I write guides on where to stay in first-tier and second-tier cities as well as some tourist destinations. Although, this is undoubtedly a massive project.
I’ve written about Hangzhou, Sanya, Xishuangbanna, Lijiang, and Xiamen. This time, it’s Chengdu’s turn.
When it comes to where to stay in Chengdu, I have the authority to speak. I can confidently say that I’ve stayed in over 85% of the hotels mentioned today.
With more experience, my recommendations naturally become more reasoned and justified.
Here’s my take on where to stay in Chengdu…
1) If you’re traveling to Chengdu for the first time, I recommend staying within the 1st Ring Road.
Most of Chengdu’s attractions are within or near the 1st Ring Road. So, if you stay within this area, getting to any tourist spot will be very convenient.
Absolutely do not go beyond Chengdu’s 2nd Ring Road.
However, if you’re a frequent visitor to Chengdu, staying outside the 1st Ring Road is also a good option.
For example, if you want to visit the Panda Base, there’s the Crowne Plaza nearby; for hot springs, there’s the MGallery in Jintang; for Qingcheng Mountain, both Six Senses and SLH’s Qingcheng Mountain Retreat are good choices; and for Dujiangyan, there’s the Songpin Villas.
2) Prefer newer hotels over older ones. The best time to stay in a hotel is between six months and six years after its opening.
For instance, I used to like staying at the Grand Hyatt in Chengdu because of its great location, good food, high cost-effectiveness, and the ability to earn Hyatt’s SNP points.
Later, during one of my trips to Chengdu, I stayed at the Kempinski Hotel Chengdu and found it significantly better. It’s not that the Grand Hyatt is bad; it’s just that the Kempinski is better.
3) Recommendations by tier (within Chengdu city only)
First Tier: The Temple House, Diaoyutai
First and a Half Tier: Grand Bay Hotel, Yaotang Mansion, Kempinski Hotel Chengdu
Second Tier: Grand Hyatt, Canopy by Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, W Hotel, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, InterContinental Chengdu Global Center, Fairmont, Wanda Reign, Hilton Chengdu City Center, Hilton Chengdu
Third Tier: Other five-star hotels
State Guesthouse: Chengdu Jinniu Hotel
**Old Brand: Sichuan Jinjiang Hotel**
If you’re looking outside of Chengdu, options like Six Senses Qingcheng Mountain, Qingcheng Mountain Retreat (part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection), Songpin Villas in Dujiangyan (with hot springs), Guantan Anlu, Meigelege in Jintang (with hot springs), and the InterContinental and Hotel Indigo in Heilongtan are all excellent choices.
**After discussing the methodology, here are my recommendations:**
1. **Recommendations Based on Nearby Attractions**
One great thing about Chengdu hotels is that there’s always a worthwhile hotel near each major attraction. So when booking a hotel, just consider where you want to explore and choose a hotel nearby.
**Wide and Narrow Alleys, Diaoyutai**
In Chengdu, there are two hotels with exceptional locations. One is Diaoyutai in the Wide and Narrow Alleys, and the other is The Temple House in Taikoo Li. Both offer a peaceful retreat amidst the hustle and bustle.
The Wide and Narrow Alleys consist of one wide alley and one narrow alley, with Diaoyutai situated right in between. The location couldn’t be better.
For Diaoyutai, I recommend booking a Level 2 room (Prestige Room) because, although it costs just over 100 RMB more, the size is double that of the basic room (60㎡). It’s incredibly comfortable.
**Taikoo Li, The Temple House**
Hotels with “House” in their name are often high-end and luxurious (PS: except for HYATT HOUSE).
This one is located in the Chengdu Ocean Taikoo Li, the most central area of Chengdu city, adjacent to Chunxi Road. Step out of the hotel, and you’re in the bustling Taikoo Li; step inside, and you enter a serene world, a hidden gem in the city.
Although The Temple House is always one of the most expensive in Chengdu, I believe it’s also the best in the city.
The room tones at The Temple House are refined shades of gray, beige, and white, similar to Park Hyatt and MUJI, exuding a strong minimalist vibe.
Even if you don’t stay at The Temple House, you should visit the tea house Mi Xun for a cup of tea. This charming courtyard, hidden in Taikoo Li, offers afternoon tea and vegetarian dishes.
In the latest Chengdu Michelin selection, Mi Xun has earned a Michelin star. Achieving a Michelin star for a tea house is truly impressive.
Nearby Taikoo Li, there are also Langbo Hyatt Centric and Xiyue.
Langbo Hyatt Centric is my pick. Chengdu doesn’t have many very tall hotels, and the 38-story high lobby and up to 60-story rooms of Hyatt Centric are enough to stand out.
