We had high hopes for our stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Urumqi, having booked our room four months in advance. Unfortunately, the experience fell well short of the four-star standard we were expecting. Upon check-in, we were informed that our confirmed king-size room was unavailable and were reassigned to a twin room without prior notice or apology. For a hotel of this calibre, failing to honour a reservation made months ahead is simply unacceptable. The rooms themselves are remarkably small at just 18 square metres, which feels cramped and uncomfortable for any extended stay. This is well below what one would expect from a property marketing itself as a four-star hotel. There are no bedside tables whatsoever, meaning guests are left placing phones, water bottles, and personal items directly on the floor overnight. That is a basic furnishing oversight that no four-star hotel should be making. Adding to the neglected feel of the room, there were visible holes in the wall where bedside lamps had clearly once been fitted and never properly repaired. The room gave the impression of being mid-renovation rather than a finished, guest-ready space. Perhaps the most frustrating design flaw was the electrical socket positioned directly behind your head on the headboard, with an exposed switch. On multiple occasions during the night, simply shifting position in bed accidentally triggered the switch, flooding the entire room with light. This made for a genuinely disruptive and poor night's sleep. It is baffling that this hazard has not been addressed, as it is both an inconvenience and a safety concern. On a more positive note, the hotel staff were genuinely warm, friendly, and helpful throughout our stay. The housekeeping team deserves particular praise for keeping the room immaculately clean and well-stocked each day. The mattresses were also surprisingly comfortable and of good quality, which is worth acknowledging. However, no amount of friendly service can fully compensate for such significant shortcomings in the room itself. We would urge the management to invest in basic refurbishments before continuing to market this as a four-star hotel.
