Shangri-La Hotel, Qingdao

The service was very good.

Our room had noise early in the morning.

Superb downtown location, easy access to subway and shopping mall (MixC), courteous staff, nice breakfast buffet.

I have stayed here multiple times. The older (and cheaper) wing of the hotel is beginning to show its age -- carpet in our room is old and has some stains. The cleaning staff is always super kind and attentive. However, they are also very persistent in attempting to gain access to clean the room. Even when we have the "do not disturb" light turned on, they still ask us almost every time we step out of the door whether we need our room cleaned. During this stay, such persistence in my view has gone further to intrusiveness -- after we had the "do not disturb" light on for two days in a row, they phoned our room asking when they can come in to clean. Maybe I care too much about privacy while others think of this as superior service. (Or maybe they were asked to watch Western guests more closely?) There was also one awkward episode when an employee at the breakfast buffet asked me whether I was satisfied with the service, and if so, whether I am willing to write a positive review that mentions his/her name. S/he then gave me a handheld device to write the review right there at my breakfast table while s/he was looking on. (I had a similar experience at another hotel in town a couple weeks later, so there must be some newly instituted incentive structure in some of these hotels since my last visit in Qingdao in November.)