New Century Grand Hotel Ningbo

Rooms and decor

For our fifth pick we change tack to a big family hotel where kids and adults can both have fun — New Century Grand Hotel Ningbo, a large Chinese chain known for full facilities and plenty to do. Reviewers point to the Deluxe Twin, about 38 sqm, with two queen beds that suit a family of four. They report clean linens, firm-enough pillows, a long work desk and a sofa by the window looking over the new Yinzhou cityscape. The marble bathroom has a tub set apart from the shower, with Pacific-brand toiletries and a Chinese tea and coffee maker. The fridge comes stocked with free water and local snacks, and you can add an extra bed for about $21 a night. Wi-Fi was fast enough to game and stream at the same time.

Food and amenities

This is the part reviewers rave about most. The hotel has an indoor 20 m pool the kids can use, plus a spa and sauna for the adults to unwind. The gym runs 06:00 to 23:00 with a full set of Life Fitness machines. The surprise is a karaoke room you can rent at about $29 an hour, so a group of friends can keep going late. On weekends there is a Ningbo cooking class — you learn yuanxiao, the red sticky-rice dumplings — and a bike tour. Four restaurants cover Chinese, Zhejiang, Italian and Japanese food, and real-guest scores sit around 9.7.

Location and getting there

New Century Grand sits in Yinzhou district, about 500 m from MRT Sakura Park and roughly 10 km from Lishe airport — the closest airport on this list. The building is a curved 30-floor tower with 378 rooms, the biggest hotel we picked, with a high lobby and gold chandeliers. Staff at the desk speak both Chinese and English. This is Ningbo's new CBD, so you can walk to the large Ningbo Yinyi City Plaza mall and Sakura Park. Best of all, Ningbo Ocean World is only 1.6 km away.

Things to know before booking

The trade-off is location: Yinzhou is the new business district, not the old town, so the historic sights are a metro ride or drive away rather than a short walk. With 378 rooms, the place can feel busy when it is full, especially around the lobby and at breakfast. And in high season rooms go quickly, so book ahead to lock in the low rate. None of these are dealbreakers if you came for the space and the price rather than for the old town.

Our take

New Century Grand Hotel Ningbo is best for families heading to Ningbo Ocean World, groups of friends who love karaoke, and business travelers with meetings in Yinzhou. Guests rave about the real Ningbo yuanxiao dumpling class and the indoor pool the kids can splash in. At around $46 a night, this is the best-value deal we found in Ningbo as long as you do not need to be right next to the old town.