This is the first time I've felt strongly enough to give a hotel and scenic spot a bad review! This review is based on my personal experience during my trip and stay from September 28-30, 2026.
Why did I choose Xiangjiang? I looked at three hotels in the scenic area, and Xiangjiang was the newest.
The service and facilities at Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park are extremely disappointing. If you want a relaxed trip with kids, booking this hotel is no different from staying at a hotel outside the scenic area, unless you plan to visit all the other parks whose tickets they give away. But for our family, this wasn't necessary; our main goal was to take the kids to see the animals.
The safari park closes at 6:00 PM. If you're staying at the Xiangjiang Hotel, I'm sorry to tell you that if you arrive after 6:00 PM, there will be no more shuttles. You'll either have to take a taxi or a shuttle to the north gate of the park and walk back. The walk back to the hotel takes about 15-25 minutes if you're quick (depending on how tired you are and your pace).
However, other hotels under the Chimelong brand, like Chimelong Panda Hotel and Chimelong Hotel, have more shuttle services, even with buses running until 6:30 PM. When I complained to the hotel, the staff said they were helpless, and that they had already reported this issue to the scenic area, but nothing could be done.
Is this problem really that hard to solve? I believe Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou simply doesn't want to solve it. This was also the first hotel I've encountered where the air conditioning in the room was fixed – hahahaha, anyone who gets hot easily would be very uncomfortable. They thought of controlling costs down to this detail, yet they couldn't come up with a solution for the shuttle bus problem that customers have complained about? They just don't care.
Why book a hotel in the scenic area for three days and two nights? Because we wanted ease and convenience, so we could return to the hotel to rest when we got tired. But the reality was different. The last shuttle back to the hotel at noon was at 12:00 or 12:30, and then it seemed there were no more. Their shuttle buses were old public buses, possibly just a few circulating, hence the infrequent schedule. Other scenic area hotels we've stayed at use small, flexible shuttles, which are more convenient for travelers. Even without such shuttles, simply adding another bus frequency to their current schedule was something the scenic area couldn't manage. Yet, there were plenty of buses to bring guests from outside back to the hotel.
We arrived on the first afternoon, planning to visit the park. It was around 2:20 PM, and there were no more buses. There was only one bus to the park in the afternoon, at 2:00 PM, which left promptly. So, if I check in in the afternoon, does that mean visitors have no need to go to the park for the next three or four hours? The staff said we could walk. Great, walking in 35-degree weather with a child.
Why didn't we take a taxi? The staff initially said it was very close, just a few hundred meters. Not knowing better on the first day, it took us 20 minutes to walk to the North Gate of the park, and we were walking fast.
Regarding the hotel: For convenience, I booked a room with breakfast. Additionally, since my child is 1.1 meters tall, I paid an extra 520 yuan for a child's ticket. Regarding the breakfast, I honestly suggest not eating there. For a standard of 138 yuan, I'd say it's worth 38 yuan at best. Chimelong Safari Park has forgotten its roots; it started with catering ("Xiangjiang Hotel"), but even the breakfast is terrible.
What also annoyed me greatly was this: On the third morning, my child wasn't feeling well. I asked if I could pack some plain congee for my child to eat back in the room. The staff suggested I pack my own food too, in case they started clearing up later. I agreed, and I packed a small bowl of plain congee, two boiled eggs, a small steamed bun, a piece of corn, and two slices of some cake. Then I wanted to get something to drink for myself. A lady from the restaurant followed me, as if afraid I would steal their food?! She took the takeaway box from my hand and kept repeating that it was hotel policy, and that they would serve us what we wanted. But she didn't seem to serve me anything. I was speechless. I said this small bowl of congee was for my child, and I wanted something to drink for myself. She said, "Then drink it here." At that moment, I just wanted to throw the food at her. They suggested I pack it back to the room, seemingly out of consideration for the customer, but in reality, they were afraid we'd delay them from getting off work. I paid for their buffet, and I've never encountered such a bad scenic area and scenic area hotel.
And yes, food and drinks are expensive in the park, but I don't think that's a big deal. If you choose to come, you accept the prices.
Finally, the grand circus was just mediocre. In 2024, we went to Huzhou Dragon Dream, and their scenic area hotel + safari park + grand circus was no worse than this; the service and facilities were many times better, and the value for money was far superior. Many staff members in the scenic area and at the grand circus seemed to be part-timers, with generally poor attitudes. Most importantly, when we asked for directions, they either didn't know or gave us incorrect directions, causing many customers, including us, to get lost. We left for the circus at 8:20 PM and didn't get back to the hotel until 9:50 PM. Then we had to wait for the shuttle bus. So many people waiting for one bus to take them to the hotel and then return. Ha ha ha. Chimelong isn't cheap, is it? The price they charge and the service they provide are simply "unworthy of each other."
In summary, the internet makes Chimelong seem wonderful. It might be good for the animals, but these animals are their way of making a profit, so it's only natural. Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo also offers a good animal experience, as does Dragon Dream Zoo, but Chimelong Safari Park's facilities are too poor. If there were even more people, they would have no capacity to handle it. Perhaps they're unwilling to invest.
Even thinking about it now, I still find it rubbish and disappointing! They should learn from Wuzhen Inntime, which is the pinnacle of family travel. Zhejiang should really be the first choice.
Original TextTranslation provided by AI
