I normally stay at the Intercontinental on Nanjing Road when in Shenyang but because the Intercontinental is an aging hotel that really doesn't deserve the moniker of Intercontinental anymore (it's 9 years old) I decided to try something new. There are becoming more and more choices of fine hotels in Shenyang these days from the Kempinski and Sheraton to the soon arriving Shangri-la chain but I choose to take a risk on an otherwise unknown property called the "Shenyang Royal Wan Xin Hotel" on Qingnian Street..

Hotel First Impressions:

The front entrance and building facade are quite grandiose, it looks like they are going for that classic European style look. The lobby is bright and full of marble and chandeliers. While this sounds good so far some Chinese properties have been known to blow their budgets on the lobby and their rooms look like the a CSI crime scene. This however was not one of them as I has pleasantly surprised by the quality of the rooms.

Layout/Location:

Hotel checkin is on the 10th floor and 29th floor (executive level). There is an express elevator to the 10th floor as you walk in to the right back corner. The main elevator bank is in the same direction but off to the left.

The hotel is located in the city's "development" zone and thus a little removed from the city center. Although Shenyang is not that big where it's a huge problem. One of the best things is this hotels access to the airport. It's basically a straight shot and about 20min, great for that early morning flight or late arrival.

Rooms:

I posted a few pictures but the rooms are clean and modern with;

- in room safe
- mini bar
- soaking tub
- stand up shower (great shower)
- good amenities with the standard two bottles of water found in most Chinese hotel rooms
- high speed internet
- LCD TV with BBC/CNN/CNBC/Channel News Asia/HBO/Sat Movies/AXN/Star TV

Facilities:

I tried the buffet on the 10th floor at the "Xin Cafe". The cost was 168 RMB but worth every penny. It was basically a seafood buffet with;

- Grilled meats (to order)
- Steamed crab
- clams and other shell fish (prepared as you like)
- sushi and sashimi bar
- assorted cold and hot dishes
- deserts and fruit

the only thing was that there was no drinks that were included, all drinks were a la carte.

I didn't order room service but the menu looked quite limited.

Executive Floor Benefits (I stayed on the executive floor):

- Room minibar drinks and snacks are free
- Happy hour from 8pm to 10pm (strange time)
- access to executive lounge for free drinks and snacks all day
- free internet
- free buffet breakfast
- access to meeting facilities

Summary:

I was pleasantly surprised by the Royal Wan Xin Hotel, I will definitely come back when in Shenyang. Although I will try my luck at some of the other hotels in the area next time for comparison such as the Sheraton or the Kempinski. I would say that the English level of the staff is not quite as high as that of some of the international brands but it was never an issue.