Nanjing South Station Hotel: Unbeatable Jinjiang Inn Deal!
Nanjing South Station Hotel: Unbeatable Jinjiang Inn Deal! – A Review That's Actually Worth Reading (Maybe)
Alright, folks, buckle up because I'm about to spill the tea (or, you know, the complimentary green tea from the mini-bar) on the Nanjing South Station Hotel. This isn't your sterile, robotic, copy-and-paste review. This is the real deal, warts and all, because let's be honest, who actually trusts those perfectly polished travel articles anymore?
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- Title: Nanjing South Station Hotel Review: Jinjiang Inn Deal? Worth It? (Honest & Detailed)
- Keywords: Nanjing South Station Hotel, Jinjiang Inn, Hotel Review, Nanjing, China, Budget Hotel, Accessibility, Cleanliness, Amenities, Dining, Travel, Budget Travel, South Station, Metro, Wi-Fi, Affordable Hotels
- Meta Description: A brutally honest and detailed review of the Nanjing South Station Hotel, a Jinjiang Inn property. Discover the pros, cons, and everything in between, including cleanliness, accessibility, dining, and whether the "unbeatable deal" actually is.
(Okay, we're done with the boring stuff. On with the messy, human stuff!)
I had a train to catch. A massive, high-speed train heading… well, that's not important. What is important is that I needed a quick, budget-friendly place to crash near Nanjing South Station. And that's where the Nanjing South Station Hotel, a Jinjiang Inn, came in. The "unbeatable deal" promise? Intriguing. My cynical travel heart? Skeptical.
Accessibility: (Let's get the boring stuff out of the way… for now)
Actually, this is important. I have to applaud the hotel for the effort. The elevator worked. That alone is a huge win sometimes! They have facilities for disabled guests, and from what I could see, the public areas seemed pretty navigable. Now, I don't have a wheelchair myself, so I can't give a super-detailed review, but it looked good. They also had a few rooms designed for accessibility, and ramps and things around the lobby area. Good job, Jinjiang Inn. You got it right.
On-site accessible restaurants / lounges: Didn't see them. Could be because I wasn't looking hard enough, or they just didn’t exist, which wouldn't surprise me.
Wheelchair accessible: See accessibility section, above. My gut feeling is yes but double check if you're relying on it.
Internet: My God, The Internet.
Okay, this is where it slightly starts to go south.
- Internet Access: Yes! (But read on…)
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!: Yes! (Again, more below…)
- Internet [LAN]: Yep.
- Internet services: I think so. I mean, the Wi-Fi was there, but let's just say… it had its moments.
The Wi-Fi. Oh, the Wi-Fi. It was like a moody teenager. Sometimes it was fast and reliable, streaming my favorite cheesy Chinese dramas seamlessly. Other times? Forget it. I'd be staring at a loading symbol for minutes on end, wondering if the internet gods were punishing me for something. It could be a real pain. Especially when you're trying to book a flight, and you're on a bloody train station hotel!
And then… the LAN. Which I didn’t even attempt. After the Wi-Fi, I just wanted a cold beer (see, Dining, below).
Wi-Fi in public areas: Yes, but again, expect some variability. The lobby Wi-Fi was… well, it was there. Let’s just say I wouldn’t rely on it for urgent business.
Things to Do, Ways to Relax… HA! This is a Budget Hotel.
Alright, let's be brutally honest here. This isn't the Four Seasons. No infinity pool, no masseuses (massages, it seems, are available, but more on that later…). It's a practical hotel, geared towards travelers on a budget.
- Body scrub / Body wrap / Fitness center / Foot bath / Gym/fitness / Massage / Pool with view / Sauna / Spa / Spa/sauna / Steamroom / Swimming pool / Swimming pool [outdoor]: Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. (You get the picture).
They offer… well, nothing in terms of relaxation. Which, to be fair, I wasn't expecting. This is a place to crash, not to luxuriate.
Cleanliness and Safety: This is BIG now
- Anti-viral cleaning products: I'm going to assume yes, given the post-COVID world. But I didn't inspect the cleaning products myself.
- Breakfast in room: Nope. (Although room service exists. See below).
- Breakfast takeaway service: Theoretically, you could take some bits from the breakfast buffet.
- Cashless payment service: Yes.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Well, the lobby always seemed… clean.
- Doctor/nurse on call: Unclear but usually, these hotels don't have them.
- First aid kit: Probably. I didn't have a need to check.
- Hand sanitizer: Available in the lobby.
- Hot water linen and laundry washing: Yup.
- Hygiene certification: I highly doubt it.
- Individually-wrapped food options: Yes, the breakfast offered a bit of this.
