This trip report is from a few months ago, so maybe some things have changed. It really is a beautiful location so please check out the pics. If you need any information or have questions I'll gladly respond to a PM!
https://picasaweb.google.com/1074602...eat=directlink
Getting there: This is probably the biggest drawback to the resort. I would estimate about 5 hours total travel time from Shanghai to the resort. There is one direct bus leaving Shanghai for Qiandaohu bus station in the morning, and one bus leaving Qiandaohu bus station for Shanghai in the early afternoon. I was told that this would take 5 hours, and thus decided to break up the trip with an overnight in Hangzhou. The other option is to take a train to Hangzhou – there are many many high-speed trains leaving from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Cost is 82 rmb on the express trains, or 80 rmb if you happen to get a seat on a train coming on the new HS line from Tianjin, Beijing or Jinan. It takes between 45 minutes and an hour depending on the number of stops. The new HS trains are clean and fast, but the new regulations require using an ID to buy tickets at all of the ‘big’ cities, so you’ll have to wait on line to buy a ticket instead of using an automatic ticketing machine. When arriving at HZ Station take a taxi to the West Bus Station (taxis are on the lowest level of the station). It should cost between 30-50 RMB and won’t take more than 30 minutes unless there’s bad traffic. The bus station has a bus every 30 minutes or so to Qiandaohu, and the tickets are easy to buy and there isn’t anyone around to bother you. The busses aren’t huge, so you might have to wait a couple of busses before you can get a seat. If you have a hotel in HZ they should be able to arrange the tickets for you if you want a specific time. The bus to Qiandaohu is 2 hours and is a nice ride. The bus will be on time, as there’s no risk of traffic and the road is good. Taxi from bus station to IC should only cost 30 rmb (but they’ll want 60 for the return because it’s a bit of a ride and they’ll lose a fare since you’ll have to call for them).
My advice – unless you want to see Hangzhou on the way, take the bus in the morning from Shanghai. The busses are clean and nice enough. The government run busses are recommended. The IC will offer to pick you up in Hangzhou for something ridiculous like 1500 rmb. Unless you’re with a group you’ll save a lot taking the bus (and you’ll need it for the overpriced food).
Ambassador Experience: I’d emailed in advance about wanting a lake-view
room, as I’d just booked the cheapest garden room. It was just a one category upgrade, but I wanted to confirm it because I came there for the lake, not the garden. Anyways, the manager was very nice and told me he’d upgrade me to a club lake view room. This was a 3-category upgrade, and it seemed like it was the standard AMB/RA benefit according to their Chinese language website. They also provided chocolate/cookies and a really nice fruit bowl in the room (but wouldn’t refill it – ‘welcome fruit’ – I tried….). Also, since the club was closed when I was there, they gave me breakfast in the restaurant. It was the only food I ate in the hotel, and it was fairly average, and most certainly not worth the 188 rmb they will try to charge you for it. The isolated location of the hotel makes it a definite benefit to buy a rate with breakfast, as you will have to pay a lot more for it when you arrive, and there’s only a few places to eat nearby.
The room: The rooms are all in great shape because the property is new. My room was on the 5th floor and had a great central view of the lake. The weather was bad during my stay, but this ended up being a benefit, as the fog made the views much more extraordinary. The bed was standard IC king bed, and the tv had a decent enough selection of channels. The bathroom had a separate shower and toilet, and a huge bathtub. Everything was new and was really excellent. The room was decorated in a ‘natural’ style, with a lot of wooden decorations and a nice wood floor. The best part of the room was the small sitting area outside, coupled with another small sitting area inside to look out at the lake. The views are stunning, and that is absolutely the number one reason to visit here.
Public Areas:
The lobby is really stunning to walk into at first, as there is a circular window with a beautiful view of the lake. I was blown away at first by it, because this is China, and factories and smog are common…not this. Check-in was efficient, and staff tried to be friendly. After they realized that my Chinese was better than their English, they informed me of the upgrade, and the manager came over to greet me. Kind, and efficient, but a little bit nervous, as I was the only foreigner there, and probably one of 5 to ever visit the place.
The restaurant is elegant, and so is the breakfast area. The whole place is brand new and untouched by pollution, which is a definite plus.
There are three pools. Two outdoor pools and one indoor pool. Actually the indoor pool was coolest because of the AC inside. The outdoor pools have stunning views, and are clean. There is also a ping-pong table and a small gym. It's not really that impressive of a gym, but it’s about what you’d expect for a small property like this one. Locker rooms are nice – clean and well stocked. There are some showers and lockers and it has direct access to the indoor pool.
IMO the best part of this place is the fact that it is quiet. Everything is clean and new and hasn’t yet been overrun with loud rich people. It’s a beautiful place, and I recommend you enjoy it now as it will surely not be the same in 2 years time.
The hotel has extensive grounds, and has paths which allow for walking or biking. They have electric scooters and bikes for rent, but I found the price ridiculous so opted for walking. (something like 150 rmb for 15 minutes on scooters). The gardens in the front are definitely worth walking in, and the farmers let us pick yang berries from the trees (delicious!). While walking along the paths we discovered a restaurant where there was local food, and actually reasonable prices. Definitely spend some time to walk these paths, as they’re a nice bit of exercise, and are really beautiful. There are grounds on both sides of the property, but the one away from the lake has a lot more to offer.
Eating:
This place is fairly isolated, and the only option for dining is either spend 15$ on a sandwich in the hotel (and it will be average) or go to the local restaurant down the street. We found it by mistake, and it was absolutely delicious. For 150 rmb we got a huge (really) local fish head and a half-chicken. I’d recommend trying to find this place in the morning, as they have no menu or anything and you have to pre-order your dinner. The only other option is fresh fish they kill in front of you for 100 rmb. The huge fish head is apparently a local specialty so we opted for that. Bargaining is permitted if you are so inclined, as they might give you a foreigner price. There’s also a snack store across the street. I researched this before arrival, so I brought a bag of snacks for the room. The stuff in the hotel is expensive, because they know you have no other option…….
In all, a great overall experience. The pictures say enough…I’ll be back soon, and will try out the golf course nearby.