Homestays in Jiangsu, China

I arrived in pouring rain. I thought I could walk to my hotel but it was impossible in the downpour. I didn’t want to bother any hotel owner.   I didn’t and still don’t  have an eSIM that can make local  call but thanks to Trip.com, there is a link that I could call the owner for free.  I didn’t advise the owners my arrival time so they were off running errands.  I called the owner to pick me up and thankfully he answered. He was busy but gracious enough to turn around and picked me up. It knew Zhouhuang requires a ticket but I didn’t know that no cars, nor motorcycles, nor bicycles are allowed. Without him I would have arrived the hotel easily.  I always like to meet the owners instead of employees . They were very helpful and answered all my questions. They are honest people who dedicate their  blood and sweat to their business. The owner even offered to walk me to the bus stop  to Suzhou which was my next destination.  This  operates two hotels with 9 in one and 6 in the other. The one that I stayed in with 9 rooms is in a  lively and busy area . Just outside the hotel is a restaurant and there are plenty of places to eat. Inside the hotel is a peaceful oasis where you won’t hear any noise. The location is the best. The other hotel is in a quieter neighborhood a few minutes away. Each of the 15 rooms has it’s own personality, is different and has its distinctive decoration. The owners said they decorated them themselves. I love the decoration and especially the lighting.  After you reserve a room, be sure to contact the owner for the exact address in case you want to arrive on your own. I think it is best to request the owner to take you there because he/she will lead you to the ticket booth to buy tickets. There are a number of bridges so heavy big luggages can be a bit of a challenge .  If you arrive after 5 pm, you can enter free of charge as no one is there to check your ticket. . But once you are inside, and if you choose to leave the area after 8 or 9 am until 5 pm, you have to pay to come back in. You can buy a one day or in my case 3 days pass.  Do check with the owner for up to date information.  The room was quite clean. There were hot water all the time. There were other guests during my stay but they were not noisy at all. I barely heard them. I slept very well during my 3 nights there.  Zhouhuang is really beautiful. There are many canals, bridges, boat rides, good food of all kinds. I had some of the best meals there. In fact , I ate in the same restaurant that serves dumpling twice. One night I had grill (BBQ) meat just outside the entrance for 4 yuans. .  There is decent size supermarket just outside the turnstile and not too far away is a much bigger supermarket. It was there where I bought half a Peking duck for only 32 yuans . The seller sliced the meat and separated the meat from  the bones. The bones he fried so it was crunchy.  It was delicious. There is a theater that offers performances. The night view is great. If you step out your room, you will be overwhelmed in a good sense by the exciting surroundings.  This hotel definitely is one of the best that I have ever stayed in. Look at the beautiful pictures and find one that you like.  I stayed only 3 nights and one of those days I went to Tongli. In my opinion, one should spend at least 2 to 3 full days in  Zhouhuang (and especially this hotel ) savor the ambience. I don’t think Tongli is worth the time because it was twice as expensive and there are not that many canals and boat rides. It is much quieter and has fewer things to see. . The worst is that the sightseeing places require you to show your ticket. After 2 places, I lost mine ticket and I  couldn’t get in the rest of the places. It is unnecessary to require proof of entrance because you can’t enter the area without a ticket. 

Great location,easy to get around it’s walking distance to the best food street ,all well known Nanjing cuisine can be found here Walking distance to wudingmen metro station to and from Nanjing station ,just few steps away we can position ourselves for didi /taxi The hotel is located in the area maintaining Traditional Chinese architecture , decoration and greenery ,great for photography we got the room with a beautiful backyard full of plants and blossoms of flowers and a tray of welcome tea after checked in, the bed and pillows are comfortable ,showers is nice and warm Light Chinese breakfast served is good enough to start a day and not too much for the delicious Nanjing lunch later on:-) The girls at front desk are very friendly and sweet they were always ready to help The owners I guess who were on night shift were polite and respectful Overall we had a great time here thank you

We had a lovely two-night stay at Wenlv Gusu Yard Hotel Donghuali and were very satisfied overall. The hotel has great facilities, a wonderful location, and extremely kind staff. We were also generously upgraded, which made the stay even nicer. The location is excellent - right in the middle of Suzhou old town, on the main pedestrian street, close to key shops, restaurants, and tea places. Since cars cannot enter this part of the old town, the nearest drop-off point is about a 3-minute walk away. Despite being so central, the room was very quiet because the windows faced the side/back areas and the courtyard walls helped create a calm atmosphere. Communication before arrival was very clear. We received a helpful message with all the details on how to get there, including the best DiDi drop-off point, check-in information, stay details, and Wi-Fi instructions. Our room was clean, modern, and very cozy, with a thoughtful mix of traditional character and contemporary comfort. While the room was on the smaller side compared with a standard chain hotel, it never felt cramped. The layout was well designed, the natural light made the space feel open, and the overall atmosphere was warm, calm, and intimate - very much in line with the feeling of a boutique stay in a restored old-town building. The room had windows on each side, allowing for good natural light and airflow, as well as blackout curtains. The bed was very comfortable - on the softer side, which we appreciated, but still supportive. The bathroom came with all necessary amenities and products, and, importantly, did not have any stale water smell, which can sometimes be an issue in hotels in China. The bathroom does not have a traditional door, but there is a non-see-through privacy curtain with magnets on the sides, which worked well and was not a problem for us. The room was also very practical: it included complimentary drinks, including soft drinks, tea, and water, a small refrigerator, and international electricity sockets, which was very convenient for foreign travellers. One especially lovely detail was the climbing jasmine just outside the window - when there was a breeze, the scent came into the room, which was beautiful. The hotel also has two small balconies with seating, offering lovely views over the Suzhou skyline and Gusu rooftops - a nice spot for morning coffee or doing some work. The stairs are quite narrow and there is no elevator, but the staff kindly helped us with our suitcases. The pond and terrace area outside was also lovely, although because of some construction work we could not fully enjoy it during our stay. This was not a problem for us. Breakfast was served as a breakfast box with nine small dishes. The staff also kindly made us coffee and provided milk upon request. There was yogurt as well, which was appreciated. Most of all, the staff were extremely kind, friendly, and helpful throughout our stay. They helped with luggage, accommodated our breakfast requests, and made us feel very welcome. Overall, this is a lovely boutique hotel for families, friend groups, or solo travellers who enjoy peace and calmness, while still wanting a modern yet traditional stay right in the centre of Suzhou old town. We would happily recommend it!

