My wife and I spent 2 weeks in China right after the Olympic Games. Stayed at Zen Garden for 3 days while visiting Lijiang. We enjoyed this hotel very much. That's why I decided to write this review since I rarely write any review unless I'm truly impressed or deeply disappointed.
To start with, we would recommend contacting the hotel a few days before your arrival, and ask the hotel to arrange a car to pick you up at the airport. When we landed, the taxi driver was already there holding a sign with my name. The cost was 80 RMB ($12). Considering the airport is about 60KM from the hotel plus waiting, it's well worth it. If you decide to get a taxi at the airport, you may save a buck or two, or may not.
The hotel is located at the center of Lijiang Old Town where cars are not allowed. You have to talk about 5 mins downhill to get to the hotel from the gate. Guess what, the hotel will send someone to help with your luggage. So don't worry.
Check-in is very quick since the hotel only has about 16 rooms. Your housekeeper will bring some Chinese cake to your room right after check-in (not big fang of the cake though). The room is relatively small if you are used to American standard. Two single beds with a nightstand and a TV. You don't have much room to wonder around in your room. But why would you? You are going to spend most of your time in the town anyway. The bathroom is modern and clean, but again relatively small.
The best part of the hotel is its courtyard. As a Chinese, I've seen many places, especially at those historical sites, trying to have an ancient or historical looking. I have to say that Zen Garden is one of the best with very tasteful decorations and authentic antiques. They have a charcoal fire place in the lobby (living room to be more accurate), which adds a great touch to the cozy feeling, especially when you come back from a cold raining day. The view from the 2nd floor porch is amazing. You want to be there when the old town lights up. They have free wireless in the hotel as well as two computers for guest use. Internet is free, but they charge for printing (20RMB).
Couple things you may want to be aware. They don’t have ice machine in this hotel (not common in China anyway). So if you want ice water after a hot day, you may be a little disappointed since they only have cold water. Also, they don't have a full kitchen. They do offer complementary breakfast with only cold selections, no scrambled eggs or bacon and etc. I asked the manager why not serve some hot eggs as western travelers may want them. Well, they tried and the chef wouldn't satisfy the guests with various requests... scrambled, sunny side up, not over cooked.... So they gave up. If you are a healthy eater, you would like their breakfast.
Zen Garden sits right in the heart of Lijiang Old Town. The next door neighbor, unlike 90% of the homes in the Old Town, hasn't converted their home into a hotel or shop. So you still get a chance to see the old way of living of Naxi people. We enjoyed every single time when we walked by and saw grandma feeding her grandkids at a stone table in front of her home. There are bigger and more modern hotels located outside the Old Town. But you will miss what I just described.
Couple words about Lijiang.... Well, Lijiang Old Town is definitely loosing its charm, and becoming too much a commercial and touristy spot. If you come to the old town after 6pm, you would think you are part of a parade. Thousands of tourists including people like us and people just off tour buses are wondering around to buy faked antiques or overpriced souvenirs. With that being said, the Old Town is still unique and beautiful for first-time comers. I probably won’t go back again, but have no regrets what so ever. The best time to see the old town is before 7am when local residents finally take the town back and conduct their daily morning business.
One place in Lijiang to avoid is Jade Dragon Mountain (or Yu Long Xue Shang in Chinese) even though it's ranked #1 tourist spot in Lijiang. The ticket is ridiculously over priced (350 RMB). The wait for cable car during peak season could be over 3 hours. The worst part is that there's nothing up there to see after spending so much money and time. There's rarely a clear day around the summit for you to look around, and the mountain no longer has a snow capped peak during summer and fall due to global warming. Don’t be fooled by the pictures you see on the brochures, it's not going to happen to you.
Anyway, we enjoyed the Zen Garden very much and hope you will have a wonderful trip to Lijiang. Btw, the owner of Zen Garden just opened her 2nd hotel (Zen Garden Lion Hill). We went there for an afternoon tea. The rooms are newer and bigger. But with doubled rate we think the original one is a better choice.
