Holiday Inn Express HANGZHOU WESTLAKE EAST, an IHG Hotel

Good place to stay on a budget, high quality for price. Good size clean rooms. great staff. Good location . No disgusting smokers noticed as per Chinese-name hotels. TIP. watch out. Some hotels in China don't understand the hotels.com (expedia) credit system... ask for a manager if the staff start trying to get the money off you. They must debit the booking code in expedia where your money was held in trust if you pre-paid. You may have to insist on the manager. ALLOW TIME !! Most western hotel names understand, but I still get about 1 in 10 that doesn't. Be aware Hotels.com is owned by expedia.... this will help greatly. There is no translation name for expedia either. Stick with western-named hotels , not obvious chinese ones like "happy blossom golden sun bloom "etc etc. You are also more likely to not get stuck with problems of language.

Good quality, but relatively budget hotel. Semi western which gives a good flavour of local, but without filthy smokers. We got a higher grade room for little more on hotels.com. Good to see the stinky smokers are finally being given the bums rush in china... at more western hotels anyway. Their pervasive stink is unbearable at very chinese hotels, so be warned. Generally a western name gets you better quality as they have a brand to protect.

Special thanks go to CC Zheng, who enthustically help me book a taxi to airport. Thanks CC