GreenTree Inn (Jurong Chongming Subway Station)

GreenTree Inn, Jurong (Jiangsu Province) is an oldie but a goody! I stayed there for 5 nights in late August/early September (2025). At first glance I was a bit dubious, but it turned out to be a really great place to stay. I felt very safe there and in the neighbourhood (day and night) and would stay there again. Excellent customer service ..… the Reception and cleaning staff were all really friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. The first room I was allocated smelt of cigarette smoke (no thank you!), but I was immediately moved into a nicer smelling room, which was absolutely spotless, quite large, and had a nice new smart tv, air con, an opening window with a flyscreen and security bars (essential for a ground floor room), nice solid furniture, pure white linen (impressively imprinted with “GreenTree Inn”) and a clean, comfy doona and pillows. A standard hard’ish Chinese bed, but I find them quite comfy. The old carpet runner along the length of the long ground floor hallway (where my room was) is a relic from way back when, but it was clean and well maintained, as was the rest of the hotel that I could see. The shower head needed fixing, but that’s an annoyingly common problem in pretty much every budget ＞ mid range hotel I’ve ever stayed in, in China. The hotel is only about 20 metres from Jurong Chongming Subway Station. Local bus stop almost at the front door (& across the road). The entrance to the old cobbled road (no cars allowed) & all its little shops is across the road at the lights, and a large pharmacy at the entrance (near the “archway”). Electric scooters galore to hire (via the AliPay or WeChat apps) outside the subway. Plenty of restaurants in walking distance once you get past the trades shops (plumbing supplies etc). My only gripe about GreenTree Inn Jurong (& this is a gripe I have for many hotels etc throughout China) is that smoking is allowed on the premises. I think it’s the worst it’s been since 2002 when I first started travelling to China. It’s awful walking into foyers and lifts that reek of cigarette smoke, and copping wafts of the smoke along hallways from smokers in their rooms (& ashtrays at lift entrances), and horrible arriving tired after a long flight and long trek from airports etc, only to discover you then have to request a room change to escape the smoke, and start all over again. No matter how accommodating the staff are, I could easily do without that hassle and the horrible smell. In my opinion, hotels etc in China need to up their game where that’s concerned, and follow the lead of the many countries which have banned cigarette smoking in all public buildings (including hotels), all public indoor and outdoor spaces, anywhere near children and shopping centres, on and near public transport etc etc etc.