5-Star Hotels in Antu

This long-awaited trip to Changbai Mountain in winter had been on my mind for years, and this year I finally made it happen. While planning at home, I stumbled upon this hotel. Initially, I was a bit hesitant, wondering if such a large villa would have cleanliness issues, especially since I'm really sensitive to cold. But when I arrived at the hotel, the front desk staff were incredibly warm and welcoming. Someone helped me with my luggage as soon as I entered, brought me hot water, and gave me tons of tips for exploring, even helping me take some beautiful photos. What else are girls traveling for, if not for great pictures? Haha. Once I got to the room, the place was genuinely stunning. I loved the decor in every single room. It completely solved my fear of the cold during this deep winter. Every corner of the room was beautifully arranged and super clean – I felt like I could take over a hundred photos just in the room. In the afternoon, basking in the sun next to the large floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the snowscape, was just incredible. During this visit, I also happened to meet the hotel's general manager, who was a really nice person, with that unique warmth and humor characteristic of Northeasterners. As a 'southern potato' (a playful term for someone from the south), standing in front of him made me feel like a happy little figurine! I wholeheartedly recommend this place.

The bedding was good, and even though the pillow was a bit high, I slept very comfortably. For some reason, there was a constant ventilation noise in our room at night, which wasn't ideal for light sleepers. It's a ten-minute drive from Changbaishan Station, and the hotel offers shuttle service to and from the station, which is very convenient. There's a hot spring within the hotel, but the area is quite small. Breakfast wasn't great; it might have been because we went late. When I booked, it said breakfast was until 11 AM, so we went to eat at 9:30 AM, but they actually closed at 10 AM. One good thing, though, is that if you can't hail a taxi, the hotel will provide paid transportation to your destination, which is very helpful. It's about a fifteen-minute drive from Changbaishan Chibei Distribution Center and about ten minutes from Yunding Market.

Traveling with my child in Changbai Mountain, the hotel gave us a free upgrade, which exceeded our expectations. The room was spacious, and every day we had complimentary access to hot spring pools with different temperatures and therapeutic effects – you could choose whatever suited you. There was also a children's swimming and play area, which kept my kid happy. The restaurant, with its antique charm, offered not only a breakfast buffet but also lunch and dinner at reasonable prices. The staff were very friendly and responsive. The shuttle service to and from the station was also excellent.

Pleasantly surprised! I never expected to find a hotel with such excellent design in the North. It really exceeded my expectations. Here's a hidden gem for photos: check out the corridor in their hot spring changing room – it's incredibly futuristic. Remember the lab corridor where the female protagonist wakes up in Resident Evil? It's just like that!

I had always wanted to stay at Jiuzhai Yongguichuan, and since Changbaishan had just opened, I specifically chose to come to the North Slope this time, forgoing the West Slope resort. If this review had been written yesterday, it might not even have received a three-star rating, but since the hotel made an effort to adjust yesterday, I'm giving it four stars overall. From an environmental perspective, there's nothing to fault; the decor and design are excellent, and I really liked the room. However, my check-in experience on the first day was: The service attitude was very good, but they were incompetent at actually getting things done. The problems included: absolutely no turndown service (I had asked the front desk about this during check-in, and they said someone would come find us upon arrival, which never happened); The so-called welcome ceremony was just two glasses of water and three pieces of *dagaos* (rice cakes), with no ladies in traditional attire as advertised; My stored luggage couldn't be found by the front desk; There were no coffee beans for breakfast 😂; The curtain in the room was broken, and I was woken up by the light at 5 AM...; There were only mineral water bottles, no soft drinks as listed; And all services were incredibly slow, giving me the impression that the service was more like a private guesthouse than a hotel – very chaotic. Because the check-in experience was so unsatisfactory, I provided feedback yesterday. After yesterday's feedback, today's breakfast had coffee, and the room was also changed. This was quite good :) For a hotel at this price point, my experience at Yongguichuan this time was still a bit disappointing, mainly regarding breakfast and service.