Haha, I found a bargain. The check-in experience was great! The front desk staff is warm and thoughtful, the room is clean and tidy, the bedding is comfortable, the breakfast is rich in variety, and the location is very convenient. Highly recommended!

Living on the top of the mountain is a great experience! After the tourists in the scenic spot have dispersed, they enjoy the beauty of the entire mountain top and see the sunset and sunrise. The whole process of Yidaochang is very patient and meticulous, and the chat is very pleasant. He took us to the palace at night and made a vivid and interesting explanation. The quality of sleep is also very good, I haven't slept for a long time with such a good quality. There is also a hidden advantage to live here: burn head incense! Just in time for the day is fifteen, and I went to burn head incense at six o'clock in the morning. A bowl of hot noodles for breakfast, Yidaochang also made coffee, and it was very pleasant to drink coffee with the wind on the top of the mountain. A very unforgettable and very happy journey, highly recommended to stay (live on the top of the mountain has the unique advantage of the top of the mountain, if you are pursuing the standard of a five-star hotel, just... don't want it and want it:)

The guesthouse is placed in the middle of Suzhou ancient city, in a picturesque and silent street. The house is very beautiful, the furniture are elegant, there is also a smart toilet and disposable items. Unfortunately there were not bath towels but paper ones. There was no front desk at all, even if specified in the property description. We arrived at 13 (frontdesk time 8-19) but nobody was there and we didn't receive anything on the trip.com chat. When we called the property, they answered us only in Chinese and then sent us a weChat Qr code. They wrote us only in Chinese even if we were texting them in English. Fortunately weChat has a translation service, otherwise it would have been impossible for us to understand what to do. They gave then information about how to reach the property (even if we were already there) and gave us an access code that we were not able to use, since we didn't know the most important thing: the room number. Furthermore the access code changed anytime we go out (they said it's a problem related to non-chinese people) and was quite annoying to write them all the time on we chat. The room is very good though!

I always choose to stay here whenever I'm in Wuxi, and it's consistently a fantastic experience. The front desk service is excellent and attentive, the rooms are spotlessly clean, and the facilities are well-equipped. This is my absolute go-to for accommodation in Wuxi! Highly recommend!

Overall an enjoyable and relaxing one night stay at this tiny cosy hotel in Zhouzhuang, for our final leg of our 6 days Suzhou trip. We took a didi over to Zhouzhuang, which was faster and cheaper than I expected, just a little over half an hour. The hotel staff called me the day before to arrange for pick-up near the watertown ticket office. Actually I can't speak Mandarin and their English wasn't too good but we ended up chatting on Wechat as Wechat has a built-in translate function in their chat. So, 15 minutes before we arrive, we just had to let them know on Wechat. And the staff is already waiting for us, helped us with the luggage and guided us through the ticket buying process. You do have to pay for the ¥100 RMB ticket to get into the watertown and the ticket is good for 3 days. The hotel is about a 10 minute walk from the entrance. I picked this hotel because it was right inside the watertown and it had the ancient Chinese interior, although all the amenities are modern, including a robust and high-tech Kohler smart toilets in each bathroom. There is a nice coffee shop inside the hotel and the coffee shop owner is friendly and takes his coffee craft seriously. The hotel gives you 2 free drinks during your stay and the coffee menu is quite extensive. If the hotel rooms are not booked on that day, we are told the hotel opens their doors to coffee customers. The hotel owner is actually younger than I expected so I am impressed she meticulously created this authentic experience and the attention to detail. She was friendly and helpful and was open to accommodating our needs. We booked the entire 2nd floor, which was 3 bedrooms and we had 6 adults in our group. This tiny hotel only has 3 bedrooms so if you booked all 3 rooms, you pretty much get the entire hotel to yourselves which include the first floor which is spacious and comfy. When I visit Zhouzhuang again, I am looking forward to stay here again. It's certainly not cheap, but you do get what you pay for - which is people passionate about hospitality (in a Chinese way) and also a hygiene and staying experience that is certainly up to international standards.

My family and I recently had the pleasure of staying at Racha Mankha, and I can’t recommend it enough! This hotel is a hidden gem, offering a secluded and quiet retreat that truly embodies peace and relaxation. The ambiance is simply delightful, making it the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. One of the highlights of my stay was the food. I can confidently say that the Thai cuisine here is some of the best I’ve ever had in Nanjing! Each dish was bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. Additionally, I indulged in their Thai massage services, and it was an absolute must-try! The skilled therapists provided a rejuvenating experience that left me feeling refreshed and relaxed. While the area may not have as many tourist attractions as other parts of Nanjing, the tranquility and quality of service at Racha Mankha more than make up for it. If you’re looking for a peaceful getaway with fantastic food and pampering, this is the place to be!

The hotel is not bad, it’s not very close to metro, but it’s okay. Room is nice and big, but a bit dirty in some places. Unfortunately, there was no washing powder in the room, and I was told to go and buy it. The hotel provides breakfast, but it’s in the neighbourhood building and the breakfast itself was with quite a modest choice