Howard Johnson TCP Hefei
Five-star informal stay built around an indoor pool and sauna
About this hotel
The indoor pool and its adjoining sauna are the reason to book Howard Johnson TCP Hefei over a plainer business hotel at a similar rate, and both stay open regardless of the city's cold, damp winters. Mornings start easiest with breakfast downstairs before a swim, since the pool area tends to be quieter before the business center fills up with laptop-toting guests. The property runs two restaurants and a bar, so evenings rarely require leaving the building, and the spa gives an option beyond the pool for anyone wanting a slower wind-down after a day of meetings. An airport shuttle covers the roughly forty-minute run to Hefei Xinqiao International Airport, useful given how far the airport sits from most of the city's hotel clusters. Rooms are described as informal rather than polished, which fits the price more than a five-star label usually promises.
- Indoor pool and sauna
- On-site spa
- Two restaurants and a bar
- Airport shuttle service
Our take
This suits business travelers who want a genuine indoor pool and sauna without paying five-star prices, and the two-restaurant, one-bar setup means evenings rarely require stepping outside. It works less well for anyone chasing a polished five-star experience to match the star rating, since the property reads closer to a solid three-star stay in practice. Guests connecting straight from Hefei Xinqiao International Airport should budget close to forty minutes for the transfer either way.
- ✓Book a pool-facing room if the hotel offers one, request it directly since the standard booking form does not list the option.
- ✓Use the airport shuttle rather than a taxi rank if you land late, it saves negotiating a fare after a long flight.
- ✓Eat at least one dinner in-house, the two restaurants save you a forty-minute round trip back from anywhere near the airport corridor.
Why we love it
- An indoor pool that stays open through Hefei's cold winters
- A sauna built right alongside the pool area
- Spa treatments on top of the usual gym and pool
- Two restaurants and a bar, no need to leave at night
Why guests love itTravelers who split a Hefei trip between meetings and downtime tend to single out the sauna as much as the pool itself, since the two sit close enough together to make an evening routine out of both without planning around them. The two restaurants take the pressure off finding dinner nearby, useful given how far this pocket of the city sits from downtown. What surprises most is how modest the room rate stays for a five-star listing, though the decor reads more practical than luxurious once you are actually inside.