THE WESTIN Ningbo - 宁波威斯汀酒店
The Westin Ningbo known as 宁波威斯汀酒店 (Níngbō Wēisītīng Jiǔdiàn) is an international five-star hotel located in the city center next to Tianyi Square. The hotel is part of Yinyi Global Center in Rixin street almost opposite Tesco shopping mall.
With its impressive 40 stories building, The Westin hotel can be seen from far away, offering 312 guest rooms and suites from the 7th to the 40th floor.
For dining, the hotel features an all-day-dining buffet restaurant (Seasonal Tastes – 2nd floor) which is also the place for breakfast and a Chinese restaurant (Zen5es) with a large dining room on the 3rd floor and also 23 private rooms on the fourth floor. Zen5es offers Cantonese, Huaiyang and local cuisines.
For meetings, the complex has an overall events space of 1365m2 (14692ft2), including a 620m2 (6673ft2) ballroom, suitable for conferences, that can also accommodate 350 people for banquets.
Concerning facilities, the Westin Ningbo offers a 25m long heated indoor swimming pool with sundeck, a fitness-gym room, a SPA and a business center.
Tianyi Square and its international shopping center just opposite the hotel make shopping very convenient and without even the need to take a taxi or a bus. Lao Waitan (The old bund) well known among expats for its restaurants, tea shops and late-night bars is only about 10 minutes walk.
HISTORY AND KEY FACTS – 历史沿革及大事记
The Westin story started in 1930 when two hotel owners (Severt W. Thurston and Frank Duparwas) met at the same diner in Yakima, Washington. They struck up a conversation, formed an alliance and Western Hotels was born.
After more than two decades of rapid growth, prompting a name change in 1954 to Western International Hotels, many of its properties were merged into a single corporate structure in 1958, and the company went public in 1963. In 1980, the company commemorated its 50th birthday by changing its name again to Westin Hotels and then four years later to Westin Hotels & Resorts.
By the late 1980s, however, Westin’s capability to expand or even to plan for the future was in doubt. In 1988, Aoki Corp.–a diversified international corporation with major lines of business in engineering, construction, and hotels purchased Westin for $1.53 billion. The acquisition proved mutually beneficial; Aoki Corp. constructed the hotels, and Westin assumed the management of the new buildings. Three years after the acquisition, Westin became the operating company for all the hotels owned by Aoki Corp.
In 1994 Aoki sold it to Starwood Capital, real estate investment firm and parent of Starwood Lodging, and Goldman Sachs, an investment bank. In 1998 Starwood assumed full ownership of the company. In September 1997 Starwood Lodging Trust announced that it would buy Westin from the group (including Starwood Capital) that bought it in 1994.
Today there are more than 186 Westin hotels and resorts in over 36 countries and territories. Westin is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a world leading hotel company with 1,090 properties in 100 countries/territories and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.
In 2012, Starwood will open nearly 60% of its new hotels in Asia Pacific. At the same time, Westin will add six new hotels in China, resulting in a portfolio of 19 properties in this key market by year’s end, extending the brand’s reach in second and third tier cities. The new Westin hotels will open in fast-growing cities across China including Xiamen, Changbaishan, Taiyuan, Qingdao and Xian. These openings will be followed by four more Westin hotels in China by the end of 2013.
♦ For even more details about the company, check Westin Hotels and Resorts
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The Westin Ningbo review
HELLONINGBO REVIEW & RATINGS / 点击这里看中文点评
On the 1st of January 2012, The Westin Ningbo opened its door. Owned by Starwood Hotels Group, The Westin hotels are well known throughout the world but what is their main specificity? Is this just another five star hotel in town? The best way to find out was of course to stay there and this is what we did.Located in Rixin road, next to central Tianyi Square and just opposite the Tesco shopping mall, the 40 stories tower hotel with its huge illuminated logo on top cannot be missed. When entering the lobby, stylish young hostesses wearing blue traditional Chinese dress (Qípáo-旗袍) welcomed us by offering a small wet towel to refresh hands/face and a glass of lemon-water. This gives a ray of sunshine after a hard day’s work!
Front desk checking was done very efficiently with an employee speaking fluent English. I first checked-in on my own but as soon as I said my wife might join me, the young man had already prepared a second room card. It is really great when staff anticipates your needs and that shows Westin members have followed a great training program.
Front desk checking was done very efficiently with an employee speaking fluent English. I first checked-in on my own but as soon as I said my wife might join me, the young man had already prepared a second room card. It is really great when staff anticipates your needs and that shows Westin members have followed a great training program.