I’m not sure if it’s the tallest in Chengdu, but it certainly surpasses the surrounding hotels, including Niccolo.
This is how it looks from Langbo Hyatt Centric, overlooking Taikoo Li.
When considering L’Amber, there are two key points to keep in mind. Firstly, this hotel is a special partner of Ctrip, so booking through Ctrip is the most cost-effective. Even the Hyatt official website cannot match Ctrip’s prices.
Secondly, do not use the suite upgrade voucher. The basic suite I stayed in was not as good as the Premier Room. Don’t ask me how I know; it’s definitely a lesson learned the hard way.
The Xiyue Hotel is also super close to Taikoo Li, but the downside is that the basic rooms are small (27-32㎡). The upside, however, is that it offers great value for money, often priced at 999 RMB for two nights.
IFS, Niccolo
In fact, IFS is also right next to Taikoo Li, separated only by a street.
Chengdu’s Niccolo is the only Niccolo that is not a skyline hotel. But the location is excellent, with the Chunxi Road commercial district on one side and Taikoo Li on the other, plus it has its own large commercial facilities.
Staying at Niccolo, everything from dining to entertainment is super convenient.
So, what issues does this Niccolo have?
Every Niccolo is exactly the same, so while the first stay feels okay, subsequent stays feel like a copy-paste experience. To be a luxury brand hotel, it shouldn’t be like this.
Also, the indoor pool is quite disappointing, being very narrow. Two people swimming side by side might bump into each other.
Chunxi Road, Grand Hyatt
The Grand Hyatt is the hotel I’ve stayed in the most in Chengdu. I love its location, its design, and its cuisine.
This Grand Hyatt was designed by Tony Chi, who follows the principle of “one city, one store.” All his works have become local landmarks and classics.
This Grand Hyatt is no exception.
There are many highlights of this Grand Hyatt, such as the excellent design of the pool. The roof is made of glass, allowing sunlight to filter through, giving it a feel of an outdoor pool.
Tianfu Square, Canopy by Hilton
Tianfu Square is the physical center of Chengdu, with the museum, library, art gallery, science and technology museum, theater, and People’s Park all within walking distance.
Canopy is located at Tianfu Square, making it the most central hotel in Chengdu.
The overall vibe of this hotel is very vibrant. Canopy is a lifestyle-oriented hotel, with rooms not being very large but offering plenty of public spaces. If you enjoy socializing, this Canopy by Hilton is a good choice.
Additionally, not far from Tianfu Square are the Yanlord InterContinental Executive Apartments, Jinjiang Hotel, JW Marriott, St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Wanda Reign, and Sofitel Wanda.
I highly recommend the Jinjiang Hotel, which was the first five-star hotel in Southwest China when it opened in 1960. It’s a name that every Chengdu resident has heard since childhood.
The Chinese restaurant at the Jinjiang Hotel is excellent.
Jiuyan Bridge, Shangri-La
The Shangri-La is the closest hotel to Jiuyan Bridge. Jiuyan Bridge is Chengdu’s famous bar street, and across the river is Lan Kwai Fong, another bar street that gets lively after 10 PM. If you want to experience Chengdu’s nightlife, this area is definitely worth considering.
The tall building on the right is the Chengdu Shangri-La.
The Chengdu Shangri-La is a bit older, having opened in 2007, but as an established five-star hotel, it offers good quality, service, and dining options.
Wenshu Monastery, Courtyard Hotel
Wenshu Monastery is a thousand-year-old temple in the heart of Chengdu. For me, it’s also a renowned spot for Chengdu’s famous snacks, like the famous Zhang Lao Er Liangfen (cold noodles) at Dongzi Kou.
Additionally, Wenshu Monastery is a great place to enjoy a cup of tea. The cheapest plain or flower tea costs 15 yuan, and the most expensive Bamboo Leaf Green tea is only 35 yuan.
The Courtyard Hotel opened in 2017 and is known for its traditional Chengdu courtyard design, hence the name “Chengdu Courtyard.”
The Courtyard Hotel has always been reasonably priced (around 500 yuan), making it one of the best value-for-money hotels in Chengdu. It’s consistently a great deal.
Jianshe Lane, Chengdu Sino-Trust Center Hilton
When it comes to Chengdu’s best (snack streets), many would argue for Jianshe Lane.
From large restaurants offering hot pot, Korean cuisine, pizza, barbecue, Japanese cuisine, dry pot, to small stalls selling roasted pig trotters, roasted brains, chicken wings stuffed with offal, chicken wings stuffed with beef, stinky tofu, fried chicken fillets, okonomiyaki, spicy chicken noodles… the options are endless.
The Chengdu Sino-Trust Center Hilton opened in 2019, with basic rooms measuring 40㎡. It’s the nearest international chain hotel to Jianshe Lane.
