Unbelievable Hotel Find in Qingdao! (Thank Inn Shandong Review)
Unbelievable Hotel Find in Qingdao! (Thank Inn Shandong Review) - A Messy, Honest, and Hopefully Helpful Deep Dive
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because I'm about to spill the tea on my experience at the Thank Inn Shandong in Qingdao. Forget picture-perfect reviews. This is the real deal, warts and all (hopefully not literally – fingers crossed for the hygiene!). We're talking a seriously deep dive, analyzing every nook and cranny like I'm a hotel detective obsessed with finding the ultimate budget-friendly gem. And yes, everything will be a little messy, a little opinionated, and absolutely, undeniably me.
First Impressions (and My Panic About Accessibility):
Let's start with the basics: I needed somewhere accessible. My mobility isn't fantastic, and I'm always terrified of hotels that promise the world and deliver… well, a tiny door and a flight of stairs. So, how did Thank Inn Shandong fare on the Accessibility front?
- Wheelchair accessible: They claimed to be. And while there was an elevator (thank heavens!), I felt the wheelchair accessibility was… patchy, to say the least. The lobby was fine, but maneuvering around the hallways felt like a game of Tetris sometimes. Room doors weren’t always wide enough, and the bathrooms… well, more on that later. Let’s just say, they could definitely improve.
- Elevator: Yes! Vital for a non-stair-climbing individual.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Listed, but I'd recommend calling ahead and clarifying exactly what "facilities" they meant.
The Room: A Mixed Bag (and My Bathtub Drama)
Okay, the rooms. The beating heart of any hotel stay!
Available in all rooms: (Deep breath) – So much! We're talking Air conditioning, which was a godsend because Qingdao gets humid. Alarm clock, which I promptly ignored (I'm more of a "wake up when my body deems it appropriate" kind of person). Bathrobes (fancy!), Coffee/tea maker (essential for my morning sanity), Free bottled water (thank you, hydration gods!), Hair dryer (also essential), Internet access – wireless (Wi-Fi [free]) (check!), Mini bar (temptation central!), Private bathroom (thank the lord!), Seating area (useful), Shower, Slippers (luxury!), Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, and Wake-up service. Pretty standard, but a good start.
The Bathtub Saga: This is where things got… interesting. The listing said "bathtub" AND "Separate shower/bathtub". Well, in my room, there was a bathtub, alright. A tiny, strangely-shaped bathtub. Getting in it felt like a Herculean effort, and getting out… well, let’s just say I'm thankful for the grab bar. The lack of a grab bar in the shower itself was a big accessibility issue. So, if you're prioritizing a good soaking, maybe ask for a room with a different type of tub. It was a minor nightmare, but a funny one too.
More Room Details: Bathroom phone (??? Who actually uses these?), Blackout curtains (critical for jet lag!), Closet (storage! Always a plus), Desk (useful for working, which I tried to avoid!), Extra long bed (appreciated!), In-room safe box (security!), Internet access – wireless (worked fine), Ironing facilities (never used it, but good to know!), Laptop workspace (see desk), Linens (clean!), Mirror (obviously!), Non-smoking (crucial!), Reading light (needed!), Refrigerator (useful for snacks), Satellite/cable channels (didn’t watch any TV, but good to have options), Socket near the bed (praise hands!), Soundproofing (mostly effective), Smoke detector, Telephone (unused), Window that opens (appreciated fresh air!).
Cleanliness and Safety: The Pandemic Edition (and My Germaphobe Tendencies):
Look, I'm not going to lie. I'm a bit of a germaphobe, especially post-pandemic. So, I was hyper-vigilant about cleanliness and safety. How did Thank Inn Shandong stack up?
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Claimed, and seemed to be happening.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Also claimed. I hoped this was true!
- Hand sanitizer: Available in the lobby.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Seemed like it. Staff were always masked.
- Individually-wrapped food options: A nice touch during breakfast.
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: Generally observed, although not always easy in the breakfast buffet scrum.
- First aid kit: Listed (whew!).
- CCTV in common areas & CCTV outside property: Made me feel a bit safer.
- Fire extinguisher, Safety/security feature, Smoke alarms: Always good to have.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: I didn't see those exactly, but the hotel smelled clean.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: The Buffet Battle (and My Carb Obsession):
Breakfast! The most important meal of the day (in my humble opinion). Here's the lowdown:
- Breakfast [buffet]: Yes! A sprawling buffet with a mix of Asian and Western options.
- Asian breakfast, Asian cuisine in restaurant, Western breakfast, Western cuisine in restaurant: Check, check, check, and check. From noodles and congee to eggs and toast. The buffet was pretty standard, but the variety was decent.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant & Coffee shop: Coffee was, shall we say, not the best, but the tea situation was a-okay.
