After staying at the Zhijia Hotel in Liuzhou for a couple of nights, I has to say: I was pretty impressed. Because the hotel were located on river, I had views that made getting up early actualy worthwhile, and my room was spacious; not cramped; so that I didn’t feel like I was livig out of suitcase while I was there. Because I know how difficult it is to find a good mid- to upscale hotel in a second-tier city in China, I’m writing this up.
This hotel definitely deliver. Everything about it was polished but not stuffy, and I loved the little touches that they got right. So let me take you inside River View Suite to show you just what it’s really like.
My Stay at Zhijia Hotel
Zhijia Hotel Liuzhou
First of all, I rolled up to the hotel and I liked what I saw: a clean, moddern facade that told me they’d put some thought into the design. Walking into lobby only reinforced my initial impression. While the lobby was truly big, there is lots of places to sit down if you need it, such as when waiting for someone.
I appreciated the ceiling design, those sort of geometric lines add some visual interest but weren’t over the top. It made the space feel a little warmer too, something you don’t always find in more modern hotels that can be a little cold/sterile.
Check-in was fast and easy. Reception staff was friendly enough to get me sorted within a few minutes… Always nice when you’ve had a long travel day!
I took a walk around the common areas where they’ve installed multiple lounge spaces with actual seat and also a room with a projection screen! I didn’t really use them (honestly) but it’s good to see that if you want to go out of your room to meet someone or get some work done, there is somewhere you can go.
The elevator bank was also very nicely done, I saw that they were keeping things up which is always a plus. It is a little detail, but as a sort of test for the overall hotel, I’m always checking to see if elevators are clean.
On the guest floor, there is another lounge area, complete with coffee table and chairs. It came in handy when I use it to take a call while my colleague was napping in the room.
Walking into the suite, the first thing I noticed was all of the space that I had. Some budget hotel rooms are smaller than just entry hallway of this suite.
The suite layout was really well done. It’s a good size with a nice comfy bed, separate sitting area with arm chairs next to the window, and plenty of floor space so that two people isn’t constantly getting in each other’s way. There’s also a bathroom that is accessible from various points in the room through glass walls.
This design may or may not appeal to everyone, although there are privacy curtains. What I loved most was abundance of natural light that entered from the windows.
The bed was truly comfortable. Linens were decent and everything felt clean and crisp. I got a great night’s sleep, and really that’s what matters most at a hotel to me.
There’s a minibar setup as you’d expect, though it wasn’t overly stocked with snacks and drinks. And the bedside contained all of the switches and outlets one could possibly need. Things weren’t randomly tossed around; instead, it felt like attention to detail has been paid here.
I loved having sheer curtains that allowed me to block out light entirely while still filtering it in when I wanted to sleep in. It is great if you like sleeping in but don’t want your room to be pitch black.
And speaking of that river view, let’s talk about it. And this is why you pay for it. You get a beautiful view of the city skyline extending into the distance, several bridges over river, and a winding stretch of the river itself as it ran through Liuzhou.
More than once, I caught myself standing in front of the window with a cup of coffee while staring at scenery. Depending on the weather and time of day, the views changed and were always interesting. At night, you could look out across the city and see all the buildings lit up (though by then I was typically drawing the curtains to go to bed).
The suite’s bathroom was likely the most impressive aspect. It was all very modern and well designed with two sinks so we didn’t have to fight for mirror space in the mornings.
There were fresh towels on the towel rack, which they had set up nicely, and the toilet area was separate; always a plus in my book. It had no frills, just clean and functional features.
After a day spent exploring the city on foot, I took full advantage of the large tub and finally soaked in it. It had a rainfall shower that heated quickly and was strong, no more waiting for the water to heat up!
They provided a ton of storage for luggage and hangers in the closet. They even spent some design time on the lighting and wall panels in the wet room and entry areas. It was not anything screaming luxurius, but everything looked cohesive and clean.
If you’re looking for somewhere to hang your hat while in Liuzhou that has some room to spread out, good views, and is comfortable, then I’d recommend the Zhijia. It was priced fairly, and everything functioned like it should of. If I were to return to the city, I would book here again.
Have you stayed at the Zhijia or another hotel in Liuzhou? I’d love to hear your recommendations.
