Extremely disappointing and nowhere near a five-star experience
One of the worst experiences we’ve had at a supposedly five-star hotel. We booked Pan Pacific Suzhou for a relaxing getaway, specifically choosing it for its advertised rooms and wellness facilities. Unfortunately, almost everything was a disappointment.
Misleading room photos: We deliberately paid extra for a Premier King because the photos showed a significantly newer, more modern room than the cheaper Deluxe King. Instead, we received an outdated room that smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. When we complained, staff admitted that only ONE room in the entire hotel resembled the advertised photos. Their proposed solution was that if we want the newer-looking room that was advertised as the one we got, we could pay another CNY 300 per night for a suite or we could get pretty much the same room, just without the cigarette smell.
Appalling spa facilities: Easily the worst hotel spa we’ve experienced. Dirty, chipped lockers, worn-out towels, and a sauna that looked like it hadn’t been renovated in decades. People, who were not even hotel guests, were literally drying their underwear inside the sauna, close from where I was sitting, while the male steam room was being used to dry clothes. They also advertised a jacuzzi on the PanPacific website, but it unfortunately no longer exists and its space appears to have become a storage/drying area. The swimming pool felt more like a public leisure center, even offering children’s swimming lessons, than a luxury hotel facility. There weren’t even loungers to relax on.
Disappointing food and amenities: Despite advertising five restaurants, at around 3 PM our options were essentially noodles or basic pizza and panini. The advertised afternoon refreshments consisted of Coke, water, tea, cheap chip-like snacks, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Even the coffee machine wasn’t working for this “happy hour” (a very sad hour for me, by the way).
Unhelpful service: Staff were generally unhelpful simce the beginning , they didn’t show us around the place, not even where we could find our room. The reception staff didn’t seem to be adequately informed, had to look up a lot if things etc. Additionally, when resolving our concerns, the hotel was slow to respond even when Trip.com’s customer support contacted them regarding our complaint. There is a staff member helping you with your luggage by the entrance, who seemed to be probably the most competent one.
To be fair, the breakfast buffet was extensive and as advertised, the hotel eventually arranged a room change, and they agreed to let us check out one day early, allowing us to receive a refund for the unused night. For this, at least, we could enjoy our trip afterwards, without adding unnecessary drama. However, these few positives cannot compensate for the misleading advertising, poor maintenance, unhygienic wellness facilities and disappointing service.
A five-star rating should mean more than simply having facilities listed on paper. We paid over €90 per night expecting a comfortable, relaxing experience and instead spent much of our stay dealing with complaints.
Terjemah
