Yangzhou State Guesthouse

Nestled by the picturesque Slender West Lake, the Yangzhou Yingbin Hotel boasts breathtaking garden scenery, with every step revealing a new, charming view that perfectly encapsulates the allure of the Jiangnan region. The rooms are well-appointed with high-quality amenities. The service is incredibly attentive, with shuttle buses available on demand. The hotel also features the popular Quyuan Teahouse, known for its unique charm, as well as hot springs and travel photography services, offering a rich array of experiences. Here, you can truly soak in the warmth of an ancient city while enjoying a relaxing vacation. Highly recommended!

If you're coming to Yangzhou, you absolutely have to stay at the Yangzhou State Guesthouse. This time, I stayed in Guanfang Building No. 18. Each building at the guesthouse has its own unique character, and No. 18 is newly built. The main advantage is the well-designed room layout, and every room has a balcony. The lobby features a typical New Chinese aesthetic, and the overall room style is very comfortable. The temperature is consistently well-maintained, making it exceptionally cozy once you're inside, even with the damp and chilly climate of the Jiangnan region. The breakfast comes with the Qu Garden morning tea set, and it was so much food that two of us ate until we couldn't move! What truly deserves praise, however, is the service. For a good hotel, hardware is only part of the equation; even the best facilities can't compare to genuinely warm and attentive service. Because the hotel is so vast, you primarily rely on shuttle buses to get around. Even in winter, the buses are fully enclosed, so guests don't feel cold. Yet, the staff members, who are constantly in these vehicles, consistently maintain their professional service and enthusiastic attitude. That's truly commendable. One more thing to mention: each building has different stamps you can collect. This subtly encourages you to explore and understand the unique style of each building, which I highly recommend.

The facilities are complete, comfortable, and classy. The housekeeping staff does an excellent job, and the front desk service is very warm and professional. The hotel's overall management is excellent, with guides at every crossroads. There are shuttle buses within the park, and they even arrange a fun garden morning tea, hot springs, and travel photography. Every day, they deliver Yangda yogurt, and the breakfast is rich and delicious. The hotel's environment is first-class, complementing the beauty of Slender West Lake. It's great for morning exercises within the hotel, with birds singing and flowers blooming, black swans gliding, and views of pavilions, bridges over flowing water, ancient trees, and lush green lawns. This was our first time visiting Yangzhou, and we felt the charm of a historical city and the warmth of the Welcome Hotel. Winter travel in Yangzhou is peaceful and has a unique charm. We will definitely visit again.

Couples photoshoot (including 5 retouched digital photos): The photographer from Xiaowan Travel Photography is a master at capturing moments! The photos are full of emotion, with accurate color reproduction – every single one is profile-picture worthy, highly recommend! Regarding the room facilities, I stayed in Building No. 1, Shoufang Garden, a villa that has hosted presidents and leaders. I thought that even though it opened in 2016, the facilities would still be decent. However, I was disappointed. The shower drain in my room barely worked, leaving a pool of water on the floor after showering, which felt uncomfortable. Also, the toilet seat was quite uncomfortable; my bottom started to ache a bit. 🥲 I hope they make improvements. After all, the deluxe king room I booked in Building No. 1 cost over 800 yuan, a price where luxury chain hotels would offer far superior facilities. However, the service and environment were absolutely top-notch, which is definitely worth praising. It is the famous Ying賓館, after all, haha! Every step in the garden reveals a beautiful scene, and the complimentary shuttle service makes getting around very convenient. We also visited the complimentary Hongqiao Fang Hot Springs ♨️ with my parents, my mother-in-law, my daughter, and my husband. Only my husband could really handle it, haha, it was just too hot inside! Even Shanghai's Tangliande isn't this intense. 😱 You feel like you're going to faint from the heat! Then, as soon as you enter, you have to change shoes. 😂 While it's the correct procedure, it gets a bit smelly when there are many people, haha 😂😂😂😂😂. Plus, aside from the bathing area, it's not very big and doesn't offer as much to do as Shanghai's Tangliande.

I originally booked a package for Building 2, but it was fully booked, so I switched to a package for Building 18. Building 18 is very new, and the underfloor heating is super comfortable. However, it's a bit further out, and the resort grounds are quite large. There's a Snoopy car downstairs (it really is an unexpected find!), and you can call a shuttle bus to get around. You can ask the front desk for fish food and swan food, and the kids were thrilled feeding the fish and watching the fountain in the garden! To get to Slender West Lake Scenic Area, you can take the shuttle to a stop near the South Gate, but I later discovered during a night tour that there's a bridge near Quyuan that gets you there much faster. Since I was traveling with a child, I just couldn't manage to wake up early enough to try Quyuan. All in all, it was a good experience, and I might try a different building next time.

For my trip to Yangzhou this time, I chose the highly anticipated Yangzhou Yingbin Hotel, and it certainly didn't disappoint. I had originally booked one night each in buildings 2 and 9, but they upgraded both nights for us to the newly renovated Building 18. The room was very spacious, and the amenities were good, though there was a slight new renovation smell. The biggest highlight of Yingbin Hotel is its generosity. For both days of my stay, they consistently delivered strawberries, oranges, and the local specialty, Yangda yogurt, without fail. Furthermore, the hotel grounds have a very Jiangnan-style aesthetic; it's truly a 'step-by-step scenic' experience. Even if you don't feel like visiting tourist spots, strolling around the hotel's garden is a wonderful option.