I have never left a negative review for a hotel on Trip.com, but this time I feel compelled to do so for this five-star hotel.
First of all, the check-in experience was extremely disappointing. At the same time, I arrived, a large group of airline crew members was also checking in. However, the hotel did not provide a separate check-in counter for them, which resulted in a chaotic situation with people cutting in line.
When it was finally my turn, I presented my valid New Zealand driver's licence for identification, but I was told that my reservation could not be found and was asked to provide my booking confirmation. I opened my Trip.com app to show my reservation, only to be told that the receptionist could not read Chinese. The information on the booking page mainly consists of reservation numbers, and I believe that if the receptionist had been willing to assist patiently, it should not have been difficult to locate a booking based on a series of numbers.
After I pointed out the name on my reservation in the app, I was still told that there was no booking under my name. Strangely, the receptionist then handed me my room key anyway. I asked again, "So you still can't find my reservation under my name?" The answer was still "No." This leaves me wondering: if the hotel could not locate my reservation, on what basis was I checked in and issued a room key?
Secondly, although this is advertised as a five-star hotel, the facilities are noticeably more dated than those of other five-star hotels in Auckland, while the room rates are certainly no lower than comparable properties.
Finally, I was also disappointed with the cleanliness of the room. As shown in the attached photo, there were obvious coffee or tea stains left on the countertop in the minibar area. This level of housekeeping is simply not what I would expect from a five-star hotel.
