4-Star Hotels in Yunnan, China

Upon check-in, the butler informed us that my parents' twin room was not in the same building as our sea-view room. Butler Feifei then kindly upgraded my parents to a sea-view room free of charge. Also, the shuttle driver was excellent, taking us back and forth and even enthusiastically helping us with our belongings. The hotel's views are also fantastic.

On the positive side, the hotel has quite a few recreational facilities, and the room amenities are decent and relatively new. On the negative side, the biggest problem is the excessive dampness in the room. It was uncomfortable to sleep in, and although the hotel changed the bedding, it didn't help much. This might be due to the humid air during the rainy season in Xishuangbanna, but two things puzzled me: 1) The front desk said no one else had reported this issue before. 2) I stayed at three hotels during this trip, and Zhucheng was the third. The other two were right next to Zhucheng, and their rooms didn't feel noticeably damp. Also, the hotel room didn't pay enough attention to some details. The sofa arrangement prevented the curtains from closing completely automatically; I had to manually close them. The refrigerator was also quite noisy, which affected my sleep.

This hotel is just a few minutes' walk from Dukezong Ancient Town. Its Wabi-sabi style decor is tasteful and chic, and the quality truly rivals hotels that cost 2,000 RMB a night. My friend and I stayed for two nights and we honestly didn't want to check out. We've already promised each other we'll come back to Shangri-La just for this hotel. Hope it continues to thrive!

This Mingyu Licheng Ademan Hotel in Banna was such a pleasant surprise! It's full of Southeast Asian charm, surrounded by lush rainforest greenery, and the pool light show creates an incredible atmosphere. The room was spacious and smart, with a Dyson hairdryer and Atelier Cologne toiletries, which really elevated the experience. The balcony offered a super relaxing view. The butler service was attentive, and they even offered pick-up and drop-off. The Dai-style rice noodles for breakfast were amazing. Absolutely fantastic value for money, definitely my top choice for accommodation in Banna!

🌲 Dali Cangshan Oxygen Retreat | Living in This Forest, I Kicked My Phone Addiction🍃 Seriously, I'm so grateful! The biggest surprise of my Dali trip wasn't the ancient city or Erhai Lake, but this forest B&B nestled halfway up Cangshan Mountain 🌿. As we drove up from the city, the urban hustle and bustle slowly faded, replaced by lush greenery and the sound of pine trees swaying in the wind. 🌄 **The Rooftop is Pure Soul:** I was absolutely stunned the moment I stepped onto the rooftop – the nineteen peaks of Cangshan Mountain stood behind me like a majestic screen, with the entire Erhai Lake and scattered Bai ethnic villages stretching out below. The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple were faintly visible. In the morning, drawing back the curtains revealed a sea of rolling clouds. In the evening, I'd sit on the swing chair on the terrace, watching the sunset paint Erhai Lake a honeyed gold 🍯. At night, a glance upwards showed the Milky Way so clearly it brought tears to my eyes ✨. 🌿 **Immersive Mountain Living:** Hydrangeas were in full bloom in the courtyard, and dappled sunlight filtered through the treetops onto the wooden floors. The natural wood-toned room had floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, making it feel like sleeping right in the forest 🌲. There were also three resident cats, each with their own unique personality, taking turns on patrol. Every day was spent petting cats, gazing at the mountains, and simply daydreaming – my phone stayed at 90% battery, I didn't even want to touch it. 📍 Shanjinjian · Designer Wild Luxury B&B (Dali Ancient City Branch) #DaliB&B #DaliTravel #CangshanErhai #WildLuxuryB&B #ForestB&B #MyLifePhoto #DaliSeclusionGuide

Choosing Yunying Chunxiao·Shuiyuan is truly a love-filled experience. The hotel is right on the shore of Erhai Lake, offering stunning views of the sea right from your window. Enjoying the sunset in the evening and falling asleep to the sound of the waves at night is incredibly therapeutic. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, with a simple yet sophisticated décor and complete with smart devices, making the stay super convenient. Our butler, Ms. Su, was incredibly attentive and helpful, assisting with itinerary planning and recommending off-the-beaten-path attractions. From breakfast and evening sweet soup, the attention to detail was impeccable. The complimentary travel photography experience was also excellent; the photographer was very professional, taking photos in the public areas that turned out beautifully, and the rooftop camera position for panoramic views of Erhai Lake was absolutely stunning. If you want to experience a truly slow-paced life in Shuanglang, this is the place to go. Highly recommended!

This hotel is really unique, located close to Napahai Lake, making it perfect for families with kids. The rooms are spacious and equipped with smart features. The 2-meter king bed plus a 1.35-meter single bed is ideal for a family of three. We booked a ground-floor patio room, and stepping out onto the patio, we were greeted by the hotel's private green pasture. Geese, cows, sheep, and even a deer would leisurely appear by our patio – our child could spend an entire day playing here. The complimentary photo shoot offered by the hotel gave us a taste of the local culture and 'living like a local.' The evening tea ceremony around the fire pit created such a wonderful atmosphere. Just as we were leaving, the proprietress quickly brought us two bags of local specialty snacks, making it hard for us to say goodbye! We're really looking forward to our next holiday, bringing the whole family back to relax in this green pasture again!

