Layovers in China are really bad. I actually heard Shenzhen Air had the best hotels, but that might have been a bad rumor.
Luckily, and it IS only luck, the only layover I do right now is Harbin, where I am typing this right now. I believe it is minus 20C outside. Shenzhen stays here as well. But the hotel is OK (western 3 star), and there is a mall with western food 1km away. This is not a typical China layover. Most of the Chinese hotels are owned by the government/airlines/friends or family. Absolute dumps, half of them in the middle of nada. The only option is the hotel restaurant, where I have gotten food poisoning twice in the last year. This is most of the layover hotels, and by that I mean I see China Southern, Eastern, Air China, Hainan, etc staying there as well.
I would try to pick an airline where you do one day trips, and pray. Why pray? Because the scheduler might make a slight change, and by the time you get on line you will be spending 4 or 5 days on, 2 off, away from base in one of these hotels. This happened to me and 2 others. I am the only one left.
No english TV, minimal internet. I stayed in one for 6 months where half the rooms had no heat, and none were air conditioned.
In defense of On Final, and I don't know him from squat, his opinion has changed since being here a while. So has mine, and so will yours.
Is it worth it, if it works out for you? Yes, or at least maybe. I have seen a lot of carnage in the time I have been here.
I still haven't figured out if it has worked out for me. I have 4 months, 15 days, and 3 hours left on my contract. Approximately.
Good luck to all.