Hotéis Family em Jiangsu, China

I arrived in pouring rain. I thought I could walk to my hotel but it was impossible in the downpour. I didn’t want to bother any hotel owner.   I didn’t and still don’t  have an eSIM that can make local  call but thanks to Trip.com, there is a link that I could call the owner for free.  I didn’t advise the owners my arrival time so they were off running errands.  I called the owner to pick me up and thankfully he answered. He was busy but gracious enough to turn around and picked me up. It knew Zhouhuang requires a ticket but I didn’t know that no cars, nor motorcycles, nor bicycles are allowed. Without him I would have arrived the hotel easily.  I always like to meet the owners instead of employees . They were very helpful and answered all my questions. They are honest people who dedicate their  blood and sweat to their business. The owner even offered to walk me to the bus stop  to Suzhou which was my next destination.  This  operates two hotels with 9 in one and 6 in the other. The one that I stayed in with 9 rooms is in a  lively and busy area . Just outside the hotel is a restaurant and there are plenty of places to eat. Inside the hotel is a peaceful oasis where you won’t hear any noise. The location is the best. The other hotel is in a quieter neighborhood a few minutes away. Each of the 15 rooms has it’s own personality, is different and has its distinctive decoration. The owners said they decorated them themselves. I love the decoration and especially the lighting.  After you reserve a room, be sure to contact the owner for the exact address in case you want to arrive on your own. I think it is best to request the owner to take you there because he/she will lead you to the ticket booth to buy tickets. There are a number of bridges so heavy big luggages can be a bit of a challenge .  If you arrive after 5 pm, you can enter free of charge as no one is there to check your ticket. . But once you are inside, and if you choose to leave the area after 8 or 9 am until 5 pm, you have to pay to come back in. You can buy a one day or in my case 3 days pass.  Do check with the owner for up to date information.  The room was quite clean. There were hot water all the time. There were other guests during my stay but they were not noisy at all. I barely heard them. I slept very well during my 3 nights there.  Zhouhuang is really beautiful. There are many canals, bridges, boat rides, good food of all kinds. I had some of the best meals there. In fact , I ate in the same restaurant that serves dumpling twice. One night I had grill (BBQ) meat just outside the entrance for 4 yuans. .  There is decent size supermarket just outside the turnstile and not too far away is a much bigger supermarket. It was there where I bought half a Peking duck for only 32 yuans . The seller sliced the meat and separated the meat from  the bones. The bones he fried so it was crunchy.  It was delicious. There is a theater that offers performances. The night view is great. If you step out your room, you will be overwhelmed in a good sense by the exciting surroundings.  This hotel definitely is one of the best that I have ever stayed in. Look at the beautiful pictures and find one that you like.  I stayed only 3 nights and one of those days I went to Tongli. In my opinion, one should spend at least 2 to 3 full days in  Zhouhuang (and especially this hotel ) savor the ambience. I don’t think Tongli is worth the time because it was twice as expensive and there are not that many canals and boat rides. It is much quieter and has fewer things to see. . The worst is that the sightseeing places require you to show your ticket. After 2 places, I lost mine ticket and I  couldn’t get in the rest of the places. It is unnecessary to require proof of entrance because you can’t enter the area without a ticket. 

Great location,easy to get around it’s walking distance to the best food street ,all well known Nanjing cuisine can be found here Walking distance to wudingmen metro station to and from Nanjing station ,just few steps away we can position ourselves for didi /taxi The hotel is located in the area maintaining Traditional Chinese architecture , decoration and greenery ,great for photography we got the room with a beautiful backyard full of plants and blossoms of flowers and a tray of welcome tea after checked in, the bed and pillows are comfortable ,showers is nice and warm Light Chinese breakfast served is good enough to start a day and not too much for the delicious Nanjing lunch later on:-) The girls at front desk are very friendly and sweet they were always ready to help The owners I guess who were on night shift were polite and respectful Overall we had a great time here thank you

The hotel is in a fantastic location, making getting around very convenient. The room was spotless and fresh, with all facilities in great working order. The bedding was soft and comfortable, providing a wonderful night's sleep. The front desk staff were warm and friendly, and both check-in and check-out were quick and efficient. The environment is quiet and peaceful, and it offers great value for money. Overall, it was a fantastic stay and is highly recommended.