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: They tried, I think.
- Professional-grade sanitizing services: Again, probably not, just a good, deep clean.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: I have no idea.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Yeah, you got that.
- Safe dining setup: The restaurant area felt pretty safe.
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: Seems so.
- Shared stationery removed: Yup.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Yes, they wore masks and all that.
- Sterilizing equipment: Not so sure.
- Daily housekeeping: Yes! Thank God! The room was SPOTLESS every day.
The big one: Cleanliness. Honestly, this was the most impressive part. My room was immaculate. Now, I'm not a germaphobe, but I do appreciate a clean hotel room, and this one delivered. The sheets were crisp, the bathroom gleamed, and I didn't find a single rogue hair. HUGE win for the Jinjiang Inn!
Safety: The security seemed good. There were cameras everywhere, and the front desk was manned 24/7. I felt pretty secure.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Let's Get Fed!
- A la carte in restaurant: Yes!
- Alternative meal arrangement: Probably, ask.
- Asian breakfast: Well, yes. Standard fare.
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Yes!
- Bar: Yes, a tiny one.
- Bottle of water: Yes (free in rooms).
- Breakfast [buffet]: Yes. It was… basic. But it was free with my deal!
- Breakfast service: Yes.
- Buffet in restaurant: Yes. See above.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Yes.
- Coffee shop: No, not really.
- Desserts in restaurant: Nope.
- Happy hour: I didn't see one.
- International cuisine in restaurant: Yes. They had some Western options.
- Poolside bar: Nope.
- Restaurants: One, in the breakfast area.
- Room service [24-hour]: Yes! And actually pretty good! I ordered a late-night bowl of noodles, and it was delicious!
- Salad in restaurant: Yep.
- Snack bar: Nope.
- Soup in restaurant: Yup.
- Vegetarian restaurant: I didn't see one.
- Western breakfast: Yes. They had eggs and toast.
- Western cuisine in restaurant: Yes.
Okay, the food. Hmmm.
The breakfast buffet was… well, it was there. It was functional. It had your standard Chinese breakfast fare (noodles, congee, some questionable-looking dumplings), plus a few Western options (eggs, toast – not great, but edible). It wasn't gourmet, but it was free with my room, and it filled a hole.
The room service, however, was a pleasant surprise. As mentioned earlier, I got the noodles. They were delicious, and reasonably priced. So, if you arrive late and don't want to venture out, the room service is a solid option. And, of course, the included bottle of water was a life-saver.
The bar was tiny. Tiny. And not exactly buzzing with excitement. But I did manage to
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Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into my chaotic, potentially disastrous, and utterly delightful Nanjing adventure, starting from the comforting, and slightly sterile, embrace of the Jinjiang Inn near Nanjing South Railway Station. This isn't your perfectly polished travel blog. This is the raw, unfiltered, and likely slightly sleep-deprived me, spilling the tea (or in this case, the jasmine tea from the hotel room) on my experience.
Day 1: Nanjing Arrival &… Mild Panic
6:00 AM (ish): Wake up in Shanghai (or try to, because jet lag is a bitch). Quick skim of emails, try to find the best place to eat in Nanjing. Panic sets in when I realize my Mandarin is rusty enough to open a rusty can.
8:00 AM: Train from Shanghai to Nanjing. The high-speed rail is… well, it's high-speed. Efficient, sleek, and a tiny bit soul-crushing in its modernity. I find myself desperately missing the slow trains of my youth, the ones that smelled of dust and adventure. But hey, at least it's fast!
10:00 AM: Arrive at Nanjing South Railway Station. Jeesh. It’s HUGE. Like, airport-sized and filled with a sea of faces, a cacophony of announcements that sound like aliens speaking Mandarin, and a general feeling of being utterly, gloriously lost. I clutch my phone like a lifeline.
10:30 AM: After some serious misadventures involving escalators, a confused security guard, and a near faceplant (grace is not my strong suit), I finally emerge from the station and hail a taxi. The driver, bless his cotton socks, seems to understand my broken Mandarin and the address of the Jinjiang Inn.
11:00 AM: Check into the Jinjiang Inn. It's… clean. Predictable. Comforting in its anonymity. The air conditioning is on full blast, which feels amazing, maybe a little too amazing. The first wave of the hotel room "I am safe now" feeling has arrived and I realize I am hungry.
11:30 AM: Food! Finally food! I consult my aggressively curated Google Maps list (one benefit of all the pre-trip research). I’m craving something local, something authentic. I stumble upon a small, hole-in-the-wall noodle shop a few blocks away, and it’s perfect. The noodles are phenomenal, the broth is deeply savory, and the little old lady running the place gives me a look that says, “You’re a mess, but you’re trying.” I appreciate that.
