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Do yourself a favor, stay in a REAL hotel!


ct_shore2000

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My SO insisted I write this about our stay at the TianYu Garden last April.

She is proof-reading this to make sure I didn't leave anything out.

Unlike many of you who travel to Guangzhou for your interview, we did not stay

the 5-7 days many of you do. We had a tight schedule and so we made a reservation for

one night for the night before the interview. After reading the reviews here and

checking out the website we booked our stay one week ahead of time at Mr. Yang's

TianYu Garden.

We arrived in the afternoon and called the office. A woman came down to meet us.

As we walked to the building she told my SO that our room was no longer available.

We asked why since we booked a full week ahead and no one called to say there were

any changes or problems. She gave us no answer. Instead we walked a little further along

the sidewalk when the woman suddenly stopped, looked around and then waved at some other

woman standing across the street. This second woman crossed the street while the

woman from Mr Yang's told my SO they wanted to put us in another hotel. This second woman

then proceeded to open her coat to show us a hotel brochure. The suspicious part was that

she was trying to hide it from everyone else at the same time by covering it with her coat.

Reminded me exactly of

someone trying to sell me a stolen watch in Times Square with the policeman just a

few feet away on the corner. We asked where the hotel was and they refused to tell us.

They just wanted us to follow them. Absolutely refused to tell us where they wanted to

take us. We insisted that we did not want to follow anyone especially if they did not want

to tell us where we were going (very dangerous in China). We also insisted that since

we made the reservation at

TianYu Garden that they honor the reservation. So we went to the office to see what could be done.

There was then a big negotiation. No way would they give us a private room like we reserved.

My SO had to negotiate a shared room. And still, they had to ask two girls to move out of

their shared room to stay in the office overnight so we could share the room with another two women.

They made my SO promise not to tell anyone the rate since it "was so much lower" than

anyone else's.

We then went to the room only to find that it wasn't like the description.

The room was dusty, the furniture old, the bed very uncomfortable, and most of all

the A/C in our bedroom did not work. We roasted...all night long! Not one hour of sleep.

Try putting YOUR SO through that and then having her be sharp at a very important

interview the next morning. Everything about the place was second-rate, even down to

the toiletries in the bathroom. And to top it off, we found the receipt from the

previous two girls who left the room for us and found that they paid much less than us!!!

The other two women who stayed with us freely told us their rate... also much lower!!!!!

And I found it very interesting that when you make a reservation it's possible to find

someone who speaks some English. But when there was a problem, suddenly no one

understands English anymore!!

We were very much let down by the whole situation. But despite that here is the part

all of you need to be aware of and careful of. In China, when you want a formal receipt, you ask

the business for a "fa piao". A fa paio is a formal tax invoice that every legal

business in China must give you if you ask. It has the company's tax stamp on it.

They are very common.

When we checked out of the TianYu Garden, we asked for a fa piao as we do at every

hotel or restaurant we go to. The people in the office just laughed and said of course they

can't do that. They even told us point blank they don't have a real business.

In other words, this is an illegal hotel operation!!!!!!!!!!!!

I challenge Mr. Yang that if this is not so then please post a copy of your hotel

license. I spend most of my time in China and I would be happy to take it to the

Guangzhou police department to verify it.

For those of you unfamiliar with the implications, here are some of the things that could

happen if you stay at an illegal hotel. First, if anything happens to you, injured, robbed,

anything, then you have no legal recourse like you do at a licensed hotel. Second of all,

your trip could be disrupted if the police decided they wanted to crack down on illegal

establishments and you ended up on the street with nowhere to stay. Third of all, in many

places in China, you too can be arrested and fined (I've heard people say they've been fined

5000rmb) for staying at an illegal hotel. My question to you is: With so many legal hotels

in the area even near the consulate, do you want to risk putting your SO through this the night before the most

important interview of her life?

These are only the comments about the hotel, not about the "help" Mr. Yang offers his patrons with

their application paperwork.

The comment I would make about helping with your immigration forms is that if you need to

trust someone who runs a suspicious hotel who is NOT an immigration attorney with

the fate of your application, then you probably will have problems anyway.

