Homestays in Gansu, China

The room is great, and the amenities are well worth the price. The cleaning staff (Ayi) is very warm and helpful, accommodating special requests for tidying up. It would be even better if the balcony were cleaner and had outdoor furniture like a table and chairs. The front desk concierge was also quite enthusiastic.

Choosing this desert camp hotel is an absolute no-brainer; you won't be disappointed. The location information is transparent and readily available, right on the east side of Mingsha Mountain, offering exclusive access to a sand dune, making it incredibly quiet and pleasant. The room amenities are mostly complete and feature major brands, plus they provide complimentary snacks and plenty of bottled water. The butler service is also excellent, responding to requests 24/7 and offering activities like travel photography and ATV experiences, ensuring both a happy stay and fun activities. However, since it's deep in the desert, you'll need to tolerate some dust. Also, the electric kettle in my room was broken, so I'd recommend that they promptly check and update the room equipment.

The location is inside Tianshui Ancient City, a bit hard to find. Breakfast is a collaboration with the shop next door, only available from 8 AM, which is different from the information provided here. The room's screen mirroring works fine, but there are constant ads… The room doesn't have a key; it has a combination lock, so you don't have to worry about only having one card for two people. The front desk provides many free small items that you can use. The downsides are that if you stay on the first floor, you'll hear noise from outside, and if no one is at the front desk during check-in, you'll have to wait.

The best aspect of this stay was by far the owner. He was incredibly, incredibly helpful and friendly — from the moment I walked in the door he offered me a cup of tea, then provided tea and bread the next morning for breakfast, offered advice on what to see in the area, arranged a car to take me to Dalzong Lake, and finally even found me a spot on a local minibus going to my next destination. I couldn’t have done half the things I did during my stay in Xiahe without his advice and efforts on my behalf, so that alone made staying here fully worthwhile! It’s worth mentioning that the guesthouse’s architecture is also absolutely beautiful, and everything looks quite new. It’s located down a quiet side alley off of one of the main commercial streets in town, which seems like the ideal placement. On the accommodations: I stayed in one of the two tents erected on the second floor of the guesthouse. This was largely quite a good experience! The bed was very comfortable (with a heated pad), water and towels provided, etc. The tents are not in a closed-off area, but rather on the second floor/balcony area that also is used for sitting, serving tea, etc., so privacy is somewhat limited, but the whole guesthouse is relatively quiet anyway so it doesn’t feel like a public space. My only suggestions for improvement would be related to the bathroom: during my stay, the shared bathroom for the tents was a sort of temporary-style booth installed in the corner of the room with a toilet, sink, and showerhead. The bathroom was very clean and everything inside worked well, but its sliding door separated from the wall enough that there was always a substantial enough space on one side or the other that could be seen through (the door also didn’t lock and slid back and forth easily). The booth was also small enough that, realistically, I think it would be a bit of a challenge to actually use it to shower. If possible it might be worth looking into some simple fixes to improve these situations, but otherwise I have no complaints!

I had a wonderful stay at ******* Family in Labrang. The host is fantastic – he speaks good English, organizes transfers, and even came to pick me up at the station. The location is excellent, just a short walk from the monastery and from a quiet entrance away from the crowds. He gives plenty of useful advice, and the rooms are clean and warm, even in the summer season. Breakfast is simple but good. Everything was positive – the host truly makes the place special

This is a very special place to stay and the best option for visiting the Danxia Park. I visited in April and essentially had the site to ourselves. The staff is incredibly helpful and friendly, the food is also good. The site is ideal to be able to enter the park early to see the sunset as well as spend time close to the formations from the comfort of the camp. Like any camp one has to be prepared for shared bathrooms and showers, but the overall experience makes it totally worth it. At night it does get a bit cold, depending on the season, but with the heaters provided it was fine. I would highly recommend!

A wonderful place This hotel is a real germ. The well looked after house is very clean, airy and nicely decorated and in a quiet neighbourhood. The centre is easily reached by taxi. We got an upgrade to a very spacious room with a very comfortable bed, fluffy towels and a fresh herbal foot bath every day as well as nice local fruit tea. Breakfast was delicious. Above all, the staff were very friendly and helpful. The manageress picked us up from the railway station on arrival, and organised an amazing taxi driver for our tours for a very reasonable price. We highly recommend this hotel.

I specifically chose this guesthouse for my trip to Dunhuang. It's conveniently located just 1.5 km from the west gate of Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake, meaning a short drive gets you to the scenic area, making desert exploration a breeze. Objectively, the guesthouse is a bit off the main drag, with no physical restaurants directly on the street, but delivery services are fully covered, offering a wide variety of food options, so you won't have any trouble finding something to eat. The guesthouse is surrounded by over 2,000 acres of apricot orchards, providing lush greenery, crisp air day and night, and excellent privacy. At night, there's no traffic noise from the street, allowing for a truly peaceful sleep accompanied by the gentle breeze and rustling plants. The owner provides thoughtful service, offering complimentary fresh fruit, coffee, and drinks all day, along with a delicious and free breakfast every morning. The rooms are clean and dry. This is a top choice for travelers who prefer peace and quiet, away from the bustling tourist areas. The value for money far exceeds guesthouses located directly on the street. I will definitely stay here again on my next visit to Dunhuang.

We stayed in two hotels in Zhagana for two nights (the first day was sold out), and this one felt better. The hotelier was very considerate, cleaning the room in the morning and checking us in at 10:00 AM. It was convenient to park our car at the hotel and walk to the Grand Loop Trail. The stewed free-range chicken at the restaurant completely washed away the fatigue of the eight-hour Grand Loop Trail. The view from the room and the hotel restaurant was stunning, overlooking the crowded tourist center and Fairy Beach across the way. The hotel also provided complimentary tea and fruit. It was a wonderful stay.

I originally chose this place because it's within a 15-minute walk to the middle gate of Mingsha Mountain, and for just over 300 yuan a night, you can see the stars. It exceeded my expectations, so I had to write a proper review! P1-3: The room was very clean, with no unpleasant odors. The skylight for stargazing was as big as the bed, and sunlight streamed in when it was open! The TV was a Xiaomi, and the toilet and shower were all in great condition. I saw the Big Dipper from bed at night—absolutely amazing! P4: The guesthouse is family-run. At noon, I heard the owner's mother calling ”Lunch is ready!” Since I was traveling alone, the hospitable owner invited me to join them. So, we all squeezed together at the table, chatting and laughing, and the moment reminded me of many tranquil and beautiful movies. P5-7: Because it was before the May Day holiday, the guesthouse wasn't busy, and I was invited to try the food and have a barbecue at the Western restaurant near the entrance. The owner took me to the market to have freshly cut Aksai lamb! PS: The Western restaurant was delicious!! You can tell from the pictures! P8: After returning from Mingsha Mountain in the evening, seeing the room door was truly therapeutic! INFP understands! I highly recommend this guesthouse. Firstly, the accommodation is very comfortable, and secondly, it was a long-lost relaxing and warm experience for someone like me who's been working like a dog for so long!