Discovered another hidden gem of a hotel in Suzhou! The hotel is very new, with all the facilities in prime condition. The decor is aesthetically pleasing, making both the public areas and the rooms very comfortable and exceptionally well-designed. The lobby bar is also great, offering a very relaxing atmosphere, and there's a wide selection of welcome drinks. Breakfast is good too, featuring local specialties and offering excellent value for money. The service is also top-notch; Suzhou truly excels in this regard. Definitely a hotel worth revisiting!

We had a lovely two-night stay at Wenlv Gusu Yard Hotel Donghuali and were very satisfied overall. The hotel has great facilities, a wonderful location, and extremely kind staff. We were also generously upgraded, which made the stay even nicer. The location is excellent - right in the middle of Suzhou old town, on the main pedestrian street, close to key shops, restaurants, and tea places. Since cars cannot enter this part of the old town, the nearest drop-off point is about a 3-minute walk away. Despite being so central, the room was very quiet because the windows faced the side/back areas and the courtyard walls helped create a calm atmosphere. Communication before arrival was very clear. We received a helpful message with all the details on how to get there, including the best DiDi drop-off point, check-in information, stay details, and Wi-Fi instructions. Our room was clean, modern, and very cozy, with a thoughtful mix of traditional character and contemporary comfort. While the room was on the smaller side compared with a standard chain hotel, it never felt cramped. The layout was well designed, the natural light made the space feel open, and the overall atmosphere was warm, calm, and intimate - very much in line with the feeling of a boutique stay in a restored old-town building. The room had windows on each side, allowing for good natural light and airflow, as well as blackout curtains. The bed was very comfortable - on the softer side, which we appreciated, but still supportive. The bathroom came with all necessary amenities and products, and, importantly, did not have any stale water smell, which can sometimes be an issue in hotels in China. The bathroom does not have a traditional door, but there is a non-see-through privacy curtain with magnets on the sides, which worked well and was not a problem for us. The room was also very practical: it included complimentary drinks, including soft drinks, tea, and water, a small refrigerator, and international electricity sockets, which was very convenient for foreign travellers. One especially lovely detail was the climbing jasmine just outside the window - when there was a breeze, the scent came into the room, which was beautiful. The hotel also has two small balconies with seating, offering lovely views over the Suzhou skyline and Gusu rooftops - a nice spot for morning coffee or doing some work. The stairs are quite narrow and there is no elevator, but the staff kindly helped us with our suitcases. The pond and terrace area outside was also lovely, although because of some construction work we could not fully enjoy it during our stay. This was not a problem for us. Breakfast was served as a breakfast box with nine small dishes. The staff also kindly made us coffee and provided milk upon request. There was yogurt as well, which was appreciated. Most of all, the staff were extremely kind, friendly, and helpful throughout our stay. They helped with luggage, accommodated our breakfast requests, and made us feel very welcome. Overall, this is a lovely boutique hotel for families, friend groups, or solo travellers who enjoy peace and calmness, while still wanting a modern yet traditional stay right in the centre of Suzhou old town. We would happily recommend it!

The hotel package I booked this time offered exceptional value for money, packed with great perks like tickets to the Panmen Scenic Area, afternoon tea, and more—all of which were fantastic. Additionally, the hotel's design resembles an ancient palace and city wall, complete with its own Jiangnan-style classical gardens. It harmonizes beautifully with the adjacent Panmen Scenic Area just over the wall, giving it a truly unique charm. Breakfast was another highlight that deserves praise; both the Chinese and Western spreads were rich and plentiful. Overall, it was a thoroughly delightful stay.

