Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Golden Bay

“Great hotel but not for the beach”

We're a beach loving family. And since our kids are young, we can't venture far and we stay within the comforts of beach resorts where we can have beach access and comfortable accommodation for the kids. Our stay on the third weekend of October was very disappointing. It was our first visit to th… more

We're a beach loving family. And since our kids are young, we can't venture far and we stay within the comforts of beach resorts where we can have beach access and comfortable accommodation for the kids. Our stay on the third weekend of October was very disappointing. It was our first visit to the Marriott Hotel Golden Bay and likely to be our last for the following reasons: 1. The kids pool (like a small water park) called Blue Whale is open but none of the fountains or water features work. 2. The floor of shallow pool has a lot of algae growth on the floor. The floor is extremely slippery and someone child is going to crack their head open on that surface sooner or later. Again, this pool is not closed, there are no signs or barriers indicating that it's off limit. 3. On the afternoon, the pool staff gather the kids in the kid's pool with the algae growth and start a pool bubble machine. I had to stop my kids from going there knowing how nasty and bacteria infested that water is. 4. There are only two swimming pools at the property (indoor and outdoor), there were both maintained very well with excellent water quality. The third outdoor pool on the property was empty. Now, the beach... While the hotel is right at the beach, the guests of the hotel DO NOT have access to the beach in front of the hotel. As a matter of fact, the entire beach is only accessible from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. As a parent, early morning hours are the only time where I can enjoy a nice walk, jog, and swim. Once the kids wake-up, I can no longer have time of my own. So, I went to the beach at 6:20 a.m. and once my foot got near the water, I was asked by a security guard with a megaphone to step away from the beach. I talked to the guard who told me that no one is allowed on the beach before 8:30 a.m. So, until then, there is no swimming, no running, and no walking. The guard told me that I could stand on the sand right in front of the hotel's steps and that's about it! At 8:30, we went to the beach again. I went to the water first to check the depth, current, and see if it's suitable for the kids to swim in it like I always do. In less than a minute, another security guard came towards me with a megaphone asking me to get out of the water. The told me that there is only one designated area for swimming about a couple of hundred meters away north. I took the kids there of course. There were life guards and a bunch of security guards making sure that no one is swimming outside the designated area. The designated swimming area on the beach is big enough, but around 4 pm, it starts getting crowded where it becomes impossible to swim without constantly bumping into other beach goers. While we were at this massive beach, we were all packed in a small area. It was like swimming in an overcrowded swimming pool. The beach itself is very nice, the water quality is excellent with relatively high visibility. There is even some fish and one could theoretically do some snorkling. However, who ever manages the beach took the fun out of it. It is manufactured crowding. And while I was struggling not to get my face kicked by the flailing arms and legs of other beach goers, I had to glaze at the massive beach surrounding us that was off limits. Oh, also the sand is very coarse and we couldn't build any sand castles. Conclusion: The hotel itself is a very nice hotel. I would be happy in it if I were in a business trip. But as a beach resort, it is extremely disappointing. I'm only writing this comment because I feel I was robbed of a nice beach weekend. I highly recommend this hotel for anyone who's not interested in going to the beach. It's a great place to have a wedding, host family events or corporate retreats. They have plenty of stuff for kids too. But if it's the beach you're seeking, please don't. There are several great alternative with full unrestricted beach access nearby.

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“Room for improvement”

We had a pleasant stay at the hotel — the rooms were comfortable and breakfast was excellent. We arrived just two days after Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest tropical cyclone of the year, and were impressed by how well the hotel had recovered. The beach nearby was heavily affected, but the hotel itsel… more

We had a pleasant stay at the hotel — the rooms were comfortable and breakfast was excellent. We arrived just two days after Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest tropical cyclone of the year, and were impressed by how well the hotel had recovered. The beach nearby was heavily affected, but the hotel itself remained in great condition, which speaks to their strong preparation and cleanup efforts. That said, we’d like to share a few suggestions to help improve the guest experience: Communication: It was difficult to contact the hotel before our arrival. We tried emailing for special requests (e.g., adjacent rooms, kids’ amenities, bathtubs), but the listed email address didn’t work. We eventually reached Marriott’s customer care, who assured us the hotel was aware of our requests. Unfortunately, none were fulfilled at check-in, and we only received rooms on the same floor. Front Desk Information: Staff could be more proactive in sharing updates about hotel facilities. We didn’t know there were two outdoor pools until the end of our stay — we thought there was only one, which was closed, and this disappointed the kids. Food Delivery & Storage: We appreciated the designated area for food deliveries. However, for items like birthday cakes with cream, refrigeration would be helpful. Our cake was left in a room at ambient temperature for 20 minutes, and we were lucky to retrieve it just in time.

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