1:00 PM-3:00 PM: The afternoon is a blur of exploring. I’m trying to grasp the layout of the city. I have a vague desire to see the Confucius Temple, but after some walking I just want to go back to my room and take a nap…
3:00 PM: I retreat to the hotel. The nap is glorious, and much-needed.
5:00 PM: The sun is starting to go down, and I venture out again! Armed with my newfound map-reading skills (okay, okay, Google Maps), I bravely attempt to navigate to the local market. I have a vague idea of getting some snacks, I end up buying way too many questionable pickled vegetables, and somehow acquiring a bag of what I think are dried mushrooms. Only time will tell.
7:00 PM: Dinner. I decide to try street food. I stumble upon a food stall and get a plate of the most delicious fried dumplings I’ve ever tasted. They're greasy, crispy, and completely addictive. My tastebuds are doing a happy dance. It's moments like this that make solo travel worthwhile.
8:30 PM: Back at the hotel, crash, burn, and repeat.
Day 2: The City Wall & The Purple Mountain (or, a near-death experience with humidity)
8:00 AM: Wake up slightly less disoriented. Embrace the hotel breakfast (which is actually pretty decent, all things considered). They have these little steamed buns filled with… something vaguely sweet. I eat like five. No regrets.
9:00 AM: I bravely battle the public transport system (which is surprisingly easy once you figure out the apps). My first stop: the Nanjing City Wall. This is impressive! It’s HUGE. I walk a bit, taking in the scale of the thing, which is monumental, and it’s amazing thinking about all the people and history associated with it.
11:00 AM: After walking the city wall, the next thing I want to do is hike Purple Mountain. I’m a bit of a glutton for punishment. The initial climb is fine; I'm feeling all smug and in shape. But then… the humidity hits. Like a brick wall. It's a suffocating, soul-crushing, sweat-inducing wall of humid… stuff. My clothes are soaked through. My hair is a frizzy mess. My legs are screaming. I'm pretty sure I saw my life flash before my eyes at one point. I’m pretty sure I was not seeing the Purple mountain, but a hallucination.
2:00 PM: Collapse at the top of the Purple Mountain. Buy a cold bottle of water from a vendor who clearly thinks I'm pathetic. Worth it. The view, when I can actually see through the haze of humidity, is pretty spectacular.
4:00 PM-7:00 PM: back to the hotel. Take a very, very long shower. Try to salvage my hair. Contemplate the meaning of life. And that's it.
Day 3: The Massacre Memorial &… My Own Existential Crisis (Rambling Warning!)
9:00 AM: This morning I visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall is emotionally… challenging to say the least. A very heavy subject, and the exhibits are… intense. I stand there, trying to process the scale of the atrocities that took place. It’s a sobering, important, and heartbreaking experience. It’s hard to describe. I leave feeling stunned and a little raw, and I cannot imagine a more profound demonstration of what it means to be human.
Afternoon: Back to the hotel, in my room. A period of silent contemplation.
Evening: The food here is good, seriously good. I'm going to find the highest-quality beef restaurant in Nanjing tonight, and I'm going to eat every single delicious bite.
Day 4: Leaving Nanjing: Goodbye, You Beautiful, Messy Beast
Morning: Last breakfast. More steamed buns. Realize I'm going to miss them.
Afternoon: Depart from Nanjing South Station, feeling a mix of accomplishment, exhaustion, and a weird sense of longing. This trip. It might be the most chaotic and disorganized travel experience I've had, but it's also the most real.
Okay, so, yeah, that's the gist of my Nanjing adventure. It’s a little messy. A little disorganized. A lot humid. But it's my chaos, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And maybe, just maybe, those dried mushrooms I bought will actually be edible. Wish me luck!
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Nanjing South Station Hotel: Jinjiang Inn Deal - The Real Scoop (Probably, Maybe?)
Okay, spill the beans. Is this "Unbeatable Jinjiang Inn Deal" actually *beatable*? Like, am I walking into a trap?
Alright, alright, deep breaths. Let's get this straight. "Unbeatable" is a strong word, isn't it? Look, I stayed there last month – or was it two months? Time really does fly when you're on a train, am I right? Anyway, the Jinjiang Inn situation near Nanjing South? *Generally* yeah, it's a pretty solid deal. We're talking clean-ish rooms, free wifi (bless!), and a location that's practically *in* the station. Saved my bacon after a disastrous connection where I nearly missed my train to Shanghai! The real "beatable-ness" depends on your expectations. If you're expecting the Ritz? Buddy, you're gonna weep. But if you're happy with functional, convenient, and relatively inexpensive? You're probably golden. Just don't inspect the grout *too* closely, ya know?