We’re going to Chengdu tomorrow for an outing, and we’ll be staying at this hotel (I’m an exception, as I’m sneaking off to the Yaotang Mansion for Hyatt’s SNP).
This hotel has a package deal on Monday, offering two nights for 999 yuan, with an additional charge of only 100 yuan per night during the Spring Festival.
Purchase link: 69￥8Ied2YkW9rg￥ https://m.tb.cn/h.fk5yvZ9/
Don’t rush; the sale starts at 9 AM on Monday morning.
Panda Base, Crowne Plaza
The Crowne Plaza is a good choice if you’re visiting the Panda Base.
Visiting the Panda Base to see the adorable pandas is almost a must-do activity when visiting Chengdu. The only hotel adjacent to the Panda Base is the Crowne Plaza.
So, why do I recommend staying overnight at the Panda Base? This way, you can arrive early. Arriving early means the pandas are more lively and energetic.
I’ve stayed at this Crowne Plaza once and would generally recommend it, though it does show some signs of wear and tear.
Oh, and this Crowne Plaza also offers panda-themed family rooms, filled with panda elements, which are quite interesting.
Global Center, InterContinental Paradise
Chengdu has a massive complex known as the Global Center.
This complex includes a water park, Hi-Fun, NBA Playzone, aviation museum, Neobio, a church, and a series of other amenities.
Not only is the complex well-equipped, but it’s also huge. Take the water park, for example; it’s even larger than the water park at Happy Valley.
Staying within this complex allows you to easily enjoy 2-3 days of fun.
The InterContinental Paradise is the only hotel within the Global Center, a mega-hotel with over 1,000 rooms, and the rooms are quite comfortable.
The Global Center is located in Century City, which also houses the Fairmont, InterContinental Century City, Bay Hotel, Gran Meliá, Yaotang Mansion, and Hilton.
The Yaotang Mansion and Bay Hotel are particularly worth mentioning.
The Yaotang Mansion is part of the SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World) and draws design inspiration from Ba Jin’s novels, based on the lifestyle of 1930s Chengdu. It is currently the most “Republic of China” style hotel in Chengdu.
I’m heading to Chengdu tomorrow and plan to stay at this Yaotang Mansion.
As for the Bay Hotel, don’t be fooled by its local name; it’s actually a highly recommended place to stay.
The rooms feature vinyl record players, and some rooms have bathtubs over 4 meters long (as they focus on medicinal private hot springs). The hotel is also very new, having opened in 2021.
In my opinion, it’s one of the most competitive hotels in Chengdu.
The hotel is also a high-rise, offering panoramic views of the southern Chengdu cityscape, and even includes a chapel within the premises.
I might write a separate article about this hotel, as it truly deserves a thorough recommendation.
Financial City, Marriott, W, Waldorf Astoria
In the Financial City area, there are notable hotels like the Marriott, W, and Waldorf Astoria.
The focus is definitely on W, which opened in 2020 and quickly became the trendiest nightclub in Chengdu.
Although I don’t particularly like staying at W hotels, Chengdu’s W might be an exception. From the pictures, the design of this W seems quite appealing to me, not overly flamboyant.
Chengdu W is one of the only five hotels I haven’t stayed at among those I’m writing about today.
Chengdu Waldorf Astoria, although opened in 2017, follows the older design style of Waldorf Astorias (Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu have the older design; Xiamen has the newer design).
It has a more European style, suitable for those with old money.
Next, here are some more personalized recommendations:
**Soaking in Hot Springs in Chengdu**
In the city, there’s the Bay Hotel (mentioned above), which, although not a real hot spring, excels at using medicinal packs to create a private medicinal hot spring experience.
Additionally, the InterContinental Global Center Paradise in the city has one of the most relaxing hot spring areas, featuring a total of 9 hot spring pools, 1 multi-functional pool, and 1 children’s pool, perfect for winter relaxation.
Outside the city, I recommend the MGallery in Jintang, Songpin and Sebel in Qingcheng Mountain, and Howard Johnson in Huashuiwan.
Hot spring experiences in Chengdu are incredibly affordable. Private hot spring villas at MGallery in Jintang often sell for around 1,000 RMB, including a dinner.
Compared to the prices of private hot spring villas in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai regions, flying to Chengdu for a hot spring experience is more cost-effective.
The Songpin at the Rongchuang Qingcheng Mountain is also entirely made up of hot spring villas, offering a truly wonderful experience of soaking in the hot spring in your own courtyard.
For those looking for more affordable options, Sebel next to Songpin and Howard Johnson in Huashuiwan are also quite good.
