China is bizarre. From giant Buddha
structures to door-less toilets, they all leave me in awe. So goes the same for
my accommodation during my 5-day trip to Chengdu. My stay was not of the
bizarre variety but it was amazing enough that I would make it an attraction
itself. My stay was arranged by the Dorsett Grand Chengdu (DGC). Every night, I
immersed myself in comfort and luxury that left me smitten.
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| I swear I could do a cartwheel with that space |
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| Unpretentiously upscale |
DGC was brimming with hospitality the
moment I landed on panda land. We were greeted by DGC personnel who tagged my
bags and sent them straight to my room. The hotel transport came with wifi
which immediately satisfied our Watsapp needs.
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| Dorsett Grand Chengdu personnel greeting us at airport |
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| Wifi in the transport makes me happy |
After 45 minutes, we reached DGC with cordial
greetings from the staff. Our eyes reflected sparkles of the posh lobby. I took
a breath of the classy ambiance. Beautiful chandeliers emanated soft hues of
elegance. This 5-starred hotel is unpretentiously upscale with 42 storeys accommodating
556 rooms. I was excited to hear that I was going to share the same experience
with international celebrities like Backstreet Boys and Fahrenheit who
patronized the same hotel before.
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| DGC staff waited for our arrival and greeted us warmly |
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| Beautiful chandelier |
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| Lotus inspired motives |
I was ushered to my Deluxe King Room and
quickly made a few cartwheels around the room…in my mind. The room was very
spacious. I felt half of my travel exhaustion relieved. The interior of the
room is contemporarily Western yet maintaining the Eastern vibes with Chinese
motives. The sight of the foot-thick mattress with white crisp sheets and plush
pillows was disarming. At the side, there is also a smart working desk for those who cannot leave work behind. Each room includes free wifi, a panoramic view of the
city, iPod dock, a safe and coffee/ tea making facilities. I unwound under the
rain shower with toiletries of my favourite orange scent that was soothingly
sweet. DGC toiletries are environmental friendly too. The bathroom with a
luscious tub has a bay window overlooking Chengdu’s skyline. I must say that it
was difficult leaving the bathroom with the night view of buildings illuminated.
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| Ushered right to my room |
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| King sized bed just for me me me |
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| Luscious bathroom |
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| Love the orange scented toiletries |
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| Chinese motives |
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| Eastern inspired deco |
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| Chinese painting |
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| Chinese tea making facilities |
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| Night scenery from my room |
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| Lots of space invested in the interior |
There was a convenient store and some food
stalls down the road. But not wanting to depart with my luxurious room, I
decided to order room service which was provided with great customer care.
Being in foreign land, it is always comforting to know that your needs are
priority. I fed myself and sunk my head in the pillows and was fast asleep.
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| Room service |
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| Every room comes with a bay window |
Morning came too soon. But, it is always
worth it to wake up to a hearty breakfast. I woke up to a great start with
breakfast buffet at Yue Rong Cafe at level 2. We were spoilt with a wide
selection of local and international food. My favourites were their crispy
waffles with maple syrup and yummy pork buns, washed down with warm soya milk.
Waiters were very friendly and ready on their toes to serve. Yue Rong Cafe also
serves lunch and dinner buffet. I had the opportunity to try the local
favourite hand-pulled noodles in duck soup, the spicy Sichuan Dan Dan noodles
and shredded noodles all acrobatically made right infront of my eyes.
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| Friendly waiters at Yue Rong Cafe |
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| The scrumptious buffet spread |
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| Fruit juices to boost the day |
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| My favourite matches for breakfast |
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| Tried my hands at noodle making |
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| Spicy dan dan noodles |
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| Noodles freshly made in front of me |
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| Shredded noodles |
If you are searching for fine Chinese
dining, CDG will not fail to impress you. The Fu Yue Xuan Chinese Restaurant at
level 6 is the perfect choice for both business and family dining. They offer
the finest of Tan Fu, Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine that can whet local and
international appetites. The artistically embellished dishes tasted as good as
they look if not better. The prestigious restaurant is not only comfortable but
exudes poise and style that enhanced the dining experience.
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| Fu Yue Xuan's elegent setting (Photo credits to Dorsett Grand Chengdu) |
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| Food deco itself is credible- Flower is made of toufu with one wolfberry, floating in superior soup |
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| Honey prawns |
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| Goose liver in oats |
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| Delicious wagyu beef |
I
will always remember the hand-painted piano at the lounge which I used to
admire while waiting for my friends at the lobby. It is a great place to catch
up with friends over a drink or a slice of cake. There is also the self-service
gym that is accessible with the room key which makes it open 24 hours. The
fairly complete range of equipments allowed me to shed off the extra weight
gained during the trip at any time of the day without compromise.
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| Hand painted piano |
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| 24-hour gym |
I had the opportunity to look at the
meeting and banquet facilities which can cater for small meetings to large
conferences. There is a graceful ballroom that is pilarless- perfect for
wedding fengshui. For locals who are searching for a place to hold their
once-in-a-lifetime event, the DGC has an exclusive bridal dressing room
furnished with sofas, restroom and vanity dressing tables that allows a cozy
changing space for the bride and bridesmaids. Mah-jong rooms are also available
to those who fancy a game or two or to make it an activity during their event.
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| Pillarless ballroom |
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| Mahjong room |
The DGC is situated atop metro lines 1
(Luomashi Station) and 4 offering convenience in both business and leisure. I
made more time for shopping as the Chunxi Street was just a 15-minute walk away
from the hotel. Good news to those who do not mind walking to beat the traffic,
the Climbing Panda at the IFS shopping mall is also just a few streets away.
Kuanzai Alley for more shopping is just a straight road ahead from the hotel.
The hotel provided concierge and limo services as well as tourist maps and
pamphlets to facilitate my travel.
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| The IFS mall |
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| Shopping at Kuanzai Alley |
China has redeemed herself in my eyes with this
world class hotel. After my fourth night at the DGC, I had to leave Chengdu
with a heavy heart. The top-notch hospitality from the hotel really made my
stay at home away from home. I would like to thank the staffs of DGC for their
ever-present smiles and warm service which will be imprinted in me till my next
visit to Chengdu.
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| An experiential stay at Dorsett Grand Chengdu |
This
summer, Dorsett Hospitality International offers families the chance to make
their holiday budget go even further. Visitors can book 2 rooms at any hotels
in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, London and Malaysia between 15th
June to 30th September 2015 and enjoy 50% off the second room. As
parents enjoy the savings on accommodation, children under 16 years of age will
receive a cuddly Dorsett teddy bear who can accompany them on their holiday and
a Dorsett backpack which comes with selected children’s amenities which they
can fill with treasures accumulated along the way.
For
more information, kindly visit:
Dorsett
Grand Chengdu
Website:
www.dorsetthotels.com/chengdu
Facebook:
Disclaimer:
This trip is courtesy of Sarah Mai from www.smallnhot.com
Check out www.smallnhot.com/2015/07/dorsett-grand-chengdu-hotel-hospitality-review-chengdu-china.html
After reading your hotel experience blog, It feels like I was in that hotel too. Nice one :) Cheers!
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