Crowne Plaza Harbin Songbei

Everything was excellent except location which was a bit far

I was there 9 February to 13 February 2024. This in China is New Year Holiday period, so maybe a part of the issues are coming from this. Start with positive items: the room was OK, large, well equipped, well heated (Harbin in February is still very cold), clean and in perfect conditions. And buffet breakfast was OK. But then problems starts. The "Crowne Cafe All Day Dining" restaurant was at an unacceptable level. 9 February evening was just closed... 10 February, I was the only guest there. Cold, dark, a waiter almost not speaking English, a menu on a cardboard sheet wrapped in plastic, like a street-side low level restaurant. Vey limited choice, just 2 main courses (lamb or veal steak). Quality was not so bad, but the overall experience was catastrophic. And expensive, 441 RMB for a meal in China is a lot. So 9, 11 and 12 evening I got dinner with the the "room service". You need to use an app on the cellphone, all in Chinese, and you have to pay with Wechat. OK for me, I live in China since many years... but a normal international traveler??? On 9 the selection was just some KFC food - but at least nicely served on a tray with napkins and tools... 11 and 12 only Chinese food available, and served in plastic boxes inside a plastic bag. A small bag added with chopsticks and a microscopic paper napkin. 5-star hotel !!! And again very expensive considering the type of service and the fact of being in China, even not in a major city. Another small detail... the room minibar was empty, even if there was the price list on it. And the room service app was just providing food, not drinks. I you like a beer, you must go to the vending machine in the hall. Nonsense in this level of hotel! Even the vending machines in the hall were giving a "cheap" feeling, unacceptable in such hotel! Then some other minor "slips" of service during the stay... nothing serious, but they add up to the basic problems I mentioned. All this could be accepted in a low level, cheap hotel... not when you have paid in advance 300 $ per night!