Posted on May 28, 2026
Valarie474A Princess Treatment Stay in Zhangye
From the moment the hotel staff picked me up at the train station, I have received nothing but princess treatment. Whether this is standard or something special because I'm a solo female traveler in an area that doesn't see many foreigners outside of tour groups, I genuinely don't know. What I do know is that I felt looked after from start to finish.
The arrival set the tone. A friendly staff member was waiting right at the train station exit, and the ride to the hotel was barely five minutes. I ended up on the top floor with a mostly unobstructed mountain view, and on a clear day you can apparently catch sunrise and sunset from up there.
My room is enormous for one person. Two full bathrooms, a separate living room, separate bedroom with an additional couch. The little touches genuinely surprised me: a real sewing kit (not the sad three-thread version), a loofah, nice lotion, a plastic liner for the tub, cute slippers I may have to ”accidentally” pack, shower shoes, multiple teas, and a pod coffee maker. Speaking of the tub liner, it came paired with a sachet of ”red wine bath liquid” in this blood-red color, and combined with the plastic sheeting the whole setup gave me serious Dexter vibes. IYKYK. Slightly disturbing, completely awesome. Free laundry down the hall on my floor with washers, dryers, and soap provided. The breakfast spread is plentiful and genuinely good, tons of dishes, real variety.
The one issue during my stay was the climate control. My room hit 28°C and I called down for help. They sent an army of staff. When they realized moving me wouldn't solve anything because the issue affected another room too, they rebooted the system instead of just shuffling me around. By the time I finished dinner and used my included dining credit, my room was cool and comfortable. That's not just good service, that's good problem-solving. They adapted, communicated, and fixed it properly.
The staff deserves their own paragraph. Reception and the kitchen team were complete standouts. Everyone was gracious and warm, and the ones who spoke English did so beautifully even though they kept apologizing for it (they really shouldn't have, they were great). There was a moment at check-in when two excited staff members brought me up to my room and we all forgot the room key in the lobby. One of them ran back down to get it while we laughed about it together. That kind of warmth you can't fake. And it isn't just the front of house, there doesn't seem to be a moment when somebody isn't cleaning something, whether it's the windows, the chairs in the outdoor seating area, the bikes available for guests, or the koi pond. This hotel is genuinely well taken care of by its staff and ownership, and it shows.
I didn't get to do everything I wanted to in Zhangye, which means I'll be back. And when I do come back, I'll be staying right here. I honestly can't say enough good things about this place.
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Price per night from:US$104
Posted on Jul 18, 2026|Deluxe 2-bed Room
Guest UserThe location is excellent, right across from the Yellow River Park. A ten-minute walk along the park leads to the Dunhuang Art Museum. The hotel staff were also very helpful. However, the hotel needs to improve its communication with guests regarding important operational details. For example: 1. In some room types, the wall power outlets for the hairdryer aren't powerful enough. Guests need to use an additional outlet installed inside the drawer. This isn't communicated in advance, so how are guests supposed to know? My hair stayed wet for ages, and I couldn't tell if the hairdryer was broken or if there was another issue. 2. While relaxing in the room, all power suddenly shut off, the curtains closed, and the room became completely dark, which really scared my child. The power also went out again in the middle of the night. This happened in both rooms we booked. After inquiring, we were told that if the power card isn't inserted, the smart infrared sensor automatically cuts power if it detects no movement in the room. The premise of this design is that the infrared sensor must function correctly; otherwise, a sudden power outage significantly disrupts normal use. At the very least, guests should be informed of this mechanism beforehand. 3. The air conditioning in the room wasn't cooling, and I didn't know why. After a technician came to the room, we learned that some room types have a hidden dual-channel control switch. The AC's in-room control needs to be set below 23 degrees Celsius to activate the cooling mode; otherwise, it only operates as ventilation. This also needs to be communicated to guests in advance! I hope these issues can be improved.
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Price per night from:US$139
Posted on Jun 4, 2026
Guest UserTraveling solo during the off-season, I booked this very comfortable hotel for just over 100 RMB. I recall they offer a shuttle service, so transportation isn't an issue. There's also a great breakfast spot nearby (serving 'Beef Xiaofan'). After a day of sightseeing, you can enjoy a foot soak to ease your fatigue in the evening. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Zhangye!
