My First Stay at Atour Hotel Xiaoshan, Hangzhou

My First Stay at Atour Hotel Xiaoshan, Hangzhou

I’ve actually been to Xiaoshan, Hangzhou quite a few times in the past—not just for catching a flight at Xiaoshan Airport. I used to have some friends living in Xiaoshan, and back then there was even a Taiwanese restaurant in the area. There was also a great foot massage place that I liked so much I would travel all the way from downtown just to go there. Unfortunately, it seems like it's now closed for good. A lot of the places I remember are gone now.

Back in those days, the Atour Hotel brand didn’t even exist—at least not in Xiaoshan. It’s a newer hotel chain that has since popped up in many cities.

This time, my original plan was to stay at a five-star hotel in Xiaoshan, but it was fully booked, so I switched to Atour Hotel instead. Don’t assume five-star hotels in China are always expensive—the pricing here is actually quite reasonable. Compared to Taiwan, hotels in mainland China generally offer much better value for money. Most of them are clean, well-maintained, and comfortable, even at budget-friendly prices.

At this Atour Hotel, the washbasin and bathroom are separated, which has both pros and cons depending on your personal preference.

I stayed in a twin room, and the space was really generous. You could fit several suitcases in there with no problem at all.

The room rate included breakfast, but I can’t give an exact price since my stay was actually sponsored by a friend. The breakfast was a mix of local specialties, simple Chinese options, and some basic Western items. It wasn’t bad, but nothing particularly impressive either. The local noodle dish "Pian'er Chuan" wasn’t great, to be honest.

I arrived late the night before—my family got there earlier—so by the time I checked in, all I did was take a shower and go straight to bed. The next morning, we were off to Wuzhen by car. I didn’t get a chance to explore the hotel much or check out other facilities, though I’m usually not one to use hotel amenities anyway. The bed was a bit on the soft side, but everything else was fine.

One fun detail: food delivery now gets sent to your room by robot! You’ll find Atour Hotels in many cities across China, and it’s definitely a solid option worth considering.