- A la carte in restaurant: Available. Didn’t try it.
- Snack bar: Didn’t spot one.
- Restaurant: Listed.
- Room service [24-hour]: Yes! A lifesaver when jet lag hit hard.
- Bottle of water, Complimentary tea, Desserts in restaurant, Salad in restaurant, Soup in restaurant: Fairly basic, but adequate.
The Buffet Battle: Okay, so the buffet. It was… busy. Getting seconds in the morning could, on occasion, feel like a contact sport, with jostling and the occasional accidental elbow. The most surprising thing? The buffet was consistently out of the one thing I crave in the morning: French Toast. This was honestly heartbreaking daily. I'd have to beg, plead, and eventually resort to a sneaky look at the buffet, always with the same disappointment. Ultimately, the breakfast was ok.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax: (Minimal Relaxation for Me, Sadly):
- Fitness center: I didn't use it (too much exploring to do!), but it was listed.
- Spa/sauna: Listed, but I didn't visit.
- Swimming pool [outdoor]: Yes! (But didn't dive in)
- Poolside bar: Located by the pool.
- Massage: Available, but I didn’t make the time.
Services and Conveniences: A Mixed Bag of Good and… Not So Good:
- Cash withdrawal, Currency exchange, Concierge, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Facilities for disabled guests: All good, all useful.
- Air conditioning in public area: Crucial, especially in the Qindao heat!
- Luggage storage: Yes.
- Laundry service, Ironing service: Provided.
- Daily housekeeping: Essential!
- Business facilities, Meeting/banquet facilities, Meetings: I wasn't there for business, but they were available.
- Express check-in/out : Nice for speeding things up.
- Invoice provided: Standard.
- Car park [free of charge]: A bonus!
- Food delivery: A lifesaver!
- Gift/souvenir shop, Convenience store: Nice to have.
- Front desk [24-hour]: Always a plus.
- Wake-up service: Worked!
- Car power charging station: Great to see.
- Taxi service: Very easy to access.
Getting Around: (Car park [on-site]):
- Car park [free of charge]: Excellent!
- Taxi service/Airport transfer: Readily available, and the airport transfer was well-organized.
- Bicycle parking: Didn't see any, but I didn't really look.
For the Kids: (Not My Area of Expertise):
- Babysitting service, Family/child friendly, Kids meal, Listed.
Internet: The Eternal Struggle (and My Frustration with Lag):
- **Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless,
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because this trip to the friggin' Thank Inn in Qingdao, Shandong, Chengyang District, Zhuoyue Weilanqundao, Qingdao, China… well, it's gonna be a journey. Forget perfectly curated Instagram feeds, this is the raw, unfiltered truth. And my brain is already overloaded, so bear with me.
Day 1: Arrival and the Great Dumpling Debacle (and maybe a little existential dread?)
6:00 AM (or, you know, whenever the alarm finally shuts up): Ugh. The usual pre-flight panic. Did I pack underwear? Passport? Sanity? Okay, maybe not sanity, that's been gone for a while. Taxi ride to the airport; driver clearly hates his life (relatable). Flight's… fine. I hate flying. Tiny people in enclosed metal tubes hurtle through the sky, it's just… unnatural.
12:00 PM (Qingdao Time!): Landed! Successfully navigated customs (miracle!), claimed my luggage (another miracle!) and now, the quest for the Thank Inn. Finding a cab in an unfamiliar airport is ALWAYS a trial. It felt like one of those escape room puzzles - find the taxi queue, dodge the aggressive touts, negotiate a fair price (ha!). Success!
1:30 PM: Arrived at the Thank Inn. It… looks like the pictures. That's a win, right? Check-in was surprisingly smooth. Now, the room. Okay, it's clean. And… compact. Like, really compact. I've seen bigger broom closets. I'm a big person, though, so maybe that's my fault. Settling in, I realize my phone charger is still in my other backpack. Great start.
3:00 PM: The Dumpling Hunt (and the Subsequent Tears): Okay, I NEED food. I'm ravenous. The internet assured me that dumplings were the culinary highlight of Qingdao. So, I ventured out. Found a local "restaurant" (more like a glorified shack, but I'm hungry, so who cares?). The menu was entirely in Chinese. Panicked, I pointed at a picture of what looked like dumplings. Watched the server stare at me with an expression that could curdle milk, and it was delivered. I took a bite. They were… okay. Not the dumpling revelation I had been promised. In fact, they were a bit… bland. Tears welled up. I think it was the thought of the bland dumplings, the travel, the tiny hotel room, and the sheer overwhelming "foreignness" of everything. I cried. In public. In a dumpling shack. Mortifying. Had to leave, and quickly!