(The photo shows local scenery in Zhangye. Most attractions, except for the Giant Buddha Temple, are quite far from hotels in the city, so I recommend self-driving or joining a day tour.)
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Price per night from:US$40
Posted on Jul 9, 2024
Guest User
The boss was very enthusiastic. I contacted him one day in advance and waited for us at the station early the next morning. The accommodation was close to the East Gate. We said we were going to Crescent Lake and Mingsha Mountain. The boss took the initiative to drive us to the Middle Gate, saying that we could save 20 yuan on the shuttle bus fare. The next day, we signed up for a tour group to go out and play. The boss also sent us to the boarding point early in the morning. The boss was afraid that it would be inconvenient to go back after the Crescent Lake Music Festival, so he also came to pick us up, making our travel very convenient. The accommodation environment is also very good, and the steamed bun for breakfast is particularly large.
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Price per night from:US$15
Posted on Oct 2, 2025
Anonymous User
The best aspect of this stay was by far the owner. He was incredibly, incredibly helpful and friendly — from the moment I walked in the door he offered me a cup of tea, then provided tea and bread the next morning for breakfast, offered advice on what to see in the area, arranged a car to take me to Dalzong Lake, and finally even found me a spot on a local minibus going to my next destination. I couldn’t have done half the things I did during my stay in Xiahe without his advice and efforts on my behalf, so that alone made staying here fully worthwhile!
It’s worth mentioning that the guesthouse’s architecture is also absolutely beautiful, and everything looks quite new. It’s located down a quiet side alley off of one of the main commercial streets in town, which seems like the ideal placement.
On the accommodations: I stayed in one of the two tents erected on the second floor of the guesthouse. This was largely quite a good experience! The bed was very comfortable (with a heated pad), water and towels provided, etc. The tents are not in a closed-off area, but rather on the second floor/balcony area that also is used for sitting, serving tea, etc., so privacy is somewhat limited, but the whole guesthouse is relatively quiet anyway so it doesn’t feel like a public space. My only suggestions for improvement would be related to the bathroom: during my stay, the shared bathroom for the tents was a sort of temporary-style booth installed in the corner of the room with a toilet, sink, and showerhead. The bathroom was very clean and everything inside worked well, but its sliding door separated from the wall enough that there was always a substantial enough space on one side or the other that could be seen through (the door also didn’t lock and slid back and forth easily). The booth was also small enough that, realistically, I think it would be a bit of a challenge to actually use it to shower. If possible it might be worth looking into some simple fixes to improve these situations, but otherwise I have no complaints!
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Price per night from:US$18
Posted on Jun 11, 2026
HuangqijinqiangyuI brought my parents, who are in their 70s, to visit Maiji Mountain. The hostess was incredibly warm and attentive. After arriving at the North Gate 1 of the Maiji Mountain scenic area, we just made a call and she came directly to pick us up and take us to the guesthouse. The room was spotless, not a speck of dust anywhere. For dinner, we had mushroom stew with free-range chicken and stir-fried wild vegetables – truly delicious! 😋 The next day, she dropped us off at the entrance of the Maiji Mountain scenic spot at 7:30 AM, so we were the first ones to go in at 8:30 AM. After our visit, we saw a super long queue had already formed outside. Afterward, we took a taxi to explore Xianren Cliff and Jingtu Temple. Finally, the hostess even drove our luggage to the Line 34 bus stop to drop us off. It was a truly perfect day, so relaxed and easy. We avoided the crowds in the morning and didn't have to wait in long lines, making for a 10/10 visiting experience. Huge thanks to the hostess for the pick-up and drop-off service!
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Price per night from:US$23
Posted on Apr 6, 2026
Guest User
The newly renovated room was incredibly stylish. The desk and partition were integrated seamlessly, and the sink, bathtub, and toilet were all separated, providing excellent privacy. I particularly loved the washbasin's unique material – water drops created a lovely chime. A room of this size in Japan could easily be two separate units! The mini-fridge was very handy for storing food, which was a lifesaver for our early 8:45 AM slot at the Mogao Grottoes Digital Center. The outer walls were 48 bricks thick, providing great earthquake resistance and insulation. They also had all the amenities, including a smoke escape mask, razor, and bath liner. The pick-up and drop-off service was an added bonus. The 9th-floor restaurant terrace offered fantastic views.
