Shanxi Grand Hotel was a five star hotel in Taiyuan town.Considering the Northern Loaction and its not so prominent position in the CHina map- the hotel was very posh, comfortable and located at a great place. We had stayed for two nights and we did not feel that we are staying in far off town. It was agreat surprise and I salute the people for developing the way they have done.maintained well, clean and cosy.
JUST LOVED IT !!!

This was my third visit so I thought I'd share my views. I'm not a big fan of Taiyuan. First time I came, it was like walking into a coal plant because the air was so bad, and this hotel mismanaged the booking so I ended up with a twin room (with one of the leaky walk-in showers) which smelt very heavily of stale tobacco. However, the past two times I've been on the upper floors in a (non-smoking - they say) double room with a tub in the bathroom, which has been fine. Note that it has been known for there to be a lack of hot water in the mornings here. Rooms are compact but comfortable, with a small desk and computer - no mini-bar but some free tea (no coffee) and some for sale.

There isn't much in the way of eateries on the street it's on, but you can find some places around the block and there's a fast food outlet across the big main road (turn right out the door) just set back from the corner. I've eaten twice on the 2nd floor restaurant - it's small but the choice is quite good and the price is very reasonable for a hotel - and both times the quality has been very good. The staff are pretty good - their English isn't so hot and they sometimes panic - and well-intentioned. Don't expect a smoking-free atmosphere, though, and there may be some seeming rowdiness if you're unused to Chinese get-togethers. The western restaurant on the 1st floor (lobby) has now been refurbished and is more comfortable than before. Breakfast has a good selection, excepting breads and pastries and fruit juices (which seemed to be squash), and you can get espresso rather than just filter if you ask.

Overall, I think the management are trying to improve the hotel and my last two visits have been quite satisfactory. However, I wouldn't stay again in one of the 'lower' rooms, and certainly not if paying the same price as for the better rooms. I'm still a bit wary of them because of that experience but amends have been made so far. As my trip was for business, I can't complain about those costs because I didn't pay personally. If I had, I would have been less inclined to have revisited as those rooms just don't seem reasonable for the price compared to the better ones.

I originally stayed at the Shanxi Grand in May 2007, and I returned and stayed there again in March 2009. It's changed. The bathtub/shower I loved so much before has been replaced with a standing shower (only), although it was a very nice shower, if we'd been doing an adoption it would've been a pain to try and clean a small child with it without getting water in their mouth. However, it had nice pressure and all. And all the rooms may not be like this, but the 2 rooms we had were. (I think we were on the 3rd floor.) Other rooms may be different. But the shower did leak around the base of the shower, water would leak out. The beds were hard by some standards, but I was okay with them.

The koi pond in the basement area has been replaced with a new-age-ish sculpture that looks like ice (very silvery) surrounded by colored lights and fog. I really miss the koi pond, it was so much prettier. When we were there, only the Chinese restaurant was open. You could order the Western restaurant's food but you couldn't eat in the Western restaurant- it was being renovated. The rooms smelled a little odd this time too.

The staff at the hotel speaks limited English, be warned.

I would stay there again, but I wouldn't stay for an adoption unless they have rooms with bathtubs available. Also, the computer that they had on the desk wasn't in this room, but it did have free internet via Ethernet cord and I think the business center downstairs has computers. Room service is good, fast, and CHEAP.

They may have rooms set aside for use when a family is adopting that are more "child-friendly", i.e. bathtubs. I don't know.