When I travel to a city, I like to stay in its landmark.
The easiest landmark to find in a city is its skyline. Some hotels are named after the city’s skyline, and choosing them means you can overlook the entire city.
The city’s skyline is never short of good hotels.
Not only are they not lacking, but they have always been the target of competition among major hotel groups. For example, the Shangri-La at The Shard in London, the Armani Hotel inside the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong, and the Rosewood in Guangzhou…
There is a brand in China called Niccolo, which is also keen on occupying the highest floors of each city’s IFS (International Finance Square) and proudly proclaiming itself as the pinnacle of the city.
Staying at Niccolo, I felt no hustle and bustle that a bustling metropolis should have, separated by the glass curtain wall.
Currently, there are five Niccolo hotels: Chengdu, Hong Kong, Chongqing, Changsha, and Suzhou.
I have stayed in three of them, and my experience is Chongqing > Suzhou ≥ Changsha.
Suzhou is the newest, and the new hotel’s hardware is indeed superior, but honestly, Suzhou’s service still needs significant improvement. Otherwise, this hotel wouldn’t just be the highest in Suzhou but also the best.
I have stayed at both the Park Hyatt Suzhou and Niccolo, and indeed the Park Hyatt Suzhou is superior.
Although Chongqing is the oldest among these three, the view from Chongqing is fantastic, with an unobstructed high-altitude view of Chaotianmen, which is very impressive.
The Suzhou Niccolo is located in the International Finance Square, a property of Wharf Holdings.
Niccolo is quite recognizable; you can tell it’s a Niccolo hotel as soon as you enter.
Let me summarize a few characteristics of Niccolo:
The entrance on the first floor is low-key, not requiring much grandeur, but the sky lobby will give you a different world.
Yes, this is the sky lobby on the 115th floor of the hotel, making you feel like you are in the clouds.
Niccolo hotels are all sky-high, with the lobby on the highest floor (or one of the highest floors), and the rooms are below the lobby.
In terms of color, Niccolo uses a lot of white, black, gold, and bright colors.
Every hotel will have that Beijing girl. They are young, beautiful, naive, but also brave and rebellious, looking at the world with a slightly haughty gaze.
Each room features spacious floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a panoramic view of the city skyline.
High recognizability has its advantages; everyone can immediately identify it as the Niccolo Hotel.
Personally, I prefer staying at the Niccolo Hotel, mainly because it’s aesthetically pleasing.
Moreover, the location of each Niccolo Hotel is quite favorable. Being the tallest building in the city, the location is naturally excellent.
Now, I will focus on introducing this Suzhou Niccolo Hotel.
First, let me share a picture to show just how tall the hotel is. The Suzhou IFS stands at 450 meters with 117 floors. The 117th floor houses the swimming pool and gym; the 116th floor has several meeting rooms; the 115th floor is the check-in lobby, along with the lobby bar, restaurants, and bars; and the rooms are located on the 103rd to 113th floors.
No matter which room you stay in or which restaurant or bar you visit, you’ll be above the 100th floor, ensuring a truly sky-high experience.
The rooms at the Suzhou Niccolo Hotel are categorized as follows:
The most basic is N1, at 45㎡; the next level up is N2, at 50㎡; followed by N3, at 60㎡; and then there are several suites. The room types vary slightly in price depending on the orientation, with those facing Jinji Lake being slightly more expensive.
I recommend starting with N2 if you plan to stay at the Niccolo Hotel. I’ve seen all three room types—N1, N2, and N3—and I genuinely recommend N2. Although it’s only 5㎡ larger than N1, N2 features double vanity sinks.
One of the distinguishing features of luxury hotels is that they must have double vanity sinks. Additionally, the N2 room type is much more comfortable.
As for the price, it’s only about 50 yuan more per night on the calendar.
Here’s a picture; isn’t it beautiful? The Niccolo Hotel’s rooms have always been visually appealing.
Compared to the ones I stayed in Changsha and Chongqing, this one has more colorful decorations, making it look more playful.
The bathroom follows an industrial minimalist style, a design I particularly like. It’s not overly adorned but looks very comfortable.
The amenities are by Lorenzo Villoresi, which the Niccolo Hotel consistently uses. These amenities complement the Niccolo Hotel’s overall ambiance.
The mini bar is well-stocked with plenty of items, but it’s a paid service.
Now, let’s talk about the public areas, the sky-high public areas.
The most popular spot is the lobby bar on the 115th floor, Yuelang. It’s packed every afternoon. The sky-high afternoon tea here always attracts a crowd for photo opportunities.
It’s all about the feel.
The photo above was taken in the morning, when there were not many people. By the afternoon, it was a completely different scene, with every seat filled to capacity.
They are currently promoting an afternoon tea set for 588 yuan (this is the group-buying price on Dianping), themed around Porsche. It’s a visually appealing afternoon tea, at least the tableware is quite refreshing to me.
The quality of the offerings is also decent, with champagne and caviar included, so it’s worth the price at least in terms of quality. Although their afternoon tea is purely priced high due to the upscale feel of the restaurant.
Xin Kitchen, located on the 115th floor, is the all-day dining restaurant of the Niccolo Hotel. The main color scheme of this restaurant is red, white, and gold. Breakfast is served here.
Unfortunately, I only had breakfast at Xin Kitchen once. Next time, I should try lunch and dinner if I have the chance.
Bar 115 is the bar of the Suzhou Niccolo Hotel. As the name suggests, it is also on the 115th floor.
I recommend visiting this bar both during the day and at night. Daytime visits are for taking photos, as Bar 115 has a high aesthetic appeal.
At night, the bar comes alive, and it’s the perfect place to spend a sleepless night with a few friends, enjoying drinks and a slight buzz. A little tipsy, the night seems even more enchanting.
Bar 115 has a DJ every night.
The 117th floor houses the swimming pool and gym.
There should be no surprises here; this is the highest swimming pool and gym I’ve ever seen, and there’s no competition.
Oh, and when staying at a Skyline hotel, make sure to watch a sunrise or sunset from the hotel, and also take the time to experience the city’s nightlife.
