Crowne Plaza Suzhou is a luxury cruise-themed hotel, adjacent to the beautiful Jinji Lake, via the exit of the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway Park, along Xiandai Avenue and straight to Xinggang Street. Leisure and entertainment facilities such as the trail around the lake, the Gate of the East, Suzhou Center, Hubin Xintiandi, Ligong Causeway, Suzhou Eye, the International Expo Center, the Cultural and Arts Center, the Olynpic Sports Center are within easy reach.The hotel has elegantly furnished rooms, full of modern atmosphere and cruise elements, with a panoramic view of the garden and lake. Sun Seeker, an all-day dining restaurant that gathers global delicacies, Zhen Hotpot, a seafood restaurant that uses signature spring water pots to restore fresh and authentic flavors, and Prince Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant that inherits the essence of royal chef cooking, present you with mouth-watering excellent food and considerate service. Taste the elegance of tea and the delicacy of afternoon tea at Fragrance tea house, relish the mellowness of wine at Mariana atrium lounge and the moving music of the resident singer. Here are completely different styles of places for you to rest and relax. If you like sports, you can come to the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, enjoy the beautiful view of Jinji Lake while exercising, and there are also well-equipped gymnasiums to choose from.The hotel's thoughtful parent-child facilities and services make your travel with your children easier and more enjoyable. The room can provide children's bathrobes, slippers, toothbrushes and other children's products. The hotel has two indoor and outdoor Kids' Gardens. Inspired by the ocean, the indoor Kids’ Garden - Little Captain Club - brings extra delight and enjoyment to the time when family members come together for a vacation.
"I brought my baby for a weekend getaway, mainly for the hotel's heated pool and kids' play area.
The entire hotel is shaped like a ship, and the lobby and rooms are designed to feel like cabins. The lobby is beautiful, with live piano and singing in the evenings, and the night view is stunning. I heard there's a fountain light show every Saturday, but we missed it! The room wasn't particularly large but was quite new. The twin beds could be combined into a king-size bed, and the cleanliness was impeccable.
Personally, I feel that while this hotel aims to be family-friendly, some details were lacking. For instance, the pool isn't very big, and there was a small pool I thought would be a hot tub, but its temperature was even lower than the main pool. Even with it being 30 degrees this weekend, the water felt a bit cold. Also, there were no armbands or swim rings available for rent on-site, so definitely remember to bring your own!
The kids' play area was more underwhelming than I expected. The second floor has a large ball pit, and there's an outdoor slide that we didn't get to use.
The breakfast buffet was decent, with made-to-order omelets and such. However, I couldn't understand why the donuts weren't displayed. My child wanted one and only got a single donut after asking!
The hotel is located by Jinji Lake, right next to 'the big pants' building and Suzhou Center. Dining options are just a short walk away. It should also be not too far from the old city, but we didn't have time to visit this trip."