Paul Chong / Thursday, 20 November 2014 

When my wife & I first went to China in 1989, we were tremendously impressed with the standard & range of design with their five-star hotels in each of the cities we visited. In Beijing we stayed in Kunming Hotel, Shanghai was Sheraton Hotel with its fantastic indoor fountain which responded synchronising with the music played and I still recall the marvellous White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. They even had a fleet of Mercedes for guests’ use.

That was 25 years ago when China was just opening up to welcome tourists. Shopping then was mainly confined to their Friendship Stores or roadside stores. Currency exchange was with some difficulties, besides not having much  shopping choices to attract the tourists’ dollars. Food was good, especially the hotel breakfast and all our travel was covered by air-conditioned coaches for sight-seeing.

China has since come a long way with its remarkable range of hotels. Today’s structures are mind-boggling & futuristic. Such is the presentation of the 27-storey “big glowing doughnut”

Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort that’s newly established near to Shanghai.