My family and I stayed the tea boutique hotel in August - during peak tourist season. The thing you will find out about Lijiang is that how important it is to find a quiet sanctuary from the hurly burly, noise and chaos of the town. The Tea scored well in this regard - after an overstimulating adventure on the town, it was relaxing to retire to the hotel, far enough away from the noise of the nightclubs (but close enough to them, if you enjoy that sort of thing). We stayed at the Tea residence that is up on the hill (I understand there are several locations in town).

the room was spacious and clean. we had a king size bed for the parents, and each child had their own single bed - perfect. The staff was very friendly, and loved kids, so my kids had a great time there. the staff are mostly summer interns, but they make up for lack of experience with their enthusiasm and attentiveness. The breakfast was western style and just average, but their is so much great food to be had in Lijiang, that this shortcoming doesnt matter much

I booked a room with a bath tub for 1 night at The Tea Boutique after a cancellation for overnight between Dali and Shangri-la. We were offered a choice of two rooms with tubs in the Waterfront location at an off-season rate. They also agreed to organise a car to take us to Shangri-la the next day even though our stay at the Tea Boutique was so short. Our driver from Dali 'phoned for directions on our arrival in Lijiang and he and his wife walked with us and our luggage to Square Street where we were met by Cindy from The Tea Boutique. It was a long haul with luggage and Cindy insisted on carrying my bag up the many flights of stairs to the room which had a panoramic view across the rooftops of Lijiang and a large sundeck complete with deck chairs. The room was very tight with a large bed, hip tub and toilet in the one room with windows on all sides. This particular room was virtually a rooftop extension which lacked the character possessed by so many of the boutique hotels and inns in the Word Heritage city of Lijiang. Before our trip to Dali we spent three nights in one of these gorgeous boutique hotels and naturally you can't help but make a comparison. It was a lovely warm day and we were keen to continue discovery of the delights of Lijiang only to find there was no water available to our room. The owner, Kevin arrived and promised to either fix the problem or "upgrade" us to another location. He also arranged our car for the trip to Shangri-la with the driver available for a full four days. After some time it was apparent that we would have to move to the other room. I was captivated by this small apartment which shared a courtyard with a group of others. There was living space downstairs with TV, sofa and tea-making apparatus, a lovely antique desk and chinoiserie. A narrow metal spiral staircase accessed the bedroom upstairs which also included a fibreglass "hip bath", toilet and basin in an open plan. This room was also completely glazed providing a lovely view across he rooftops and a stream ran past the building which is in a delightful location. Unfortunately the design is not functional and inconvenient. We were there for only one night, leaving early the next morning for Shangri-la so decided not to lug our largest bag (smaller than most) up the spiral staircase which would have been quite dangerous. I'm a very small person and could not immerse myself in the ridiculous tub. My husband is fairly tall but not a large man and was far too big for the bath tub which moved when he was in it. It also leaked water all over the floor. The saving grace of this place is the people who run it. Cindy was so apologetic about the necessity for the change in rooms that she was on a mission to make things right. She took us to a restaurant that night only to find that we had already dined there twice on our previous arrival in Lijiang. She then made a call to a friend for a recommendation, walked us to find a taxi and rode with us until she found the unfamiliar restaurant. Duck (our favourite) was the speciality here so she ordered our meal, made sure we were not overcharged and organised for the restaurant to call a taxi to return us to the Old Town at the end of the meal! The next morning we were served a rather "sad" western breakfast in the open courtyard and froze. As you can see "a comedy of errors"! From our experience The Tea Boutique did not meet our expectations, there are much more authentic places which are better value in Lijiang. Where the Tea Boutique excels, is providing security and service to Westerners who don't speak the language.

We chose this hotel from comments on trip advisor. We were very happy to choose Suite 203 overlooking the town. We arrived at airport at 1:00 am and driver was waiting for us! Lovely amenities but hard to find wandering the streets. Make sure you have map and landmarks to guide you. Staff helpful. We met Kevin, ,the owner, who was a fount of information. We were concerned about going to Jade Dragon mountain because of altitude. Kevin suggested that we go just to the first bend of the river and walk around. Not to be missed. The live show which depicts the life on the Silk Road, had a cast of hundreds was fun and lasted an hour. Check the times. Charming atmosphere.

After previous stays here we once again returned because it really is the best place in Lijiang and we have always been more than happy. There are 2 locations - on Lion Hill or the Waterfront set on one of the Lijiang canals. We chose Lion Hill for the views but could just have easily chosen Waterfront as they are both lovely.

You can't improve on perfection but on our return we found the rooms to have been renovated. They have a very authentic feel in keeping with the old town but also have modern touches. The antique furniture & carved wooden touches go hand in hand with sparkling modern bathrooms. Beautifully done.

We booked 2 rooms: 2 panorama suites. They were both very spacious with private balconies and splendid views. You can sit forever admiring the views - day time, sun set and night views are equally wonderful. Very magical.

I can't say enough good things about the owners & staff members. They really care and go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need. If you have big or small requests they find a way to help you. They have lots of tips on visiting the surround areas of Lijiang and a wealth of knowledge on local places & restaurants. It's a very personalized service you wont find elsewhere.

The location is above excellent, the rooms knockout gorgeous and the staff deserve a standing ovation. What more can you ask for. The Tea Boutique deserves a 10.