Stayed at the Xihai Fandian in late April 2005. The Xihai Fandian is located on top of Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain), which is considered to be the most scenic mountain in China. Huang Shan is located in Anhui Province 280km west of the coastal city of Hangzhou. Huang Shan is indeed very scenic & worth the trip.

The Xihai Fandian is rated by the guidebooks as being of 4* quality, which could not be further from the truth. The rooms resemble the rooms on a cruise ship & are best very basic. The bathroom has an odor problem. I would rate the rooms at 1* or 2* only. The restaurant is quite good. Everything on top of Huang Shan must be carried up on a porter’s back so all prices are a bit higher than normal. While at Huang Shan I heard there is very little difference between a 2* versus a 4* hotel except for the price.

There are only two ways to get to the top of the mountain hike or take the cable car. Needless to say take only enough for your limited stay on top of the mountain. You can hire a porter to carry your pack, but it’s not worth the 2-hour hike up. Save your energy & wait the 2 hours for the cable car. After you get off the cable car you will still need to hike to your hotel (several to choose from). There are many peaks to climb & you’ll need all your energy. The highest peak is just under 6,000 feet.

There are two traditional villages near Huang Shan. UNESCO classifies Xidi and Hongcun along with Huang Shan as world heritage sites. All worth visiting!