I booked Hanyuan because it is within walking distance to my folks home. And my grandma used to work at Nanjing Agricultural University, which the hotel is affiliated with. I read others’ reviews and knew it is an old facility. I did not have unrealistic expectations. We arrived late at night. Taxi driver dropped us off at the side entrance that has numerous stairs to the door. We had lots of luggage. As we got out of the cab, we saw some staff member in the lobby looking out. Instead of coming out to help us, he walked away. My husband, myself and our seven year old all carried/dragged multiple items up the stairs to get into the hotel lobby. We checked in and decided that we would need to add a bed for the kid. House keeping came quickly to set up the bed but was reluctant to provide pillows for the additional bed. I had to repeatedly ask before they agreed to bring an extra pillow. Don’t understand why there is such resistance to equip the additional bed with pillow- after all, we did pay for the additional bed. Everything else was pretty good during our first three-day-stay. We then went away to visit families elsewhere for a week before coming back to this hotel. This time, our car drove onto the ramp at the front entrance. As soon as we entered the building, lobby manager came to offer us help. He helped us deliver luggage to our room. We are very appreciative of his assistance. We ran into some issues at the front desk this time. They asked for our passports again and took our pictures for a second time. When I mentioned that we were just here a week ago and all information was taken already, we were told that all information has been erased as we checked out. When we checked in/out the first time, we informed front desk that we were making the hotel our base camp and will be coming in and out a few times. It’s strange that they would delete our information and redo everything all over again. Again we need to add a bed. House keeping brought a roller bed which has a stained mattress pad. I asked them to bring a clean one, they said they could not. They said they didn’t have any clean pads. They said the only option is to remove the pad and put the sheets directly on the mattress. They further suggested that since the sheet is clean, dirty pad doesn’t matter and that every mattress pad under bed sheets has urine stains. His words made my stomach turn but I was too tired to fight so they went ahead put sheets on top of the mattress pad that has a big yellow stain. Again I asked for pillows for the additional bed, they refused at first, upon my insistence, they agreed to bring pillows. They also took out a blanket from the cabinets under television and put it on the bed. When the seven year old was ready for bed, I opened the blanket and realized it’s cover is dirty. It’s dusty and has multiple stings of hair on it. I called house keeping, a lady quickly bought over a clean duvet cover for the blanket but refused to take away the dirty one. She insisted that we keep the dirty duvet in the closet. I did not understand her rationale but there isn’t anything I can do. So that dirty duvet cover stayed in the closet. Maybe I should not have come back to this hotel.

Haha, I found a bargain. The check-in experience was great! The front desk staff is warm and thoughtful, the room is clean and tidy, the bedding is comfortable, the breakfast is rich in variety, and the location is very convenient. Highly recommended!

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this unique, niche hotel. The space is incredibly well-designed. The room had a cozy, enveloping feel that made me feel very secure. As for the public areas, they were absolutely stunning – every corner was picture-perfect and exuded a relaxed vibe. The breakfast was semi-buffet style, and the variety catered to everyone, from children to seniors, and even those with diabetes (they had steamed sweet potatoes and corn). Both Western and Chinese options were available. My favorites were the curry with naan and the Eggs Benedict – truly delicious! The tableware was also exquisite, making it easy to snap great photos. The coffee was better than what you'd find at many five-star hotels. The only slight downside was that the baristas didn't seem to do latte art (but that's not a big deal). There was an ample supply of tissues in the room, and their quality was excellent, comparable to high-end brands like Tempo. (+1 point) The bath amenities had a pleasant scent, almost like a subtle, youthful body fragrance. (+2 points) The lighting was set to be very warm and inviting, neither harsh nor too dim. (+3 points) The bedding was excellent, and the pillows were soft. It was very quiet at night. (+4 points) They provided a Laifen hairdryer, and the toilet seat was heated, with disposable toilet seat covers provided daily. (+5 points) There were four bottles of water in the room, two of which were Voss. (+6, +7, +8 points) The hotel has its own laundry room with two washers and two dryers, accessible from the coffee shop. The drinks at this coffee shop were delicious and Instagram-worthy. I didn't try the cakes, but they all looked incredibly tempting. The staff uniforms were very stylish. They weren't obsequious but full of vitality and youthful energy, which naturally uplifted my mood. There's also a free parking lot within a 5-minute walk to the hotel. Upon checkout, they gave us bread as a gift. The highlight was that this bread was incredibly tasty, and even the packaging was beautiful, demonstrating great attention to emotional value. My only minor complaint is that the staff training wasn't entirely polished. They were very cautious and eager to please guests, but they still lacked some practical experience. However, given their pleasant appearances, I'm willing to be understanding.

I was on a business trip and randomly picked this homestay nearby, not expecting much given the price. But I was pleasantly surprised when I got in! The room wasn't huge, but it was fully equipped with everything I needed. The bathroom had a separate wet and dry area, and there was a coffee table and sofa, which was really convenient for working. The staff were very thoughtful and even sent up two extra bottles of mineral water. They specifically told me the front desk was available 24/7, which was great. Breakfast was also quite rich. For this price, to get an experience like this, I'm really satisfied. I might even bring my kids here for a holiday sometime!