Stanley The Travel Man
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.