One of the elegant hostesses led me to the elevators. There are 5 elevators, all requiring access cards for guests to reach their rooms/suites (above 6th floor). This step reinforces security. In the corridors, decoration is rather minimalist, nothing fancy but that probably suits better the hotel’s style. What is unusual is that doors are aligned with the walls and you can hardly see them at first sight…
I had booked an Executive room (35th floor) and quite frankly the room was rather small but it offered all the amenities a foreign traveler would need. A Sony 40″ LED TV with 11 foreign channels, a DVD player, wired or Wi-Fi internet, iPhone/iPod docking station, iron and iron board, safe, etc… The bathroom also had everything needed with a bathtub and a rain forest walking shower as well as a nice set of Borghese toiletries. A tiny washbowl and no LCD screen were the two points we liked less.
I noticed a convenient service called “Service Express” allowing guests to ask for help just by pressing one button on their phone. Whatever the problem is, a hostess takes the call in charge and dispatches the issue to the concerned service. As I messed up with all the buttons of my TV remote control and got a black snowy screen, I decided to call the service. Within minutes I got someone ringing at my door who rapidly reset the whole system and got my channels back. I later got a confirmation call, asking me if the problem was solved and if I was fully satisfied (which was the case). Nice!
When you book an Executive room, you have several advantages including access to the Executive lounge. Located on the 39th floor, Peak39 offers all day drinks as well as snacks during lunch and dinner time. Executive residents have also free access to the 2 desktop computers and printer as well as the mini conference room. Peak39 has a great panoramic view on Ningbo city.
The Westin has good facilities with a 25 meters long swimming pool and a fitness center. There is also a tiny pool for small kids and a large outdoor terrace/sundeck for people to relax. I spotted that the communal changing area also offers a separate cabin which is very rare. I guess some foreign travelers with different customs will deeply appreciate this convenience. Yes these are details but they could mean a lot for some customers and this is what we are waiting for a 5 star hotel to offer. Several staff members I talked to in the swimming/fitness area were also handling a perfect conversation in English which is not so common. Congratulations!
Concerning food and drinks, The Westin Ningbo has several restaurants and a nicely decorated lobby lounge. Although the breakfast was alright, I did find the menu a bit too “local” compare to all the rest of the hotel. Moreover the staff there was not very friendly or even active which contrasted a lot compare to other areas. Although I had no plans, my lack of enthusiasm on this part pushed me having dinner elsewhere. As the Japanese restaurant was not open yet and one part of the dining room was closed for 3 days (decoration) I will definitely have to revisit this part the next time I stay there.
