Grand House Shaoxing

This time I stayed in a two-story garden view villa in Phase 1. There's a living room on the first floor and the bedroom is on the second floor. There's also a mini courtyard outside, which is particularly charming. The bathroom has been newly renovated, with a glass door, new shower walls, and a well-maintained showerhead. The toilet has a smart seat, which dispels the online reviews saying Phase 1 is old-fashioned. The hotel is gradually upgrading. Today, I even saw them replacing the TVs in the rooms, switching from LG to Philips! The mattress is very comfortable, and you can request latex or oat pillows. Even though each villa is independent, room service is incredibly quick; anything you ask for is delivered promptly. Hotel buggies are available for transportation, supposedly every five minutes, but they're basically on-call. The staff members are all very polite and ask where we're going, offering their own tips. Special thanks to Chen Fu, who helped carry our luggage all the way when he picked us up. I was dawdling, and he patiently waited by the luggage instead of going to the car first. Very professional and truly understands service! Check-out was very quick; handing in the key and getting the invoice done in one go. Lu Jie, the staff member at the front desk, was very polite and professional, answering all my questions fluently. He even thoughtfully gave me a souvenir, fermented bean curd and preserved vegetables. The hotel breakfast is a bit mediocre and repetitive; it's the same every day. However, the quality of the items is good. It's a case of good quality making up for a lack of variety. If I had to point out a flaw, it would be the turndown service. I specifically asked and confirmed it was available, but after a day out, I returned to the room and nothing had been done. When I called to inquire, they said their turndown service is exactly like that – nothing!?! Fortunately, I've stayed at Kaiyuan Qiziwan for half a month, so I know Kaiyuan trains its staff. Since our domestic brands are becoming stronger and services more diverse, I still hope they can learn some excellent service practices from international hotels.

