FUNLIST Hotel Harbin Zhongyang Street (St. Sophia Cathedral) stands at 7 Xiejiao Street in the Daoli district, a four-minute walk from Shangzhi Dajie metro station. This is old Russian Harbin: Central Street, St. Sophia Cathedral and the “Chinese Baroque” quarter are close by. The hotel is new, with 69 rooms, a small gym, a tea room and a restaurant. The rooms are compact, from eighteen to twenty-eight square metres, with a queen-size bed or two beds. For central Harbin it is a convenient base: in winter you can go out to the ice festival, in summer for a walk along the embankment. The hotel suits those coming for two or three days who want to live in a historic quarter. Central Street begins a couple of steps away, with its evening lighting and cafés selling Russian ice cream, bread and sausage in the manner of pre-revolutionary Harbin. The hotel is also convenient for being near the station: arriving by train, you reach the front desk without changes.

Daoli: Russian Harbin and Central Street

Daoli is Harbin’s historic centre, where houses of the early 20th century built by Russian engineers still stand. Central Street, paved with granite, leads to the Songhua River, and St. Sophia Cathedral with its green dome is a symbol of the city. Not far away are the railway station, the Hongzhuan and Bazhashu markets, Sophia Square and the Baroque quarter. The district is touristy, and the street is crowded in the evenings. In the evenings street musicians play along Central Street and vendors sell sweets and souvenirs. St. Sophia Cathedral is best seen in the morning, when the light falls on the dome, and inside you can visit the exhibition of old photographs of the city. If time remains, stroll along the Songhua embankment and see people boating in summer and sledding in winter.

  • Central Street — a pedestrian street paved with granite.
  • St. Sophia Cathedral — an Orthodox church.
  • The Songhua — an embankment and winter fun.
  • Chinese Baroque — a quarter with cafés.

Tip for travellers: In winter Harbin freezes, and the temperature drops below minus twenty. Dress warmly, and go to the ice festival in the evening. Summer is more pleasant, but hot, and most programmes run in the daytime.

Tea, a gym and robots in a new building

A new building where everything works neatly. There is a restaurant, a café, a tea room, a lobby bar, a gym, two car parks and left luggage. A concierge and VIP check-in simplify registration. An executive floor and a non-smoking floor let you choose the format. An interpreter helps foreign guests. The role of the tea room in the cold season is hard to overstate: after a walk in the frost, hot tea and soft light in the lobby restore strength faster than any coffee. In winter ask the staff to suggest the nearest warm cafés and souvenir shops.

  • A restaurant, café, tea room
  • A gym
  • Two car parks
  • A concierge
  • A lobby bar

Rooms

The rooms are small, from eighteen to twenty-eight metres. A queen-size bed or two separate ones. Enough for two.

Best time

In winter a warm room after a walk in the frost is especially valued.

Rooms

The hotel offers the following room categories:

  • Rezen Fanli Yue Court Double Bed Room (Derucci Mattress, Smart Control, Mini Fridge) — 19 m², 1 queen bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, coffee/tea maker, bottled water, electric kettle, minibar.
  • Rezen Fanli Yunlan Twin Room — 18 m², 2 double beds. In the room: hair conditioner, shower cap, coffee/tea maker, bottled water, electric kettle, minibar, children's slippers.
  • Rezen Funli Smart Double Room (Fridge) — 25 m², 1 queen bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, desk, coffee/tea maker, bottled water, electric kettle.
  • Rezen Fanli Lanjing Twin Room (Derucci Mattress, Smart Control, Mini Fridge) — 28 m², 2 double beds. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, coffee/tea maker, bottled water, electric kettle.
  • Rezen Funli Smart Twin Room (Fridge) — 18 m², 2 double beds. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, coffee/tea maker, bottled water, electric kettle.
  • Rezen Fanli Jingyu Twin Room — 25 m², 2 double beds. In the room: hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, bathtub, private bathroom, shower, bathrobe.
  • Rezen Funli Family Room with Courtyard View — 35 m², 1 double bed and 1 queen bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, coffee/tea maker, bottled water, electric kettle.
  • Rezen Funli Smart Double Room (Soaking Tub, Fridge) — 40 m², 1 queen bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, sofa, bathtub, private bathroom, hair dryer.

Breakfast and Harbin’s Russian traditions

Guests remark on the breakfast: practically everyone is satisfied. You can have breakfast and dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Harbin is famed for a mix of Chinese and Russian cuisine: try bread, sausage and ice cream on Central Street, as well as guobaorou pork and the stewed dishes of the north-east. The tea room in the hotel is good for warming up after the street. In the cold season locals drink hot tea with red dates and goji berries, and it is a pleasant tradition.

Pros and cons of FUNLIST Hotel Harbin

What the hotel is valued for

  • Four minutes to the metro.
  • St. Sophia Cathedral and Central Street nearby.
  • A new building and cleanliness.
  • A gym and a tea room.
  • A breakfast that guests write about.

What to know in advance

  • The rooms are small.
  • The district is touristy and crowded.
  • In winter the cold demands good clothing.
  • The hotel is new, so there are few reviews so far.

What guests write

Guests praise the cleanliness, the location, polite staff and the breakfast. Criticism is almost absent. Many separately mention that you can walk to Central Street and not spend money on a taxi.

How to book FUNLIST Hotel Harbin

Choose dates in the “Where to book” block and the room type. The details of payment are visible at the last step.