The location - *really* close to the station? Like, I'm talking stumble-out-of-bed-and-onto-the-platform close?
Oh, the location is the BEST part. Seriously. Picture this: you've just wrestled your way through the Nanjing South crowds (which, let me tell you, is a *sport*), you're sweaty, you're stressed, and you just need to collapse. The Jinjiang Inn, bless its little cotton socks, is like… right there. Okay, maybe a five-minute walk, tops. It's practically *attached*. I once dashed out of the hotel in a complete panic because I overslept, and I still made my train! (Don't tell the guy with the scowl at the ticket gate, though. He looked *mean*.) You literally can't get lost. Which, trust me, is a huge plus in that labyrinthine station. Saves your sanity, and your train ticket. Absolute win.
What about the rooms? Are they… decent? I'm not asking for luxury, but I don't want to be sleeping in a biohazard.
Decent. That's the operative word, my friend. They're… functional. Let's just say the decor is… minimalist. Think "beige" and "more beige." But the beds were comfy enough. Which, let’s be honest, is all I *really* care about after a long train ride. The air conditioning worked (thank the heavens!), and the bathroom, well, it had a shower that *mostly* sprayed water where it was supposed to. Key word: mostly. I once found a stray hair in the shower… a minor thing. It didn't ruin my trip. Okay, maybe it gave me a moment of existential dread, but I moved on. They're clean-ish, like, "clean" enough to sleep. Bring your own sleep mask and earplugs if you're a light sleeper, the walls aren't exactly soundproof.
Is the free wifi actually usable? I need to check emails/watch cat videos/generally not lose my mind.
YES! Thank GOD, the wifi is pretty decent! I was actually stunned. Considering my previous experiences with hotel wifi in China... lets just say, I was prepared for the worst. But it worked! I actually managed to download a whole episode of my favourite show, which was basically a lifesaver after a day of navigating train schedules and attempting to order dumplings with my terrible Mandarin. It wasn't lightning-fast, mind you. Don't expect to stream 4K movies. But it was perfectly adequate for browsing, messaging, and, most importantly, staying vaguely connected to the outside world. Seriously, no wifi in a train station hotel? I'd have cried. So, yeah, wifi gets a thumbs up from me.
Breakfast? Is there breakfast, and should I bother?
Okay, so... breakfast. This is where things get a little... *variable*. Yes, there's usually breakfast. It’s included in the price, at least, it was when I booked. Don't quote me. It's... well, it's a continental buffet. Think basic Chinese breakfast staples with some instant coffee that probably won't wake you up but will help you pretend you are. And some little buns... Honestly? I'd probably skip it and grab something from the station food court. There are some AMAZING baozi places in the station. Those are my personal recommendation. The Jinjiang Inn breakfast... let's just say it's not the *reason* to stay there. I once tried their "congee." Let's just leave it at that, shall we? Save yourself the questionable culinary experience and snag a good baozi, you'll thank me later. Trust me.
What about the staff? Friendly? Helpful? Or just… there?
The staff...they're... fine. They're efficient, which is what matters most. I'm not expecting them to break out into song and dance every time I need a towel. Though, if they did, that would be AMAZING. The front desk people spoke passable English, which was a relief because my Mandarin is… let's call it "enthusiastic." They weren't exactly brimming with personality, but they were helpful enough to get me checked in, point me in the direction of the elevator, and answer my questions. The most notable interaction I had? I once tried to explain that my hairdryer was broken. It took me like 10 minutes of frantic gesturing, mangled Mandarin, and frantic waving of the hairdryer before they understood. They swapped it immediately. So, helpful, yes! And maybe a little entertained by my attempts to communicate. That's my anecdote. Take it to heart, or don't.
Is there anything I *shouldn't* expect? Like hidden costs or unexpected rules?
Hidden costs? Not really. Just the usual hotel stuff. Expect a deposit. And definitely expect a slight price difference, you could get a better deal by comparing some booking sites. Be aware that the Jinjiang Inn is often a popular choice, so booking in advance is a good idea, especially during peak travel times. Also, the walls… as I mentioned before, they're thin. So, noise travels. If you're a light sleeper, bring earplugs. Seriously. Trust me on this. And, oh yeah, there might be some weird smells in the hallways sometimes. It's China. Embrace the unknown. And don't expect the world. Just a clean-ish bed, a decent shower, and proximity to the train station. That's what you're paying for, and that's what you’ll get.
Okay, final verdict. Would you recommend this hotel? Be honest!
Alright, fine, the *actual* final verdict: YeahHotel Haven Now
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