Also, I venture to guess that the "help" he provides you is far different from the "help"

he provides the Chinese who go there without their western fiancee. Our roommates

shared their experience about the "help" he offered. As many of you who went through the interview

process noticed, across from the coffee shop where you wait for your SO there are a few immigration

services you can hire to help you. Mr. Yang offered to help these two women (one mother and her daughter,

the daughter had an American fiancee) and introduced them to one of these services to check their

forms, etc. My SO was aghast at how much money they were charged for simple things. They spent

100rmb per blank form to re-do their application!!!! This was just the fee for the blank form,

forms you can easily download for free on the internet. Mr Yang's "help" had them pay hundreds

of rmb just for free blank forms. This didn't even include any other service fees.

My SO didn't have the heart to tell them how they were cheated.

My SO could only think how gullible we Americans are when she saw the posts here saying

anything good about this place. In her mind TianYu Garden is a scam run by cheaters

that everyone should avoid. And from what I've experienced in my travels across

China I agree 100%!

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Remember when in China,there are THOUSANDS of hotels to choose from.

Of course,when your tired carrying your luggage you are ready to accept just about anything,but when in China the choices are limitless,and if your ready to spend more than 200rmb per night,theres no reason to accept the first hotel you run across.

ONLY when Im looking for the CHEAPEST 30rmb room will I follow any "tout" to a hotel.

I only stay in budget "hotels" costing 80rmb or less,but when you are willing to pay 200rmb or more,you should not put up with any crap.

It is very common for hotel staff,even very nice people,to become retarded and unhelpful once the room is booked,however,with your Chinese fiance/wife there to argue with them you should be able to straighten out the problems.

The Beijing cops kicked me out of my favorite "Chinese only" 80rmb room recently,and I was forced in to the 150rmb ShuDu BingGuan,but the staff there were difficult to communicate with.

The toilet seat was bolted on the toilet with only one bolt,so when I sat on it(Chinese guests STAND on them)it shifted and broke.

Then I noticed every day I paid my bill by giving them 200rmb,but they would not give me change,claiming they had no 50's on hand.I began to suspect they were collecting money daily to FORCE me to pay for the toilet seat when I checked out.

I went to a plumbing shop in an alley way,bought an identical FLIMSY toilet seat for 15rmb,then bolted it on myself (I could have bought a high quality seat for 30rmb),then I had my Chinese friend write a letter "Its very dangerous to bolt the seat with only one bolt...this is an "star" hotel accepting foreigners...I could have been injured,and then you would have had to pay big money...consider this new toilet seat a gift from me,even though its no my fault the old one got broke..."

Even though they were in the wrong,I decided paying the 15rmb and having the opportunity to write that letter to them was the best move.

It just irks me that the cops threw me out of the Chinese only hotel (Ive been staying there for years and they are my friends,they dont speak English but I communicate with them very well)and forced me in to a "star" hotel where the staff cant even communicate with me and treat me like Im garbage.

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Wow! I'm very surprised at your report ct. Are you 100% sure you were really involved with the TianYu? It strikes me as a little strange that the woman came down to meet you in the street originally.

 

Their office ... let's see if I can remember and perhaps verify that this is the office you went to ... come in to longish room, couch on the right, in front of a TV. Kitchen immediately to the left of the entrance door. Desk and computer on the right at the end of the long room. Does that sound like it?

 

I think Yang realizes that a lot of his business depends on reputation. I've never heard of him charging for help or referring to one of the visa companies.

 

I have no doubt that you are accurately reporting your experience ... I just find it surprising.

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Wow! I'm very surprised at your report ct. Are you 100% sure you were really involved with the TianYu? It strikes me as a little strange that the woman came down to meet you in the street originally.

 

Their office ... let's see if I can remember and perhaps verify that this is the office you went to ... come in to longish room, couch on the right, in front of a TV. Kitchen immediately to the left of the entrance door. Desk and computer on the right at the end of the long room. Does that sound like it?

 

I think Yang realizes that a lot of his business depends on reputation. I've never heard of him charging for help or referring to one of the visa companies.

 

I have no doubt that you are accurately reporting your experience ... I just find it surprising.

I am with you on this one, this does not sound like the Yangs.

 

We had a room that was fairly spartan, but Mr Yang sent a helper into the room once a day to clean up, Mr Yang personally helped my SO by looking over the forms and made a few suggestions, never even suggested using one of the services on the 4th floor. Mrs Yang escorted us and two other couples to the medical center on Shamian Island.

 

Mr Yang also provided us with a Cell Phone to use to contact him, as well as others in Guangzhou, as well as a DSL connection in our room so that we could use the laptop computer that I brought.

