Golden Spring Hotel

Dated hotel in Lijiang. The rooms are fine and the breakfast buffet is quite extensive. The hotel is within walking distance of the historic center. It is quite a large hotel. The beds were quite hard!

I reckon this used to be a nice plush hotel but is now unloved and has been allowed to deteriorate. Our room smelt strongly of stale cigarette smoke despite the window being open when we got in and bizarrely this smell was worse in the bathroom. The carpet had numerous stains and marks on it so I made sure not to walk around in bare feet at any point. The blanket on the bed was grubby with a cigarette hole burnt into it. The chair upholstery was also grubby. The actually bedding you spelt in though was thankfully clean! Breakfast was dire. The dinning room was equally tired and as grubby looking as the bedroom. In its favour it is literally across the road from the bus station which is handy if you are catching an early bus as we were. The staff on reception were really nice and helpful and gave us a good rate on the room. It was ok for one night but I wouldn't want to stay any longer.

Hotel is off the main road away from traffic noise. A supermarket and street stalls that sell many types of fresh fruits are within 2mins walk on the left from hotel exit. Along the same street, there's a big massage parlor that offers good, clean & professional 1hour foot reflex & shoulder massage for only RMB98 (approx USD16). Lijiang old city (gu-cheng) to/fro hotel is only RMB7-10 (approx USD1.60) each way per metered taxi or if you like to window-shop, it takes about 30mins leisure walk there. (Take a hotel direction card from reception before you go out). The main streets are well-lit during the night. Room has two big beds & toilet is clean. Don't have high expectations for breakfasts in China hotels .. it's either you like it or hate it. Highly advise you bring your own oats/coffee/tea packs for breakfasts and ask for hot water! This goes for all local hotels in China unless you can just live with bottled water throughout your stay.