In conclusion and despite a breakfast we think could be improved, we had a very pleasant stay. Staff is very well trained and I can bet many members must have majored in English. For any foreigners fearing language problems and wishing to find a hotel where they are sure to be understood, don’t look elsewhere.
But this is not all! With an ideal central location (Tianyi Square), very well equipped rooms, great facilities and a high class service, this hotel has many attractive assets for foreigners planning to stay in Ningbo, especially business travelers. The Westin Ningbo fully deserves its 5 star rating and we highly recommend it! (Editorial Team – 2012 May)
But this is not all! With an ideal central location (Tianyi Square), very well equipped rooms, great facilities and a high class service, this hotel has many attractive assets for foreigners planning to stay in Ningbo, especially business travelers. The Westin Ningbo fully deserves its 5 star rating and we highly recommend it! (Editorial Team – 2012 May)
| SERVICE (Front desk, Staff) / 服务（前台，客房服务） |  |
| ROOMS (Decor, Equipment) / 客房/套房（装潢，设备） |  |
| BATHROOMS (Equip., Amenities) / 浴室（设备，设施） |  |
| CLEANLINESS (Lobby, Rooms) / 清洁（大堂，客房） | |
| LOCATION (Surroundings) / 地点（环境） | |
| PRICES (Value) / 价格（价值） | |
| GENERAL IMPRESSION / 总体印象 (我们的意见) | |
宁波威斯汀酒店点评
HELLONINGBO网站点评和评级 / Click here for this review in ENGLISH
2012年元旦，宁波威斯汀酒店向公众敞开了大门。作为喜达屋酒店集团的旗下一员，威斯汀品牌可说是驰名世界。可是她的特色又是什么呢？她会不会只是宁波“另一家五星酒店”呢？想了解这些，最好的办法当然是亲身体验一番—我正是这么做的。位于日新街，正对着天一广场和乐购超市，宁波威斯汀酒店的40层大楼和楼顶巨大的发光招牌非常醒目。进入大堂，穿着蓝色传统中式旗袍的迎宾小姐立刻递上一小块擦脸的湿毛巾和一杯柠檬水。对辛苦工作一天的客人来说，这真是一缕和煦的阳光！
前台接待员工英文很流利，入住办理效率很高，我刚一说我太太可能过来，接待员已经为我准备好了备用的房卡。显而易见，威斯汀的员工都经过了高水准的培训，因而能充分理解客户的需求。
前台接待员工英文很流利，入住办理效率很高，我刚一说我太太可能过来，接待员已经为我准备好了备用的房卡。显而易见，威斯汀的员工都经过了高水准的培训，因而能充分理解客户的需求。
一位优雅的礼仪小姐将我引导至电梯。酒店共有五部电梯，需要刷房卡才能到达客房楼层（6楼以上）——这便加强了酒店的安保。客房楼面的走廊装修比较简约，并不富丽堂皇，倒是很符合这家酒店的风格。不寻常的是，客房的房门和走廊墙面是齐平的，不认真看的话，一眼还找不到门……
我订了35楼的行政客房。坦率的说，房间并不大，但就像我们说的：“麻雀虽小五脏俱全。”一个外国游客需要的设施应有尽有。电视是索尼的40寸液晶，包含了11个境外频道。有DVD播放机，室内提供有线和无线的宽带接入，iPhone和iPod的基座，熨斗和烫衣板，保险箱等等。卫浴间也是设施齐全，配备了浴缸和步入式的淋浴房。洗浴套件用的是意大利的知名品牌贝佳斯。略有遗憾的是洗脸盆太小，浴缸前也没有液晶电视。
我注意到酒店提供了一个便捷的服务，叫做“服务快车”。客人有任何需要，一键即可接通专线服务，接线员会帮你联络相关部门处理。很巧我不知摁了电视遥控上的什么键，搞得电视没了信号，只有一片雪花，我就决定使用这项便捷服务。没一会儿，就有工作人员来客房迅速地帮我调好了频道。晚些时候，我又接到一个回访电话，询问问题是否解决，我是否满意他们的服务，我当然满意！
入住行政客房有几个额外的好处，其中一个就是可以免费使用行政酒廊。39楼的Peak39为行政客人全天免费提供饮料，午餐和晚餐时段还有精美小吃供应。行政客人还可以免费使用小型会议室，使用电脑或是打印机。从酒廊的窗户，可以一览宁波的美景。
宁波威斯汀酒店有着完善的设施。包括一个25米长的游泳池和一个健身中心。此外还有一个儿童嬉水池和一个大型的休闲露台。公用的更衣室里还有照顾隐私的独立包间，这在宁波颇为罕见，我想一些拥有不同文化习惯的外国客人会深深感激这个便利。虽然是很小的细节，对客人来说却甚为重要，这也正是我们对五星级酒店的期待。我所接触的康体部的员工，都能用英语无障碍的交流，这真是不常见。恭喜！
说到酒店的餐饮，宁波威斯汀有几个不同风格的餐厅，还有一个装修考究的大堂吧。早餐还可以，但是比起酒店其他方面展现的国际化特征，早餐菜式似乎太本土化。更关键的是，比起其他部门员工，餐饮部的服务人员差了些热情和主动。我本无计划，但是这餐以后，我还是选择到外面去吃了晚饭。酒店的日本餐厅还没开，部分就餐区域还在短期装修中（三天），所以下次我住店的时候还会再次拜访餐饮区。
总体来说，尽管我们认为早餐可以改善，但是我们在宁波威斯汀的入住体验是相当愉快的。员工训练有素，我敢说他们大多数都是英文专业的。对于那些中文不通，希望沟通无碍的外国客人，别做他想，威斯汀就是最佳的选择。但这还不是全部！
威斯汀的核心地理位置（天一广场），高档的客房，完善的配套和高品质的服务等等，都将大大吸引那些外国客人，尤其是商务客人的到来。威斯汀无愧于其国际五星的称号，我们大力推荐！ （编辑团队 – 2012年5月）
威斯汀的核心地理位置（天一广场），高档的客房，完善的配套和高品质的服务等等，都将大大吸引那些外国客人，尤其是商务客人的到来。威斯汀无愧于其国际五星的称号，我们大力推荐！ （编辑团队 – 2012年5月）
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