Anyang Day 1: Our hotel
I confess I was concerned about finding a suitable hotel in Anyang. I could see that there were plenty of options, but I really wanted to have a non-smoking room. Scrolling through review sites, too, I saw that some other foreign travelers had made the mistake of booking rooms at hotels in Anyang and Handan that were not open to foreigners. One of these hotels was even advertised as a member of an international motel chain, like Super 8 or something.
On Ctrip again I read through the city's hotels. The prices looked great to me; many of the rooms were under ¥200 a night. Then I saw one that looked interesting. It was the most expensive on Ctrip's list, at ¥328 base price. I had never heard of it, the Wanda Realm Hotel. The Wanda company I was acquainted with--their recent activities in cinema chains and club football are well-known internationally. However, I was unfamiliar with their hotels.
I went directly to the hotel's website, which having a functional English-language reservation portal signaled to me that they must be permitted to house foreigners. There I encountered an interesting expression they used to describe their beds, "Realm of bed," though in Chinese it looks like it makes more sense 万达嘉华之床 (Wàndá jiā huá zhī chuáng, meaning something closer to "Wanda Royal Bed"). The photos on the website looked more like a Kempinski, but I disregarded those as perhaps being chosen specifically for that affect and reality would be much different.
I perused the booking options, finding several that appealed to me directly: non-smoking, more than one child per room, free Wi-fi, and feather-free pillows. My combination of choices brought my base rate to ¥388, still around what I pay for a night at the not-nice-but-convenient Ibis near the Beijing Bookworm.
The taxi driver at Yinxu Museum was not familiar with the Wanda Realm as it only opened this summer. She hadn't ferried any guests to it yet. Arriving at the hotel, I paused at the lobby. Was I in the wrong hotel? Was the ¥388 was a mistake?
More after the jump
As I approached the check-in desk, I was immediately greeted in English, "Good afternoon, Jennifer."
I was a little surprised, so I asked if I were the only foreigner staying there that night. The woman giggled and admitted that I was.
The Wanda Realm website did not accept credit cards, so I was able to pay an ¥800 cash deposit. I could have used my Chinese bank card, too, at the hotel itself but I had the cash.
The lobby was decorated with an Oracle Bones theme. That was a nice local touch.
Our room was likewise a big surprise. Again, for ¥388, I was not expecting the comfortable bed (I guess this was the "Realm of Bed" mentioned on the website), the giant bathroom (with separate tub and shower!), and just general comfort of the room. And, importantly, not even a ghost of cigarette smoke anywhere!
The room decor continued with the Oracle Bones theme of the lobby. I didn't think it was overdone or kitschy. They're going to put something on the wall anyway, right?
We went downstairs hoping to get supper. A brand new mall, also owned by Wanda, had opened this summer was adjacent to the hotel. I thought we could walk around there, and the immediate neighborhood, and try to find some sort of local 家常菜 (jiācháng cài meaning, homestyle) restaurant.
I hadn't any coffee since breakfast in Beijing, so I did want to stop in the hotel lobby where they also advertised having coffee. I never count on access to coffee when I am traveling in China, but I will happily enjoy it when I can.
They were setting up the supper buffet in the dining room, and the kids wanted to see what might be available there. I was a little reluctant at first, because I was sure the ¥388 hotel couldn't have very good food.
As we looked through the mix of Chinese, Western, and curry (!!) dishes on the buffet, a voice speaking not-Chinese-accented English asked me if I thought we would be eating there that night. I turned to see the hotel's Nepalese head chef. I certainly wasn't expecting that.
I talked with him a few minutes. He also used to live in Beijing for a long time, having worked in several hotels, including Langham Place and the City Wall Marriott, where he met this Wanda Realm's Dutch manager. They had been recruited by the Wanda Group because of their years of hospitality experience in Beijing.
Myles and Brigid were both happy with at least some of the food they saw on the buffet (and definitely the chocolate fountains) so we decided to remain in the hotel for the evening. I didn't inquire about the price, and the chef offered to get us a discount, but at the room rate we were paying, I already thought I was getting more than our money's worth.
After supper and desert (coffee for me!!!), we returned to our room. We all wanted a turn in the bath, since we don't have a tub in our apartment back in Changping. The soaps, shampoos, and bath salts were so much more than we would get at an Ibis. It was really, really nice.
One of Wanda Realm's Things, it seems, is comfortable, relaxing sleep. In addition to the "Realm of Bed," they offered a pillow menu which included stuffed animals you could check out for night snuggling. We chose buckwheat buckwheat pillows, though during the night Myles switched back to the standard-issue pillow.
Each room also came with a copy of 礼记译注, a collection of thirteen classic Chinese stories. It was also available in English if we wanted it. In the promotional video in the lobby, a hotel guest is shown reading this just before he turns in for the night.
And, just like a pricier hotel, they sold all of the linens, towels, pillows, robes, the toys, the books---everything---bearing the Wanda Realm logo. I was tempted to buy a robe, but I was traveling light.
