Have just returned from four nights at the Maihao, where I and three colleagues stayed while attending a meeting at the nearby motor racing circuit. Our expectations were not too high, having booked two twin rooms at a cost of £238 for the whole stay (Expedia); so we were delighted when we discovered that the place would be rated at least four stars in the UK.

The staff were very welcoming and at no point less than very friendly and very helpful.

The room (Twin Deluxe) was huge, with ample space for my photographer colleague to spread his gear out without causing chaos; and while the shower room/toilet was an oddity (glass walls? thankfully, with a big-enough curtain) even that was huge and clean. The bed was rock hard, however, which won't be to everyone's taste, but from what I'm hearing that is the norm for the region.

The surroundings are a bit rough and ready, and you need to keep you eyes open for the many trip hazards that lie in wait, but we ventured into the local side streets on three nights, where we enjoyed beer and great food amongst the locals - after which the bill was invariably so low that we had to query it more than once, to make sure they'd included everything (about £2-3 per head usually). And none of our party had any form of stomach upset for the duration of our trip. For the less adventurous, there are a couple of perfectly acceptable western-style pubs nearby, but you pay more there - no more than in your average UK highstreet pub, though.

At all times we felt safe and welcome; and while we were often clearly the subject of numerous conversations, the atmosphere was never unpleasant. Language isn't a problem, even though we didn't speak Chinese and they didn't speak English - sign-language and a smile always gets the job done.

Taxis are a breeze and numerous, and also ludicrously cheap. Our trip from the ferry terminal to the hotel, for example, cost 18 Yuan (about £1.80) while a 20km ride to the circuit cost about £6. They can be a bit scary, though - from the evidence we saw, Chinese drivers obey traffic lights, but after that it's a free-for-all.

We breakfasted once at the hotel (cost £4 per head), but decided the food was a bit exotic for our wussy western stomachs at that time of the morning. There is a 24-hour McDonalds round the corner (they bring out an English menu as soon as you walk in), where you pay local prices for your Egg McMuffin and coffee.

All in all, a great place to stay while in Zhuhai; and we didn't even get the sea-view!