A special shout-out to Xiaodai, who arranged our airport pick-up. After booking our flights and hotel on Ctrip, I confirmed the pick-up with the hotel. On April 2nd, flying from Chengdu to Lanzhou, then Lanzhou to Dunhuang (with a stopover in Jiayuguan), our flight was delayed three times due to strong winds. Xiaodai kept in constant communication with me, even confirming again when we were pushed back and taxing in Jiayuguan. We finally arrived 4 hours late. The moment I turned on my phone after landing, I received a message from driver Mr. Wu, who picked us up smoothly and got us to the hotel. Following Xiaodai's advice, we left at 7:50 AM for the Mogao Grottoes Digital Center, making it to the 8:45 AM first show. We then successfully got tickets for our desired special grottoes and visited all the open areas of the Mogao Grottoes.
On April 4th, I went to the front desk to ask about the bus to the airport and happened to find Xiaodai on duty. She told me they could arrange a drop-off. When I gave her my room number, she recognized me from our earlier pick-up arrangements. My interactions with Xiaodai showed me the hotel's excellent service, with attention to every single detail. If 10 is the highest score, I'd give them a 12. Dunhuang is a place you'll want to visit more than once or twice.
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Price per night from:US$69
Posted on Sep 14, 2025
Aoife ShanleyOf course! Here is an extremely positive hotel review crafted from your experience.
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Title: An Unforgettable Oasis of Hospitality - A Solo Traveler's Dream!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I cannot recommend this exquisite home stay highly enough! My five-day visit was nothing short of perfection, from the moment I arrived until my warm departure.
As a female solo traveler from abroad, safety and welcome are my top priorities, and this family went above and beyond to make me feel like part of their home. My journey began with a incredibly gracious complimentary pick-up from Dunhuang airport, which immediately eased any travel fatigue.
The hospitality only blossomed from there. The host family provided me with such genuine individual attention, offering personalized advice for visiting the breathtaking Crescent Moon Lake and the awe-inspiring Mogao Grottoes. Their tips were invaluable and helped me experience these wonders to the fullest.
Now, the food! Each meal was a delight—authentic, home-cooked, and prepared fresh with so much care. It was truly delicious and gave me a real taste of local cuisine.
My room was a haven of comfort and cleanliness, kept absolutely spotless throughout my stay. A wonderful daily touch was the replenishment of complimentary beverages: refreshing peach tea, pure water, and delicious coconut water—perfect after a day of exploring the desert.
The most touching moment came upon my departure when the hosts presented me with exquisite souvenirs from the Mogao Grottoes. It was a gesture of such kindness and generosity that I will forever cherish.
This home stay is a gem, perfectly suited for solo travelers seeking a safe and welcoming environment, couples looking for a unique retreat, or families wanting an authentic experience. I am already counting down the days until I can return next summer. A heartfelt thank you to the most wonderful hosts!
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Price per night from:US$178
Posted on Jun 28, 2026
FaliangwangzhegirlThis stay was absolutely delightful! I was initially worried about the location being a bit out of the way, so I only booked one night. To my surprise, getting a taxi on the first night was super easy, so we extended our stay. While there aren't other guesthouses right around ours, we noticed a whole street full of guesthouses nearby, which seemed crowded and noisy. At night, lying in bed, you can hear the wind brushing against the walls, but it's not loud; it actually feels like being in harmony with nature. My husband and I also went gold panning – if you find gold coins, you can exchange them for prizes. We went enthusiastically, expecting a small sandbox like in a park, but it was a massive area!
**Mingsha Mountain View Afternoon Tea:** The chilled apricot peel tea was delicious.
**Fengmingsha Desert Restaurant - 30% off coupon for set meals:** After we landed, the butler collected our luggage and told us hotpot was ready, just waiting for us to freshen up and eat. The lamb wasn't ***** at all, and the dipping sauce was really tasty.
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Price per night from:US$125
Posted on Apr 28, 2026
Guest User
The hotel facilities are exceptionally complete. The entire room was clean and tidy, with a full range of toiletries and stable water pressure in the shower. The air conditioning worked very well, and all the furniture and appliances were provided. It was a comfortable and hassle-free stay, an absolutely fantastic experience.
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Price per night from:US$31