The next morning I tried to get a feel for what the neighborhood around the hotel was like. It was a bit smoggy, which was, unfortunately, not a surprise. Beijing's smogtastic air gets all the attention because that city is where the international press is based, but the capital does not even crack the list of top 10 worst offenders in China. Those ten include three cities through which we passed on the train on the way to Anyang (Xingtai, Shijiazhuang, Handan) and one that was the next stop south on that same line (Zhengzhou).
The whole area was under construction. From what I could see, it will be indistinguishable from Sanyuanqiao or Liangmaqiao before long.
Indistinguishable, except for the Oracle Bones theme.
At breakfast I felt a pang of guilt. I've lately prided myself on my ability to travel on the cheap, not to spoil the kids or myself with indulgence and try to do off the beaten track and local. But here we were, eating waffles and croissants (though I did have baozi, too---one of the few Chinese breakfast foods I like), and I was drinking coffee after coffee. Had I turned what I hoped to be a budget-friendly educational trip into a vacation? How authentic of an experience was this anyway? There are no cappuccino and waffles in Oracle Bones.
What does authentic really mean for a tourist in China? What is indulgence, anyway? Do I need to live like a local, like if I'm traveling in an area where air conditioning or central heating are luxuries? Hot water on demand? Coffee? How much 家常菜 can I eat when one of the local specialties is Three Smoked Meats?
Looking around the mostly full Wanda Realm dining room, noting again that we were the only white foreign guests, I wondered if anyone else there struggled with the idea of authenticity of the experience. All I could tell was how much were enjoying their omelets and bowls of congee.
When we checked out, I learned that our total bill exceeded my deposit by ¥46. I really couldn't complain.
I asked the concierge about car service. The hotel did, in fact have a small fleet as well as a driver who was available for the afternoon. They showed me the price list, and this was the first time I experienced any sticker shock in Anyang. It just seemed so much (a half day was more than my room rate) but it was obvious to me the kinds of clients they saw themselves chauffeuring, and it wasn't foreign tourists who like to do things on the cheap. The least expensive vehicle on the list was an Audi A6. Two of the others were Mercedes Benz. I didn't mean to negotiate, but the concierge sensed I was hesitant looking at the price list. It wasn't the price in and of itself (in other cities we've paid twice that or more for the same service), but rather the expense relative to what I had spent on everything else so far. He did manage to bring the price down a little.
As we got into the car, Randy and I exchanged texts.
I really did feel a little ridiculous being driven around central Anyang like this. But I didn't mind the A/C and keeping the luggage in the trunk. I kept reminding myself, too, that the car didn't signify anything about me except that I was a guest at that hotel.
My next post will be about what we saw in those last four hours in Anyang.
On Ctrip again I read through the city's hotels. The prices looked great to me; many of the rooms were under ¥200 a night. Then I saw one that looked interesting. It was the most expensive on Ctrip's list, at ¥328 base price. I had never heard of it, the Wanda Realm Hotel. The Wanda company I was acquainted with--their recent activities in cinema chains and club football are well-known internationally. However, I was unfamiliar with their hotels.
I went directly to the hotel's website, which having a functional English-language reservation portal signaled to me that they must be permitted to house foreigners. There I encountered an interesting expression they used to describe their beds, "Realm of bed," though in Chinese it looks like it makes more sense 万达嘉华之床 (Wàndá jiā huá zhī chuáng, meaning something closer to "Wanda Royal Bed"). The photos on the website looked more like a Kempinski, but I disregarded those as perhaps being chosen specifically for that affect and reality would be much different.
I perused the booking options, finding several that appealed to me directly: non-smoking, more than one child per room, free Wi-fi, and feather-free pillows. My combination of choices brought my base rate to ¥388, still around what I pay for a night at the not-nice-but-convenient Ibis near the Beijing Bookworm.
The taxi driver at Yinxu Museum was not familiar with the Wanda Realm as it only opened this summer. She hadn't ferried any guests to it yet. Arriving at the hotel, I paused at the lobby. Was I in the wrong hotel? Was the ¥388 was a mistake?
More after the jump
As I approached the check-in desk, I was immediately greeted in English, "Good afternoon, Jennifer."
I was a little surprised, so I asked if I were the only foreigner staying there that night. The woman giggled and admitted that I was.
The Wanda Realm website did not accept credit cards, so I was able to pay an ¥800 cash deposit. I could have used my Chinese bank card, too, at the hotel itself but I had the cash.
The lobby was decorated with an Oracle Bones theme. That was a nice local touch.
Our room was likewise a big surprise. Again, for ¥388, I was not expecting the comfortable bed (I guess this was the "Realm of Bed" mentioned on the website), the giant bathroom (with separate tub and shower!), and just general comfort of the room. And, importantly, not even a ghost of cigarette smoke anywhere!
The room decor continued with the Oracle Bones theme of the lobby. I didn't think it was overdone or kitschy. They're going to put something on the wall anyway, right?
