian area towards the White Swan Hotel, which is apparently diagonally across from the hostel. This was because the whole block was one of many in the area currently undergoing renovation so the sign was covered by canvas. We eventually found it and after viewing the dorm room (which was slightly crowded), decided to go for the private ensuite room for two people which cost 160 yuan (A$26) which was quite expensive, being the most we'd spent in China so far. However, we remembered that this hostel was apparently one of the cheapest options in Guangzhou and there were only proper hotels in the nearby area so we went ahead and checked in.
The room was actually quite nice, pretty much up to hotel standards (not just a hostel as it's name suggests) with clean interiors and bathroom. There was also tv which had the Pearl channel (the only channel with English shows and which we also didn't get during the rest of our China trip) which was great. There was also a wireless connection despite the reception advising us that it had been disrupted due to the reconstruction going on. The only major downside to the room was that it was very cold, with no heater in the room and the windows probably thin which let the freezing outside air transmit in.
Overall, a decent stay in Guangzhou although I would have preferred a slightly more downtrodden room for a cheaper price. The atmostphere of the hostel remained empty and unfriendly, but that could possibly be due to Guangzhou not having many tourist sites in the first place to be able to attract enough friendly travellers to this hostel at least.
Rating: 4/10
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