My rating on this hotel is 3.7. The overall value is much higher than this.
First, the hotel can be a bit tricky to find as it is not right on the major street, although the taxi drivers seemed to have no problems (out of more than 10 trips), It is nice, clean, and neat satisfying the Holiday Inn Express global standards. This was the second time staying in this hotel after I started using Holiday Inn Express as my primary stay when I don't have to stay in hotels where my meetings are held. The feeling is the same even though my last stay was a year ago.
The best way to get to this hotel is by taxi, although there is a Subway station (Grand Theater - direct translation from "Da-Ju-Yuan") about 25 minutes walk away. I tried it a couple of times and while it is OK in the morning, it could be brutal in the hot and humid afternoon.
You will find me repeat most of the following in my review on HIE as, after three continuous stays in two countries and three HIE hotels, I am satisfied with the consistent quality. The room is neat and clean. If you are a person need good amenities, this is not your hotel. The room follows typical Holiday Inn Express standard: Shower, clean bed(s), hair dryer, desk, TV, free internet, telephone, tooth brushes, combs, shower gel and shampoo/conditioner are mounted on the wall of shower room, in-room AC control. Basic stuff, neat and clean. The room may be a bit smaller than normal US hotels, but it is good size for four-or five-days stay. In this hotel, it even provides a small refrigerator, which comes in handy in the hot Shenzhen summer. I did not see the refrigerator while I stay in Shangdi in Beijing.
Breakfast, simple Chinese and Continental, is provided and included in the room rate. You can also order lunch (and maybe dinner, I did not try) for about 30-40 Yuan RMB. Limited selection, but it is OK if you are not picky. You can get soft drinks on the "Lounge" in second floor. I don't remember they have alcoholic beverages (probably not). The sign said a "Convenient Store" on first floor; however, when I asked the front desk clerk, they pointed to a vending machine at the corner. There are a bunch of stores and restaurants outside the hotel, though (yes, with one McDonald's nearby as well).
There are washer and dryer in the "Laundry Room" but I did not try. You need to get the tokens (one for washer and one for dryer) from the front desk. There are detergents in the Laundry room but a lady doing the laundry told me you need to get a softener yourself. You an send for dry clean or launder as well.
There are a couple of things you might want to bear in mind to make your stay easier. First, the traffic condition in Shenzhen is getting more challenging during rush hours and you may have difficulty finding a taxi in the morning during rush hour. That means it is better you can have arranged transportation or using the Subway. Secondly, there is street in parallel with the hotel street (not the main street) with a lot of restaurants and shops. The shopping more is near the Subway station area but I did not have time to check it out. Also, there are a few mega department stores accessible by Subway in Shenzhen.
One thing worth mentioning is that the English capability from the front desk people are better than the ones in Beijing and, like the ones in Beijing, the front desk people are trying their best to be as helpful as possible. As always, if you find difficulty communicating with them, you can try to find a bilingual guest, which is not difficult to find as most of the tenants are business travelers like yours truly, to help you. Don't get frustrated ;-).