Somerset Swan Lake Hefei

“Excellent hotel for larger family”

My family (wife, 15 & 12 year old daughters) traveled to Hefei to visit my wife’s family. We have been going back to Hefei for the past 25 years but ever since we had children, it has been a challenge to find accommodation that is comfortable for us. When the kids were smaller we could get by, bu… more

My family (wife, 15 & 12 year old daughters) traveled to Hefei to visit my wife’s family. We have been going back to Hefei for the past 25 years but ever since we had children, it has been a challenge to find accommodation that is comfortable for us. When the kids were smaller we could get by, but now they are older it becomes a necessity for everyone to have their own space. Ascott built this beautiful property in Hefei that completely met our needs for the 6 days we were in Hefei. Overall it is a fantastic place with just a few shortcomings. Arrival/check in We arrived Hefei close to midnight and we were lucky to have my wife’s brother pick us up from the airport. The drive takes forever even when there are no cars on the road and when it comes to finding the hotel, it was good to have someone who already drove over to see where it is located. Not the easiest place to find, you have to go through a gate, wind around the building and then arrive at the lobby. Check in was a little problematic – it is now almost 1AM, we are the only people checking in, so it should be pretty quick, but unfortunately it was not. There is a standard set of tasks that need to be accomplished in China (i.e. photocopy passports, fill out paperwork) which cannot be avoided. However we spent a good 20 minutes on the rate I booked and what that rate meant. It came down to the clerk not understanding the booking confirmation which happened to be in English. Ultimately we were charged the correct price which included 4 breakfasts per day and it worked out fine. On a side note the hotel followed up with me after I provided feedback to them which I appreciated. The lobby is somewhat small but nice with sofas and chairs along with a sort of business center with computers at an elevated table. Room We booked a 2 bedroom apartment which is exactly why we stayed at this hotel. Most hotel rooms in China cannot accommodate 4 people and with our kids getting older, we definitely need the space. We were on the 12th floor at the end of the hall. When you walk in there is a small entrance that leads right into the kitchen. There is a microwave, cooktop, oven and washing machine. The kitchen is well stocked with silverware, dishes, cups, glasses and other kitchen implements. There is a table with four chairs for meals as well. The sitting room is just past the kitchen with a sofa, chair and TV. The master bedroom had a queen sized bed with ensuite bathroom, lots of space and tons of storage. The second bedroom had two twin beds, plenty of storage, a little more cramped, and the bathroom was just outside the door. There were TVs in both bedrooms. Another nice touch is all of the places to plug in and they are thoughtfully placed throughout the apartment. We had a view of Swan Lake which was quite nice – in the distance is a mall and larger buildings. The room faced away from the main road to get to the hotel, so it was nice and quiet. Location The hotel is in the Swan Lake area of Hefei – I had never been out this way before, mostly stayed in or near the city center on previous trips. It was good for us as my brother-in-law’s family lived about 5 minutes from there, and there are a couple large malls relatively close by for dining and shopping options. The hotel was also close to Hefei Olympic Stadium where they had soccer training for four mornings during our time in Hefei. The city center is pretty far, about a 20 minute taxi ride, but the Swan Lake area is a calmer and less hectic, but there definitely are less things to do and it can seem a little boring. A word of caution – taxi drivers do not know this hotel as it is relatively new. And you generally will need to go out to the street to get a taxi. My wife had to explain each time to the driver where this place was. Food Four breakfast buffets were included in our rate as we stayed at a 2 bedroom apartment, and I have to say that it was quite good! There is a great deal of variety with both Chinese and Western foods. We particularly liked the meat buns, rice porridge, various fruits and fruit juices, toast, meats and vegetables. You have to get your own coffee via a machine, it was a little challenging as the buttons are labeled in Chinese, but once you figure it out you are set! The eating area is on the 2nd floor and is well laid out with various table configurations (2 people, 4 people, 8 people), it is also very nicely decorated. Pool When our kids were younger a pool was a requirement, but as they get older it is less important. Swimming in China is a different experience – swim caps are required, non-hotel guests using the pool to swim laps, non-hotel swim instructors giving kids swim lessons…it just takes a little bit of fun out of everything. We felt like the lap swimmers expected the use of the pool, so we stayed to the side and ultimately left early and didn’t go back down. The facility is quite nice and it is well maintained. Billiards There is a billiards room available for rent, I think it was RMB80 per hour. My parents-in-law came by to visit a couple of times and they really like to play! It was a good way to pass a couple hours and once again, the room and the table are in good shape. Check out Much simpler than the check in, we verified all the charges and everything matched up with what we expected. If paying with foreign credit card, ask to pay in RMB and not in USD – credit card exchange rate is much better than the hotel. Overall Based on our experience with this hotel, I would be more than happy to return to stay once again. This is a very nice, well-appointed hotel which worked very well for my family. I would highly recommend staying here!

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