This has got to be the most obscure JW-level property in the portfolio. As such, I was interested to check it out, and I just came from a two-night stay.

It was solid. Among the pluses: the service was very good, with helpful English-speaking staff that exceeded my expectations, given that this is a remote area. They upgraded me to a nice suite with a huge balcony. Everything worked well and I received lots of amenities (fruit, chocolates, water in the room). The bed and bathroom were great.

I got free breakfast, though I am unsure whether it was included in the rate (they had an opening offer which I suppose I booked) or because I am Platinum. No lounge as SkiAdcock mentioned.

The Chinese restaurant was acceptable. I would call it a typical outlet in a five-star Chinese international chain hotel, with a large menu of local and pan-Chinese food that was very accessible to a foreigner. I enjoyed the food well enough but I wouldn't call it really memorable. Breakfast buffet at the other restaurant was fairly good, with a variety of Chinese and local dishes, noodle bar, and mediocre fresh fruit.

The concierge met all of my needs, giving me local directions and arranging a taxi to Hangzhou. One nice touch: at breakfast, one of the executives approached me and said, oh, you're Mr. XXXX, gave me her card and introduced herself. She asked how everything was with the stay, etc. I guess I was easy to recognize because the hotel was empty and there mustn't have been many Westerners staying there.

One downside is the nightlife. There isn't really a bar, only the lobby lounge. It has outdoor seating, but not a very interesting menu. For a resort, I would have liked a nice venue in which to spend the evening. (See, e.g., Red at the Park Hyatt Ningbo, one of the more beautiful lounges I have ever had the privilege to patronize,and with an outstanding menu and excellent service to boot.) There were a variety of books, in English and other languages, for borrowing in the lounge as well as the guest room, which I like. There was an ATM but no gift shop if I recall correctly.

I didn't use the spa, but the facilities didn't look too special. There was no attendant at the spa/fitness reception, only hand towels in the locker room, and the pool (indoors only) was closed for "maintenance" when I went by.

The grounds are attractive. It anchors an upscale, seemingly new golf community, and the course, visible from my balcony, looked spectacular.

There is no place to walk from the hotel. I took a taxi downtown to wander around and have lunch (a solid recommendation from the concierge; it must be one of the few places in the city with an English/picture menu) and to the Bamboo Exposition Park, which also includes a museum which I really enjoyed.

Overall, given that it's not that easy to get to, I wouldn't say that this resort merits a special trip as a destination. The nearest high-speed train is Huzhou, around 60km away. I took taxis round-trip from Hangzhou, around two hours away (Shanghai seems to be around the same distance). There seems to be nothing of interest in the city, though the Bamboo Exposition Park was worthy to see, and there are a number of other natural attractions in the area as well as the Hello Kitty park.