Raffles Shenzhen

The Raffles offers 168 enormous rooms and public areas opulently furnished, with vast expanses of marble, chandeliers and decorative objects between levels 33 - 45 of the 72-storey One Shenzhen Bay tower. Not one for minimalists! I describe the location as "polarising" as it is either very convenient if you need to be in this part of a sprawling city like Shenzhen, or very far from the city centre of Futian. Aside from a rather lacklustre mall named "Dreams On 3019" opposite the hotel, there does not appear to be much else in the immediate vicinity - I spent quite a lot of $$ and time catching taxis and Didis to other parts of the city. The nearest metro station is approx 15 minutes' walk away - not a palatable option in the summer heat. In the distance, Hong Kong is visible, and for those commuting between HK and Shenzhen, the Raffles is perfectly positioned beside the bridge that connects the 2 cities. Upon arriving around lunchtime, I was surprised at the absence of a doorman or indeed any staff to assist with luggage or even offer a welcome, though there appeared to be several staff standing inside the entrance hall to check visitors' health QR codes. I was directed to level 34, where the reception desks are situated for a seated check-in. Whilst they seemed friendly enough, staff did not offer any welcome, but merely directed me to be seated, and no attempt was made to engage in any conversation during the entire registration process. The Technogym-equipped gym and 25-metre pool were outstanding - both offering breathtaking bay panoramas, situated on level 33. In the late afternoon, when the pool was busy, I would suggest that management arrange for more frequent inspection and cleaning of the changing-room, which, during my visit, was an absolute mess - soiled towels and slippers scattered everywhere, with wet patches on the floor. My room, a standard city-view, was extremely spacious, with 2 superbly comfortable queen-sized beds dressed in silky linens, high ceilings, silent and cold AC, and with a view of the city and partially of the bay. Free and fast Wi-fi, a reasonably-stocked complimentary mini-bar (replenished daily), spacious and well-equipped walk-in closet/dressing room and marble bathroom made for a very comfortable stay. I particularly appreciated that the entire room was not carpeted, with most of the flooring being of herringbone-laid wood, with area rugs under and around the beds. Sound insulation seemed adequate. The breakfast was a disappointment, and a key factor which prevented me from awarding this hotel a 5-star rating. Considering the prices charged by the Raffles, and its top-end positioning, I expected a more extensive selection and higher quality. Further, on all 3 mornings of my stay, many dishes, especially the cold cuts, were not replenished, and the absence of smoked salmon was a glaring omission at a luxury hotel. Croissants, which usually reflect a quality pasty kitchen, tasted stale. The only 2 items which I enjoyed were freshly-cooked eggs (from a chef's station) and a juice bar. My overall impression was deep dissatisfaction. The hotel offers several other dining outlets, including a flagship Chinese restaurant on the 70th floor, which I did not have the opportunity to try. Overall, a comfortable stay with some key areas for improvement. However, considering the high prices charged by the Raffles, I would consider alternatives such as the nearby Andaz, if I had to be in this area.

Excellent hotel experience in Nanshan. The location is convenient to most places in Nanshan and Futian and service was top notch. The hotel is also right beside the Hong Kong entry/exit making a very easy access point. A special thanks to the front desk staff for helping with my stay extension and Bella at the gym and spa.

When first time visiting this hotel, I realized it’s located right at the heart of the Nanshan District’s upper area just like the Up-east Side of New York City! The view at the hotel, especially from the GYM and the pool is just amazing. Apart from the location and the view which somehow might be a given from the day the hotel opened its business, the services delivered by its staff, especially at the GYM is impressive. Max is the one who helped me when I was there exercising. From experience, he could tell I like doing exercise a lot and so he suggested me to try the pool and said “you won’t regret(trying it)”. Well that is really an understatement for sure and I found it even more fun hanging in the pool whiling enjoying the view from the window! The staff may not be as senior as those typically found in the US/Canada, but they are quite attentive and can quickly get to know your needs like what Max did. Overall, a great stint at the hotel and look forward to it next time visiting Shenzhen.

The Skyline view and the Shenzhen Bay view is excellent. The hotel is clean and stylish. The food is delicious. I would like to thank Frieda Shaheen and 徐潇凡 (Xu Xiaofan) for the good service. Keep up the good work.

I rarely write reviews, if not at all, but since it was such a great stay, I decided to write this post to thank the butlers. In terms of the room features, what you see in their VR is what you get exactly, so I won't go too much into details about how positive it was. I believe the attached photos speak for themselves. In terms of service: As a non-Chinese speaker, it would have been very difficult to fully prepare the proposal by myself in Shenzhen. However, the butler team went above and beyond to assist in decorating the Suite in great details. To just mention a few: (1) reaching out to flower decoration vendors, and translating back and forth until i was happy with the exact layout for a few days until late evenings, (2) full coordination from the front door team to the reception team to ensure that the surprise proposal didn't get caught out!:) (At least 6-10+ butlers played along with the surprise plot, which is no easy feat). (3) personalised letters, (additional) flowers, restaurant and taxi bookings, etc. To keep it brief i will stop here but the service was a top notch! Special thanks to (my apologies if i missed out anyone or used wrong names..): - Sharro: extremely grateful for coordinating with me and the service provider to the last minute on the exact layout and advised me in great depth in every step of the process. She worked extremely hard even during her after work hours to ensure that the set-up was flawless. This would have not been possible without your help! - Rainie: Thank you for recommending service providers and ensuring that the right room was selected for the special occasion, and providing personalised gifts, as well as coordinating with Sharro and the team to organise the process. - Eileen: In the reception ensured that the check-in went seamlessly and the surprise plot didn't get caught out. Also, in the morning, thank you for proactively providing extra bespoke services and late-checkouts. - The two gentlemen in the reception area last night (Steven and one more gentlemen), as well as the first floor female butler (so sorry didn't catch the name): thank you for ensuring that everything went so smoothly last night and ensured that there was no last minute hiccups to the surprise! Also, thank you for providing the IT support with screen sharing to fix the video issues!!! P.S: Decided not to upload the living room area for privacy purposes but it was basically a candle light path theme.