 

As You said Mr Yangs office was laid out in that arrangement, long couch along one wall with desk near window, living quarters opposite the door, and kitchen to the left when entering that apartment.

 

This sounds like someone other than the Yangs may have somehow intercepted.

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Don't be mistaken by the name of this place. "TianYu Garden" is the name of the apartment building/complex. When I was in GUZ during my last trip, I went by there to scoop out the suroundings of the consulate. TianYu Garden is the name of the complex where the US Consulate is located. From the photo on their web site, the rooms look like they are converted apartment flats or office units. It doesn't surprise me that CT couldn't get a "fa piao" from them because they are not a registered business therefore they don' t have "fa piao". I don't know what the building code or business code is in China but I doubt what they are doing is legal.

 

CT's experience would warrant a letter to the Chinese Tourism Board.

 

One thing I couldn't understand is, why are people willing to pay big money for those blank forms? It is clearly stated on the consulate web site and is also printed on correspondences they send out that all forms are free and can be obtain from the consulate! I guess since they catch you between a rock and a hard place, they can charge whatever they can get away with.

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CT, your experience doesn't sound like the many others with Mr. Yang. You didn't even meet him from what I read, and he lives there, the office is in his home. He has personally met with everyone who has stayed with him. I know there are several entrances to the Gardens, and there have been others who have had a problem, but never with Mr. Yang! I am sorry for your bad experience.

I hope you find out where you stayed so others can avoid the same mistake! Mike & Zhen

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CT, your experience doesn't sound like the many others with Mr. Yang. You didn't even meet him from what I read, and he lives there, the office is in his home. He has personally met with everyone who has stayed with him. I know there are several entrances to the Gardens, and there have been others who have had a problem, but never with Mr. Yang! I am sorry for your bad experience.

I hope you find out where you stayed so others can avoid the same mistake! Mike & Zhen

 

Or it could be because out of respect for Mr Yang, others havn't voiced their opinions.

 

That is why I won't comment further other then saying the original poster isn't far from the truth when it comes to cleanliness.

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Our stay with Mr. Yang was nothing but profesional. The office as others have mentioned was the same. After his wife looked over our paperwork she suggested to redo a form. Supplied free of charge.

 

The bed was hard, but where in China are they not. :unsure:

 

Here is what the Apt looked like we stayed in. It was cleaned everyday.

 

 

 

http://i12.tinypic.com/6gkpn3s.jpg

 

http://i7.tinypic.com/523fkgw.jpg

 

http://i11.tinypic.com/4qga9op.jpg

 

http://i17.tinypic.com/6bmjccm.jpg

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It's not really a hotel. They rent out housing units owned by Mrs. Yang's aunt as well as additional vacant units that are for sale.

 

It wasn't 5-star but they cleaned every day and were extremely accomodating and helpful.

 

The Yang's were exactly what I needed to get me through the first few days before Ling arrived. They were also very helpful guiding us both to all of the right places at the right times.

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We stayed next to the consulate at Mr. Xie's and Angela Wu's apartments. They were unbelieveable. If I remember, Angela is known as 'Romantic' here on candle.

 

The place was clean and we had use of all amenities. A car picked us up at the airport and Angela checked the documents.

 

Mr Xie stood next to me when Lucy came down with her pink slip. He was as excited as I was.

 

Awesome experience!!! (Don't know Mr.Yang)

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I don't know the man (Mr. Yang), but I haven't ever heard anything bad about him or the hotel. Every thing I have heard about him is good.

Sorry about your bad experience.

 

But lets not forget that there are DOZENS of "touts" lurking about the building and all of the streets surrounding the building.

 

I have complained here before about the "lawyer scum touts" with official looking badges that intercept you in the building,but out on the street its anything goes.

 

Last week when we were boarding the elevator to go downstairs from the US Consulate,a woman followed us and was very friendly.Regardless of my dilligence,we just assumed that she was another fellow visa applicant.Two days later,on the street,she came up behind us again and practically followed us across the street.

 

The first time we went to TianYu just scouting around and looking for Mr Yangs,there were people trying to misdirect us.

 

Ive never met Mr Yang,but if you want to go there YOU MUST telephone first and have him meet with you,or your just going to be snatched up and mislead by one of the many touts roaming the area,including the lawyer scum's minions.

 

WARNING:Dont let ANYONE on the street know your name or even see the color of your documents and papers,even in the Consulate building and coffee shop.Keep it all zipped up in a case before you exit the interview room or even your taxi or bus.

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