**Staying at a State Guesthouse in Chengdu**
Chengdu Jinniu Guesthouse is a very mysterious state guesthouse located in the Chengdu Western Suburb Tourism and Culture Zone, covering nearly 600 acres. It is a garden-style villa guesthouse.
The downside is that the rooms are somewhat outdated, a common issue with state guesthouses, not all of which are as daring to innovate as West Lake State Guesthouse or Yangzhou Ying State Guesthouse.
**Playing Mahjong**
No explanation needed, the mahjong rooms at Chengdu Lampa·Hyatt Centric are quintessentially Chengdu.
**Experiencing the Style of the Republic of China**
No explanation needed, the mahjong rooms at Chengdu Lampa·Hyatt Centric are quintessentially Chengdu.
Chengdu has several hotels with a Republican-era style, one of which is the Yaotang Mansion mentioned earlier. Another is the Indigo at Heilongtan.
The Indigo at Heilongtan consists of eight buildings in the style of Sichuan mansions. In the 1920s, traditional Sichuan courtyard houses were influenced by Western culture, blending elements like blue bricks, grey tiles, and floral windows with Western design.
Therefore, this is a Republican-era Indigo, a Sichuan-style mansion.
The Indigo at Heilongtan is truly beautiful.
Surroundings:
Qingcheng Mountain, Six Senses, and Qingcheng Mountain Zun.
I haven’t stayed at Six Senses, so I can’t comment. Although I haven’t stayed at Qingcheng Mountain Zun either, I have done detailed research on it.
The owner of this property is Mingyu, a major player in Sichuan, and it is also the first Hyatt Escapes in the Asia-Pacific region. If I visit Qingcheng Mountain, I would like to check this place out.
Dujiangyan, Songpin, Schlossberg, and Jinyue.
I’ve always said that I want to stay overnight in Dujiangyan. It shouldn’t just be a day trip destination; one needs to stay to experience the charm of Dujiangyan.
The key is, the city is incredibly beautiful at night.
Dujiangyan has the Rongchuang complex, a comprehensive resort that covers dining, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, entertainment, and culture.
Songpin (all-villa with hot springs), Schlossberg (5-star with hot springs), and Jinyue (panda-themed hotel). Songpin is the most expensive, while Jinyue offers the best value.
Jintang, MGallery.
Jintang is where Chengdu hosts the Ironman Triathlon. For tourists, it is the closest place to Chengdu with genuine hot springs. So, if you want to soak in hot springs, look for MGallery in Jintang.
Guantan, Ahn Luh.
Guantan is considered the countryside of Chengdu (in the Tianfu New Area). It takes about an hour by car to reach the city center, Tianfu Square.
The main feature here is the rural scenery, especially in autumn when the golden rice fields are stunning.
There is an Ahn Luh in Guantan, which has the feel of a Sichuan village with rammed earth walls and thatched roofs. It’s perfect for a relaxed, slow-paced vacation.
Heilongtan, InterContinental, and Indigo.
Black Dragon Lake is a reservoir, known as the “First Sea of Western Shu,” and is also a national 4A-level scenic tourist area. It serves as the backyard garden for Chengdu residents to spend their vacations. Foreigners like me don’t often visit it.
Therefore, the InterContinental and Indigo hotels at Black Dragon Lake have generally not sold very well. However, I have been to both of these hotels, and they are truly excellent.
Especially in the summer, the InterContinental at Global Center Paradise can be quite expensive, but there is also a large water park at the InterContinental in Black Dragon Lake. Coming here is significantly more cost-effective.
**Sancha Lake, InterContinental**
Sancha Lake is similar to Black Dragon Lake, mainly frequented by locals for nearby outings, with fewer foreigners visiting.
This InterContinental also has a large water park, similar to the one at Black Dragon Lake (both are owned by the same main owner).
**Choosing Based on Food**
**Grand Hyatt, Hotpot No. 8**
This is known as the Hermes of the hotpot world, a Black Pearl one-diamond hotpot. The highlight is the high-quality ingredients, directly using M8 and M9 beef for the hotpot.
**Jinjiang Hotel, Jin Xuan**
For authentic Sichuan cuisine, the Jinjiang Hotel and Jin Xuan, as well as the Minshan Restaurant across the street, are highly recommended. Don’t hesitate to ask your older Chengdu friends if these two restaurants serve genuine old-school Sichuan dishes.
Jin Xuan allows you to order dishes in half portions, which is quite reasonable.
Their specialty dishes are all classic Sichuan dishes, such as Twice-Cooked Pork, Mapo Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken, and Boiled Cabbage.
**Global Center Paradise InterContinental, Napoleon Cake**
Their Napoleon cake is particularly delicious. If you stay there, remember to buy it. Alternatively, you can enjoy it at their buffet, where Napoleon cake is unlimited.