I had such a wonderful stay at Lisiman in Shangri-La, and honestly, it was much more than just a hotel stay. Even before my arrival, the Lisiman team had already created a dedicated WeChat housekeeping group and assigned me a one-to-one butler, Maike, to assist me with anything I needed throughout my stay. As someone travelling solo in China who basically only knew how to say “ni hao” and “xie xie,” this was incredibly helpful! 😆 The language barrier was never really an issue because whenever I needed something, I could simply send a message in the WeChat group and Maike would help or bring it over. The other housekeepers in the group were equally attentive. Alan, Maike would send reminders for breakfast, remind me to collect the complimentary soup, and make sure I didn’t miss the little experiences and benefits included with my stay. I was actually surprised by how many complimentary treats and services were included with the booking, together with the photoshoot. These thoughtful extras really added value and made me feel very well taken care of throughout my stay. Upon arrival, my room was randomly assigned among the cabin rooms and wasn’t the particular cabin with the wooden gate that I had been hoping for. Nevertheless, the room was beautiful and the view was already superb. I mentioned my preference to Maike, and this became one of the highlights of my stay — I received a complimentary upgrade to exactly the room I wanted! 🥹 I was so happy and genuinely grateful that they took my request seriously and made the effort to accommodate me. And then there is the location itself — absolutely breathtaking. Waking up surrounded by mountains and vast green grassland felt almost unreal. You don’t even need to rush out sightseeing because there is already so much to enjoy around the property. You can feed the animals, wander around the grassland, take beautiful photos, or simply sit and enjoy the scenery. There is also a lovely cabin café where you can relax while taking in the surroundings. What impressed me most was how Lisiman combines beautiful accommodation and incredible scenery with genuinely attentive hospitality. The team doesn’t just provide a room; they make sure you are comfortable and actually get to enjoy everything included in your stay. For an international solo traveller who speaks very little Chinese, I felt very comfortable and well looked after here. Thank you especially to Maike and all the housekeepers for making everything so easy for me. My only regret is that I stayed for just one night. I definitely should have stayed longer. ❤️ If I return to Shangri-La, Lisiman will absolutely be somewhere I would love to stay again.

I was very satisfied with the hotel. It offers great value for money, especially being near the Starlight Night Market, and the staff service was excellent. We could walk to many popular spots. The room was a standard Atour Feast style, with a smart Little Du butler. We stayed for four nights, and it was so convenient to go out and come back for meals every day. Exploring the riverside and Starlight Night Market was incredibly comfortable.

When I started planning our itinerary for our 15 day Yunnan holiday, I plotted out our path to go all the way up to Shangri-la, back down to Kunming and then to Jiaozi Snow Mountain and Dongchuan Red Land. Then I chanced upon a video of Aini Garden and fell in love! The only reason we came to Pu'er was to get to Aini. This was the first place I booked, and I really took a chance because it has a no cancellation policy and I really had to stick to the date once it was made. The initial pre-arrival experience was less than pleasant. I didn't know how we were going to get to the manor and my WeChat messages went unanswered. The hotel we stayed at in Pu'er finally got in touch with someone and got them to message me. I asked how we could get there and the answer was a curt ”take a taxi or charter a car”. No pleasantries of ”we look forward to seeing you” or offering to arrange a car. When we arrived, no one was at reception and no one came out. Our driver was so perplexed he wondered if we were in the right place and if the place was open. Finally a young girl came out and registered us in. There was an air of aloofness from everyone else. However, once we were checked in, things warmed up quickly. We were offered coffee and freshly cut papaya and had a nice introduction chat with the lady staff. The bedroom and bathroom is well appointed, spacious and comfortable. We would have enjoyed sitting on the balcony if the chairs were more comfortable. I love the floor to ceiling glass windows but the panel above the door should also be glass (it is just netting) so traffic sounds from the road actually comes through at night. I actually wanted to book the cottage in the hills but opted for the standard room in the main house because I was worried it would be cold. Big regret as it is actually magnificently located with stunning views. However take note that you will need to call for a buggy ride or make a 1km hike every time you want to eat or get to the main house. If you are self driving, no issues as you can park right next to the cottage. Anyway it's a small price to pay for an unlimited view of the milky way and seclusion. This is as close to a Ryokan experience as you can get in China, minus the hot springs. 3 days 2 nights of blissful, carefree living is not quite enough. They make sure they feed you well, with the freshest produce available for hotpot dinner and home-cooked Yunnanese dishes for lunch. There are so many activities organised, from taking you up the mountain for a glimpse of sunrise (with mountain goats for company ❤️) to coffee plantation education tour to horseback riding along the mountain ridges (the view is spectacular!) to scavenging for wild vegetables and fruits to drinking, dancing and singing around the campfire! So much to do, so little time! One area of improvement I personally would like to see is the coffee serving. They tend to be quite snobbish about how their coffee is taken. Neat, with nothing else. Asking for sugar or milk feels nearly scorned upon. Coffee is a versatile drink and can be savoured in a huge variety of ways. How else is Starbucks so successful? I felt kind of stifled and deprived because I love a good latte and had looked forward to enjoying an unlimited indulgence of coffee throughout our stay. Anyhow, I love the ecotourism efforts here. It feels natural and unpretentious. I love the people and the camaraderie they cultivate. I especially enjoyed talking to their consultant 敬梅, a beautiful lady with extensive knowledge in Yunnan culture and ecological progress. Also thank you to 徐芳 for arranging transport back to town and giving helpful recommendations. We hope to return again.