Pan Pacific Suzhou

Stayed 2 nights 2 rooms in Pan Pacific Suzhou, it felt like you’re staying in a ancient Palace which sounds awesome, but given how competitive hospitality is in recent years have evolved in China, they fell short in some important areas. II’m not sure how to review this hotel, as this falls under the Pan pacific brand, guests will have certain expectations. Its ok some amenities are dated, it’s still a comfortable stay. But I wished they had more friendly check in service, better coffee (I don’t why they are using 90s small coffee cup, no latte) better free Hanfu (a free but very limited ancient costume) experience, better slippers.. Despite these hiccups, they managed to offer a value for money stay especially for families, large groups, etc. overall a good experience, if you are not a nit picker like me 😀

Beware of choosing this Suzhou hotel! Might seem like a 5* star from its rich heritage and story, beautiful exterior and multiple awards. In actual fact, it’s an ageing 2-star hotel with no intention to upgrade its facilities and food quality. Clearly we were not given a clean, comfortable and safe family room which was assigned to visiting foreign dignitaries. Refer to the photos for evidence. Breakfast buffet tasted like a 3-star quality and the set lunch at 海天楼 certainly didn’t taste like it was cooked by world class chef in China. Service in both restaurants was mechanical and robotic. Staff manning the breakfast counters were seen yawning away and very jaded. Check-in service lacked the service standards expected of a 5* hotel chain. Concierge counter staff was not helpful with directions and sightseeing information. Family suite’s facilities were ageing and lacked the attention to details. Housekeeping and maintenance team certainly failed to pay attention to the maintenance and amenities. There were no tea and coffee sachets, a basic amenity, when we checked into the hotel. Requests had to be made for extra towels and pillows even though these were specified. Unfortunately, we were assigned a dual family room which were not maintained properly and the hotel managers (Bill and Sally) refused to give us a full refund for their lapses. Spoke to the hotel managers at length and they had no power to make any decisions other than to offer free food. Apparently feedback was given to her bosses but no refund was offered. Photos 1-3 and 9 - imagine our rude shock when my husband was nearly pricked by a nail on its single fabric seater. His sweater was damaged by the nail. This could have resulted in contact with the skin if he wasn’t wearing his sweater. The hotel manager, Bill, was activated. He only apologized and offered a chair which didn’t match the decor. Photos 4-8 - another rude shock ensued when we saw a badly damaged door frame in the middle of the night. It was too late to activate Bill again. Showed the hotel manager, Sally, on the next day , photo evidence of the damaged door frame and chair, room facilities, ageing carpet (Photo 12) and the damaged room cabinets. She only acknowledged their lapses and offered more free food. Photos 9 -11 - We did not use any of the amenities - fridge, microwave and cabinets as these were unhygienic, rusty, yellowed and not cleaned. Look at the interior of the damaged cabinets which could not be closed and there were others which were locked. Fridge interior was very dirty. Spoke to Bill and Sally at length and she was apologetic but had no decision making power to give a full refund. While this hotel claimed to be a multiple award winning hotel, clearly no efforts had been made to spruce up their rooms and facilities, especially our family room which seemed like it was unoccupied and not maintained for a long time. Overall, this accommodation truly marred our experience in Suzhou. We will definitely not return to this hotel in future. They should focus on overhauling and upgrading their rooms and most importantly, service standards. Hotel managers did not seem to have any service recovery authority other than offering free food and transport.

Excellent 5 stars hotel with historical Chinese feels 👍