We went downstairs hoping to get supper. A brand new mall, also owned by Wanda, had opened this summer was adjacent to the hotel. I thought we could walk around there, and the immediate neighborhood, and try to find some sort of local 家常菜 (jiācháng cài meaning, homestyle) restaurant.
I hadn't any coffee since breakfast in Beijing, so I did want to stop in the hotel lobby where they also advertised having coffee. I never count on access to coffee when I am traveling in China, but I will happily enjoy it when I can.
They were setting up the supper buffet in the dining room, and the kids wanted to see what might be available there. I was a little reluctant at first, because I was sure the ¥388 hotel couldn't have very good food.
As we looked through the mix of Chinese, Western, and curry (!!) dishes on the buffet, a voice speaking not-Chinese-accented English asked me if I thought we would be eating there that night. I turned to see the hotel's Nepalese head chef. I certainly wasn't expecting that.
I talked with him a few minutes. He also used to live in Beijing for a long time, having worked in several hotels, including Langham Place and the City Wall Marriott, where he met this Wanda Realm's Dutch manager. They had been recruited by the Wanda Group because of their years of hospitality experience in Beijing.
Myles and Brigid were both happy with at least some of the food they saw on the buffet (and definitely the chocolate fountains) so we decided to remain in the hotel for the evening. I didn't inquire about the price, and the chef offered to get us a discount, but at the room rate we were paying, I already thought I was getting more than our money's worth.
After supper and desert (coffee for me!!!), we returned to our room. We all wanted a turn in the bath, since we don't have a tub in our apartment back in Changping. The soaps, shampoos, and bath salts were so much more than we would get at an Ibis. It was really, really nice.
One of Wanda Realm's Things, it seems, is comfortable, relaxing sleep. In addition to the "Realm of Bed," they offered a pillow menu which included stuffed animals you could check out for night snuggling. We chose buckwheat buckwheat pillows, though during the night Myles switched back to the standard-issue pillow.
Each room also came with a copy of 礼记译注, a collection of thirteen classic Chinese stories. It was also available in English if we wanted it. In the promotional video in the lobby, a hotel guest is shown reading this just before he turns in for the night.
And, just like a pricier hotel, they sold all of the linens, towels, pillows, robes, the toys, the books---everything---bearing the Wanda Realm logo. I was tempted to buy a robe, but I was traveling light.
The next morning I tried to get a feel for what the neighborhood around the hotel was like. It was a bit smoggy, which was, unfortunately, not a surprise. Beijing's smogtastic air gets all the attention because that city is where the international press is based, but the capital does not even crack the list of top 10 worst offenders in China. Those ten include three cities through which we passed on the train on the way to Anyang (Xingtai, Shijiazhuang, Handan) and one that was the next stop south on that same line (Zhengzhou).
The whole area was under construction. From what I could see, it will be indistinguishable from Sanyuanqiao or Liangmaqiao before long.
Indistinguishable, except for the Oracle Bones theme.
At breakfast I felt a pang of guilt. I've lately prided myself on my ability to travel on the cheap, not to spoil the kids or myself with indulgence and try to do off the beaten track and local. But here we were, eating waffles and croissants (though I did have baozi, too---one of the few Chinese breakfast foods I like), and I was drinking coffee after coffee. Had I turned what I hoped to be a budget-friendly educational trip into a vacation? How authentic of an experience was this anyway? There are no cappuccino and waffles in Oracle Bones.
What does authentic really mean for a tourist in China? What is indulgence, anyway? Do I need to live like a local, like if I'm traveling in an area where air conditioning or central heating are luxuries? Hot water on demand? Coffee? How much 家常菜 can I eat when one of the local specialties is Three Smoked Meats?
Looking around the mostly full Wanda Realm dining room, noting again that we were the only white foreign guests, I wondered if anyone else there struggled with the idea of authenticity of the experience. All I could tell was how much were enjoying their omelets and bowls of congee.
When we checked out, I learned that our total bill exceeded my deposit by ¥46. I really couldn't complain.
I asked the concierge about car service. The hotel did, in fact have a small fleet as well as a driver who was available for the afternoon. They showed me the price list, and this was the first time I experienced any sticker shock in Anyang. It just seemed so much (a half day was more than my room rate) but it was obvious to me the kinds of clients they saw themselves chauffeuring, and it wasn't foreign tourists who like to do things on the cheap. The least expensive vehicle on the list was an Audi A6. Two of the others were Mercedes Benz. I didn't mean to negotiate, but the concierge sensed I was hesitant looking at the price list. It wasn't the price in and of itself (in other cities we've paid twice that or more for the same service), but rather the expense relative to what I had spent on everything else so far. He did manage to bring the price down a little.
As we got into the car, Randy and I exchanged texts.
I really did feel a little ridiculous being driven around central Anyang like this. But I didn't mind the A/C and keeping the luggage in the trunk. I kept reminding myself, too, that the car didn't signify anything about me except that I was a guest at that hotel.
My next post will be about what we saw in those last four hours in Anyang.
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