Central Hotel Nanjing

Rooms and decor

The trick at Central Hotel is the building itself — a narrow 40-storey tower where guest rooms only begin at floor 15, so every room looks out over the city or catches Xuanwu Lake in the distance. Reviews of the Premier City View room describe about 42 square metres on floor 28, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing Deji Plaza and Hanzhong Road. The cream-marble bathroom has an egg-shaped tub angled toward the glass, so an evening soak comes with the city lights — a genuinely memorable touch. The bed is a King Sealy that's firm without being hard, and you get 4 pillow choices. Design-wise it mixes classic Chinese touches with a modern finish; there's Chinese calligraphy in the welcome hall and staff in contemporary Asian-style uniforms.

Food and amenities

Downstairs the facilities are full luxury-hotel. The indoor pool runs 20 metres with windows onto the skyline, and it's quiet and warm first thing in the morning. The Lanhua Spa does an 80-minute Chinese massage for about $69, and the gym is open 24 hours with a full set of Technogym kit. For food, the Chinese restaurant Lin Tao Xuan serves dim sum and a Michelin-level Nanjing roast duck, while the all-day dining room on floor 6 opens breakfast from 6am with white-rice congee, Chinese stir-fry and soft-boiled eggs. Rooms come with 200 Mbps Wi-Fi and a free Nespresso machine.

Location and getting there

You can't beat the position for shopping — the hotel sits directly opposite Deji Plaza, so the luxury mall and its restaurants are about a minute on foot. The lobby is up on floor 5 and opens out over the Xinjiekou core. If you're flying in, the hotel arranges a transfer to Lukou Airport for around $36, and bell staff will help with your bags.

Things to know before booking

Xinjiekou is the downtown core, so it stays busy and crowded all day — this is not a quiet-street stay. The starting rate sits higher than the 4-star options on this list, in line with the 5-star level. And because rooms only begin at floor 15, there's no low-floor option if you'd rather not deal with heights or with lift waits at peak times. One more note worth flagging: this pick replaces Crowne Plaza Nanjing, whose booking page was unreachable — we matched it with a comparable 5-star in the same district.

Our take

This is the room for a couple who wants that city view for less than Jinling charges, for a business traveler who needs proper meeting space, and for a family who wants an indoor pool. The bathroom view and the warm, Chinese-style service are what reviewers keep coming back to. Get the rate near $74 and it's the best luxury value in the area — and the easy choice if Jinling is full or over budget.