4:00 PM: Wandering, lost, and finding a slightly grumpy cat: Okay, regroup. Take a deep breath. I wandered. I have no idea where I was going, but I figured just walking around was a good idea. Took a walk and saw a cat. It was sleeping on a brick wall in a weird alley, and even though it looked like it wanted me to not exist, I loved it. Made my day.
7:00 PM: Dinner Redemption, Maybe?: Found a bigger place. It's nicer, at least; maybe the dumplings will take me to paradise. I ordered something, and watched the staff. They seem nice, and they speak a little bit of English. I smiled. I am not sure what will come.
9:00 PM: Back to the Cave: Back to the hotel room. It's a tiny cave, but it's safe, and I'm exhausted!. Planning for tomorrow. Cross my fingers my next meal isn't such a disaster. Is it too early to go to bed? I think not.
Day 2: The Beach and the Beer (Maybe I'll Find Happiness?)
8:00 AM (ish): Wake up. Survive the night. No bedbugs (thank God). Decide to tackle breakfast. Hopefully, a better start.
9:00 AM: Actually Found Breakfast: Some kind of steamed bun thing. They're actually pretty good. A good start. Progress?
10:00 AM: The Beach! Qingdao is by the sea! (Who knew?). I took a bus to the beach. It was beautiful. Cold, but beautiful. People were bundled up in coats, but I walked the beach, took pictures. I felt a moment of peace. Maybe I can enjoy this.
12:00 PM: Lunch… Again, A Gamble: Found a restaurant near the beach. Ordered something that looked interesting. I was really hoping for a good meal, and I was pleasantly surprised!
2:00 PM: Beer Time! Qingdao is famous for Tsingtao beer, so… obviously. Found a bar. The beer was excellent. Sat there for a couple of hours, just people-watching. The beer actually tasted like… happiness.
4:00 PM: Lost in Translation (Again): Wandered around the beach area, trying to find a souvenir shop. Got very, very lost. Asked for directions from a guy who looked like he'd rather wrestle a bear than talk to me. Managed to convey my "I need a souvenir" message via a combination of hand gestures and desperate pleading. Got pointed… somewhere.
6:00 PM: Dinner… and Contemplations: Found a restaurant. Had a fantastic meal. Ate some good food, drank some good beer, and thought about my life. Not in a bad way. I'm in China. That's pretty cool.
8:30 PM: Back to the Prison (hotel room): Back to the hotel room. Journaling. Feeling strangely peaceful. Considering tomorrow.
Day 3: The Museum of… Something. And Departing
9:00 AM: The next food challenge. Some noodles. Pretty good!
10:00 AM: The Museum Adventure: I found a museum. The museum was in the local area. The museum… was odd. Mostly displays of local history. I didn't understand a lot of it, but the architecture was very nice, and there were some beautiful artifacts. I just sort of wandered, taking it all in.
12:00 PM: Departure Preparations: Packed. Made sure my phone charger was… actually in my bag this time.
2:00 PM: Tried for one last meal but I was hungry, and nervous and I ended up just getting a sandwich.
4:00 PM: Goodbye, Qingdao!: Journey to the airport. Bye-bye, Qingdao. Hope to see you again someday, and maybe, next time, I'll find those dumplings that are worth crying over.
Throughout the Trip:
The Language Barrier: Okay, I speak like, three words of Mandarin. The struggle is real. Google Translate is my best friend, and I'm pretty sure I owe it my life. The constant pointing, gesturing, and smiling through misunderstandings is a workout in itself.
The Food (An Ongoing Saga): The food is… a gamble. Delicious sometimes, inedible other times. I will try anything once, and sometimes twice, but I'm not always guaranteed to find the best stuff.
The Constant Feeling of Being "Other": You're so obviously a foreigner. It's a weird, sometimes isolating, sometimes exhilarating experience. People stare. People smile. People… mostly ignore you. It's a constant reminder that you're not in Kansas anymore.
Mood Swings: Joy, frustration, hunger, and a nagging lack of sleep. It's all a bit much when you're just trying to survive and enjoy a trip.
So, there you have it. The messy, imperfect, and honest account of my adventure in Qingdao. Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to remember every detail of this trip, but I can almost, definitely say that I won't forget that first dumpling experience. Hopefully, the next destination will be less emotionally and less carb-based. Now I need a nap.
Charleston Airport Escape: Luxurious DoubleTree Stay Awaits!
Unbelievable Hotel Find in Qingdao! (Thank Inn Shandong Review - The Chaotic Confessions)
Alright, buckle up, because this isn't your glossy travel blog review. This is the unfiltered, slightly-sweaty-palmed account of my stay at the Thank Inn in Qingdao, Shandong. Prepare yourself for realness. And maybe a little bit of complaining. And probably a whole lot of love. It's complicated, okay?
