Kai Rui Hotel

I had an amazing stay at the RC Harbin and it's definitely worthy of the Ritz Carlton name. I booked a premier river view room and I was given a larger corner room, which I appreciated. It's worth nothing these rooms don't necessarily have a view of the Harbin Ice & Snow world (my room was facing north). I was offered a paid upgrade to a room with the Ice & Snow world room but I declined. The room is super modern and comfortable. The bed is one of the most comfortable I've ever had in a hotel, I slept as well as I did at home. The pillows and mattress were perfect. The bathroom was very fancy and I really appreciate having a bidet. The location of the hotel is fine, with the caveat that you'll need to be calling Didi to get anywhere relevant, there's no public transportation nearby. But it's a fairly short ride to Harbin's main attractions, so it's still very convenient. Service is generally good, but there's some inconsistency. For example I asked for some food to be stored in the hotel fridge one night and a staff member told me they could help me heat it up the next day. But the next morning I was told this is against policy (fair enough). Also, some doormen would proactively open the car door for you (fairly expected in this tier of hotel). But others just stood around. I think the hotel needs to work on this a bit. The front desk staff when we checked in and out were all great though. Overall though it was a great stay and if I came back to Harbin I'd definitely choose this hotel again.

The hotel is very beautiful. You can see the city and Songhua river, especially the Ice and Snow World if you come in the winter, from the very high up view. The staff is very attentive, helpful and friendly, especially Leo at the front desk who goes above and beyond helping us with all our requests. The breakfast is tasty and has lots of selections. The swimming pool is beautiful. We also enjoy the sauna and steam rooms very much! Highly recommended!

The maze hotel. Complete lack of signage. When there is, for example the washroom sign, it's dark colour on dark wall with very dimmed lighting. Coming out of the room, there is no sign showing which way is the elevator hall. Every floor is a maze. In the swimming pool locker room, after you change, there is no way to know how to go to the pool. The room is very dark with curtains down. Light switches are not lit as is normal in hotel rooms, with very small dark labels on dark print. Impossible to get to the bathroom in complete darkness, unless turning on all lights to wake up family. Overall very poor design in terms of user interface and user experience. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Coffee machine in restaurants not very good.