Atour Light Hotel, Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area Tourist Center

I accidentally booked a twin room, but the front desk staff were very friendly and switched it to a king-size bed for free. The room has air conditioning and heating, and there's free parking. It's really close to the Jiuzhaigou main gate, just a leisurely 15-minute walk. If you'd rather take a taxi for such a short distance, maybe traveling isn't for you! There are restaurants, food stalls, and drink shops right next door, which is super convenient. Visiting during the off-peak season is definitely the way to go.

This hotel is super convenient if you're coming from the train station by bus – it's right next to the Goukou National Parking Lot, so you literally step off the bus and you're there. The room was wonderfully warm; in fact, leaving the heating on all night made it a bit dry. Aside from the elevator not being super clean, everything else was pretty good. They even provided a latex pillow, which made for a great night's sleep! Breakfast was simple, but they had freshly made noodles in the morning, which was perfect and comforting on a cold winter day.

The hotel room was ridiculously small. When I booked it, I thought it was an Atour Hotel, but when I arrived, the staff said it was a 'lighter' version of Atour. It's clearly a bait-and-switch. Plus, the heating was terrible; it was still freezing. The air conditioning wasn't working, and the pathetic heater didn't even warm up the room.

I tend to stay at Atour hotels when I travel, but I've found that the quality can differ quite a bit from city to city. My child's first impression of this Atour Light was that it looked rather old, and she was a bit turned off by it. However, after leisurely exploring Jiuzhaigou for three days and staying at two other similarly priced hotels, we realized that hotels around the Jiuzhaigou entrance are generally in a similar state. Its location is very convenient, right next to the Guoda Parking Lot, which makes catching a bus easy. It's a 20-minute walk to the scenic area entrance, or a 20 RMB flat-rate taxi ride. We booked a family room with two bedrooms side-by-side. The hallway included a luggage rack and the bathroom. The bathroom design was a bit awkward; the glass door had a noticeable gap and wasn't fully sealed, offering little privacy. Also, all family rooms are directly across from the elevator, which might be something to consider for guests who prefer more quiet or privacy.

As a loyal Atour member, I must say the cleanliness here was truly appalling. Please refer to the pictures for details. I booked a Standard King Room, paying an extra 60 RMB compared to the Comfort King Room, only to find no discernible difference between the two. To top it off, this Atour surprisingly didn't even offer Atour's signature tea.

It's a bit far from the scenic area's main entrance, over a 20-minute walk. It's right next to the national university's parking lot, which is convenient if you're taking the bus. The hotel was recently renovated, and the smell was quite strong. I asked the front desk for an air freshener to help cover it up.