1. So, the "Unbelievable" Part… Really? Or Clickbait, Dude?
Okay, okay, the "unbelievable" part is... well, it depends. It's "unbelievable" in the sense that I genuinely didn't expect *this* much personality from a budget hotel. I mean, I was going in expecting something beige and soul-crushingly generic. And what I got was… well, a whole story. A story with questionable plumbing, but a story nonetheless. Think of it like a used bookstore. Some pages are ripped. Some smells a little funny. But you find something AMAZING hidden in there, a worn-out treasure that you wouldn't trade for anything.
2. Location, Location, Location! Was it Actually Convenient? Or a Hike?
Alright, the location… Yeah, okay, the location. It wasn't *perfectly* central. Let's just say it wasn't *directly* next to the beach. Google Maps said it was a twenty-minute walk. My lungs said it was a twenty-minute climb… uphill… in the Qingdao humidity. (Side note: the humidity in Qingdao is a sentient being. It follows you, it judges you, and it makes you question all your life choices.) BUT! Once you *got* to the nearest bus stop (a five-minute flat walk!), the public transport was actually pretty decent. And for a good price. So, like… a solid B. Worth it for the price, probably, but don't expect to stumble out of your door and straight into a tourist attraction.
3. The Room Itself: Did it resemble the Photos? (We're all skeptical, right?)
Ah, the room. Okay, here’s where things get interesting. The photos? Yeah, they *mostly* resembled reality. But… with some caveats. The photos showed a pristine white room. My room… had a slight… *lived-in* vibe. Like, someone had definitely been there before. And maybe left a small, undocumented souvenir (a stray hair, let's just say). The bed? Surprisingly comfy! Like, better than expected. The pillows were… well, let's just say they were more decorative than supportive. But hey, for the price, I wasn’t expecting a Tempur-Pedic experience. I've stayed in hotels that were *much* worse. And I’ve also stayed in hotels where the cleaning staff actually *cleaned*.
Here's where I share the incident: I'm usually a pretty laid back traveler, and I like to think I'm not too picky. But the first morning, I turned on the shower and… nothing. No water. I stood there, in my towel, and just stared at the showerhead for a good five minutes, like it was going to magically sprout water if I stared hard enough. Then I finally went to Reception. This sweet, frazzled woman, bless her heart, she tried to fix it. Which meant calling someone. That someone arrived two hours later and spent another hour wrestling with the pipes. Eventually, water! But… it was either freezing cold or scalding hot. No in-between. It was an EXPERIENCE. A wet, frustrating, slightly comical experience that really highlighted the whole "budget hotel" thing.
4. What About the Service? Were the Staff Helpful? Or did you get the Silent Treatment?
Okay, the *staff*. This is where the Thank Inn absolutely shines, for me. They were *amazing.* Yes, language barriers existed. My Mandarin is… rudimentary, at best. But, the staff *tried*. They really, REALLY tried. There was this one guy at reception… always smiling, always willing to help, even if it meant frantically using Google Translate for fifteen minutes. He was probably the most genuinely kind person I met in Qingdao. They even helped me figure out transport. I’ll never forget that.
5. Breakfast? Did They Actually *Have* Breakfast? And Was It Edible?
Breakfast. Ah, yes, breakfast. This is where things got… *rustic*. The promotional materials advertised a "continental breakfast." What arrived was… a selection of pre-packaged bread, some instant noodles (hey, I'm not complaining), hard-boiled eggs that probably had a previous life, and a selection of questionable jams. The coffee? Let's just say it needed some… *work*. But, you know what? I loved it. It was the perfect level of perfectly imperfect. It felt authentic. It felt like I was *really* travelling.
6. Value for Money: Would You Recommend it? Be Honest!
Okay, bottom line. Would I recommend the Thank Inn? Absolutely. But… with caveats. If you're all about luxury, if flawless service is your god, if you can't handle a little bit of… *character*… then this ain't the place for you. Go find a five-star hotel and be happy. But! If you're looking for an affordable, authentic experience, if you appreciate a bit of charm, if you don't mind a few minor inconveniences and if you're looking for friendly staff, then book it. Seriously. Just remember to bring some earplugs (thin walls!) and maybe your own pillow. And good luck with the shower! You'll probably have a story to tell.
7. Anything *Really* Bad? Like, Should I Be Worried?
Hmm... besides the water temperature roulette (which I've already mentioned), Honestly? No. Okay, the noise level was at times a major issue, but it's China, and I don't think I was alone. I mean… the walls were thin. Very thin. So, you will hear *everything*. Everything. But, I mean, the "bad" stuff was nothing compared to a few truly awesome staff members, a comfy bed and that truly memorable shower (yes, I'm still obsessed with the damn shower). I just found a new level of gratitude. I would do it again. I felt truly welcome.
