This hotel belongs to the Shangri-la chain, but it is not as Ritzy as the others I've visited. The staff by and large does not speak English, like most of China. Of the ones who do, it's not spoken or understood well. Nonetheless, they tried very hard to provide good service. It's just that you have to ask. When I arrived, I had to push a bit to get the concierge to put together a plan for me. I know the intention was good, but it really was not on part with a 5 star hotel. I was suggested to visit the famous St. Sophia cathedral, I hired a taxi and organized my agenda to take me 20 mins downtown only to find it was closed due to renovations when I arrived. On the other hand, they were right to suggest I visit Ice and Snow World at 4:30, I got to see all the lights come on and transform the place. And I didn't have to stay any longer than necessary (at -24 C, that's non-trivial). I also chose this hotel because another reviewer said that it was entirely non-smoking, nary a smoke molecule around. My room smelled great when I walked in, but soon enough I found a cigarette butt and plentiful cigarette ashes on the floor. When I contacted the hotel manager, he was very much embarrassed and tried to find me another room. Funny enough, that room actually smelled like smoke. All in all I basically lost the whole morning checking in, getting settled into my room and getting my schedule (pseudo-) sorted. The manager tried to compensate me with a fruit bowl and some sweets.