We spent three days two nights at the Wyndham Grand.
Although we reached earlier at around noon, they were able to let us check-in earlier, and granted us a room upgrade to one with a view of the lake. We were naturally thrilled by this upgrade.
While the queue took a while to clear and some locals were trying to cut the queue, a manager came by to reassure us that we were next in line and to give them a short while more. I appreciated the small gesture.
Not having seen what it can be like from other rooms without a lake view, I would say that having a lake view may not be all that important since you would still be able to visit the lake with a short 5min walk. It rained throughout our stay in Hangzhou so the view was interesting but not a must-see.
The room's furnishing was really nice. A lot of 'feel' and well thought out areas. The toilet was very clean and well-maintained. Not the most modern of furnishings as I have seen in other just-renovated hotels elsewhere.
We did not have breakfast in the hotel at all as we made it a point to try local cuisine as much as we could. Moreover it did not make much sense to pay so much for the hotel breakfast when other options are mere minutes away from the hotel. You can try the 美食街 a 3min walk directly ahead from the main hotel lobby which had both a Chinese fast food restaurant and KFC. Or there are some food places near the start of Longyou Road.
There is also a supermarket just a 5min walk away. You should be able to get most things you need there, including more drinking water, fruits and toiletries.
The gym was decent and very spacious. Not the most well maintained but this was to be expected as I did not expect high gym usage for some reason. Other than that everything was fine. Towels and water were within easy reach throughout the gym.
Those expecting to use the swimming pool in the basement should bring their own swimming caps. This is a minimum requirement for all pool users. We eventually did not have time to use the pools but it would have been a nice thing to do if you were ever there on a very rainy day.
Service in general was really good and in line with what may expect from a top Western hotel chain. Sheyma made the effort to find out more about us beforehand and chat to us when she was on duty. The bellboys and concierge were more than willing to suggest where to go and how best to get there.
While it may be on the pricier side, we felt we got decent value for money and would definitely stay there again, especially if we were coming with other friends and family who have not been to 西湖 before.