We were booked to stay at the Crowne Plaza by our tour company China Odyssey Tours as part of our China tour itinerary. We travelled as a family of 4 and we stayed for 3 nights.
All we can say is Wow! This is not an ordinary hotel but a resort styled like an ancient Chinese village (with a modern twist). The hotel/resort is divided into the main area which houses all the restaurants, gym, reception facilities and most of the rooms were housed in separate 2 storey bungalows forming quite a large complex. One of the highlights for me was the way they designed the public areas where we had one which faces Snow Mountain and one that was like a courtyard surrounded by the restaurants all very tastefully decorated. An ideal place to relax and unwind after a day of sightseeing.
The rooms were spacious with modern facilities. I really appreciated the fact that we had a separate shower and toilet cubicles and a separate bath area which made the bathroom spacious. It also has interesting “Japanese” style sliding doors dividing the bathroom from the main bedroom which when open makes the entire room very spacious. Apart from the standard TV etc they had a nice Bose sound system which complimented the comfortable bed and fantastic selection of pillows allowing us good rest every night. Also appreciated were the standard of the cleaning staff who maintained our rooms to a high standard.
The breakfast buffet was extensive with a good selection of Western and Asian dishes. We had dinner in the Chinese restaurant and found it expensive (as are most hotel restaurants) but thoroughly enjoyed the meal. We also ordered room service and were most impressed by the short waiting time before the meals were delivered still piping hot.
The gym was reasonably well equipped and we appreciated the large heated pool. Unfortunately the spa pool was freezing cold so was unable to enjoy that facility.
The staff were extremely friendly especially the porters who I felt sorry for who had to lug 4 heavy suitcases up the stairs to our rooms and their help was most appreciated. Checking in and checking out was a breeze and we also appreciated the hot beverages available in reception throughout the day. The porters were also happy to “drive” us to our bungalow complex in their buggy similar to those in beach resorts if we were too lazy to walk! Probably a necessity if it rained.
The location was ideal as the secured back gate allowed us to enter the "old" town. I have no hesitation in recommending this hotel and would be happy to return if and when we do come back to visit Lijiang.