My family and I chose Da Yu Kaiyuan Guan Tang for our Spring Festival holiday in Shaoxing for several reasons. Firstly, it's a pet-friendly hotel, so our furry friend could join us. Secondly, we loved the hotel's charmingly rustic style and its beautiful, tranquil surroundings. Thirdly, we trusted Kaiyuan's service quality and the excellent reputation of the food at Yu Family Grand Courtyard Restaurant within the hotel. Lastly, the hotel is right next to the Yu Mausoleum, a famous Shaoxing attraction I had never visited before. This time, three generations of us, along with our dog, booked a street-view duplex family suite through Trip.com. The hotel rooms have a wonderful antique charm, with traditional wooden tenon and mortise locks on the doors and windows, making us feel like we'd traveled back in time – both my grandchild and I absolutely loved it. The duplex suite was clean, tidy, spacious, and comfortable. Many of the hotel's details were commendable: the thoughtful addition of a flashlight to the keychain for easy navigation on the ancient streets at night; a dedicated sterilizer cabinet in the room for teacups and tooth mugs, which gave us peace of mind regarding hygiene. During the Spring Festival of the Bingwu horse year, in addition to the welcome fruit, we also received exquisite and adorable fabric little horses, which added to the festive new year atmosphere. The room was fully equipped with an air purifier, a mini-fridge, and well-placed air conditioning vents and power outlets. The bedding and toiletries were all of high quality, and they even thoughtfully provided children's toothbrushes and slippers – very considerate. We enjoyed strolling around the hotel, avoiding the crowds at tourist spots during the holiday. We stopped to take photos in front of the Shaoxing folk houses with distinct East-Yue characteristics and by the small bridges and flowing water, which put us in a wonderfully good mood. This area was originally Yu Ling Village, home to descendants of Yu the Great who had guarded his mausoleum for generations. After the Kaiyuan Group acquired this ancient village, they transformed it into a large-scale resort hotel with an ancient village style, relocating the original villagers to a newly built villa area not far away – a win-win for everyone. The hotel also introduced distinctive local cultural and tourism shops, such as a Yue kiln celadon pottery workshop where you can make your own pieces, a tie-dye fabric shop from the East-Yue region, a handicraft experience store for making sachets and cyanotypes, a scholarly bookstore, a shop selling Shaoxing yellow wine and sweet pastries, and a photography studio offering ancient Hanfu costume shoots. The freshly fried Shaoxing stinky tofu (6 pieces for 20 yuan) and yellow wine milk tea were also very appealing. The hotel also offers paid experiences like Shaoxing wupeng boats, a free swimming pool, and a gym, which we didn't get to experience due to time constraints. For dinner, we chose the Yu Family Grand Courtyard within the hotel. The ancient-style ambiance was charming, and the food was outstanding. There were also Yue Opera performances and a 'God of Wealth' delivering 'treasures,' which perfectly enhanced the festive atmosphere. Listening to familiar Yue Opera melodies, sipping mellow Shaoxing aged wine, and savoring authentic hometown delicacies – this was the best Spring Festival holiday experience. The chicken soup had a captivating aroma, and the Xishi tofu was incredibly delicious... Shaoxing aged wine, dried vegetable pork, Shaoxing chicken soup with fish balls, Xishi tofu, pickled yellow croaker, marinated crab, rice cakes, and steamed 'three stinks' were all flavors of home. The bill came to 768 yuan. After dinner, we strolled around the ancient village to digest, but unfortunately, we missed the hotel's sky lantern release during the Spring Festival. The next day, the morning light streamed through the window frames into the room, creating dappled shadows on the white walls, as gentle and warm as early spring. Pushing open the wooden window, the bamboo downstairs seemed eager to stretch into the room, calling me to quickly go downstairs and soak in the rich spring essence of the mountain village. Seeing the lively and adorable lambs born on the first day of the ***** New Year filled me with a sense of spring's vitality and hope. Da Yu Kaiyuan Guan Tang's breakfast buffet primarily featured local Shaoxing delicacies, which were very distinctive. Dishes like dried vegetable fried rice, dried vegetable pancakes, freshly fried dough sticks, homemade tofu pudding, Shengzhou soup dumplings, Yanpi mini wontons, Majian tofu buns, sweet potatoes, and茴香豆 (fennel beans) were all marked as special local delicacies by the restaurant. Beyond the distinctive local cuisine, three things at Da Yu Kaiyuan Guan Tang's breakfast buffet particularly impressed me: firstly, the quality of all the food ingredients was excellent, and everything was prepared with great care; secondly, despite the Spring Festival dining rush, the hotel was well-prepared, replenishing food promptly; and thirdly, their breakfast sausages and fried dough sticks were served in small portions, which helped prevent food waste. Additionally, the self-service coffee machine at breakfast offered very pure hot chocolate, something rarely seen even in other five-star hotels. Although the Western food options were not extensive, they were all delicious, whether it was the bread, pastries, bacon, or sausages. Kaiyuan's service was truly excellent, from the two shuttle bus drivers (one named Tianle, and another chubby bespectacled young man whose name I forgot to ask) to the front desk staff (the young man during check-in and Ms. Jin Renci during check-out), and the waiters at Yu Family Grand Courtyard and the buffet restaurant – everyone was enthusiastic, meticulous, and thoughtful. They deserve commendation. Upon check-out, the hotel thoughtfully presented us with creative scented sachets, preserved mustard greens, and rose fermented bean curd from Xianheng Hotel, which was a delightful surprise. It was a truly wonderful holiday trip.

This hotel is definitely worth staying at. The staff are incredibly friendly and the grounds are spacious and beautiful, almost like a small scenic area. It's perfect for a post-dinner stroll, with a winding river whose water is flowing and doesn't smell, full of small fish about ten centimeters long – great for photos. I personally prefer the rooms in Phase 1 that overlook the water; they have a more charming 'small bridge, flowing water, and human dwelling' feel. It's incredibly quiet at night, and in the mornings, the birds' chirping wakes you up and accompanies you throughout the day. Phase 2, where I stayed later, is more new Chinese style. However, Phase 1's historical vibe feels a bit too heavy, and I find Phase 2's Shaoxing aesthetic more appealing. The breakfast is decent. The filling of the Shengzhou xiaolongbao is delicious. The Majian tofu buns and Qianzhang buns, both with filling, paired with the beef meatball soup from next to them, are absolutely divine. The traditionally made dried tofu was too salty, and the skin of the Yanpi wontons wasn't thin enough; I hope they can improve that. The fried stinky tofu provided by the hotel was crispy and tasty. The signature dishes at the Yujia Grand Courtyard restaurant aren't great value for money, but the set menus from review platforms are reasonably priced. Right next door, about 20-30 meters away, is an entrance to the Kuaijishan Dayu Ling scenic area, but the ticket is 60 yuan, and it's a man-made attraction. The hotel's location is close to Shaoxing Ancient City, about a 5-6 km taxi ride to Lu Xun's former residence. The hotel operates the Wupeng boat tours through the water system to the Dayu Ling scenic area. The ticket is 90 yuan. In the morning, it was just the two of us, and the boatman rowed so fast I almost got seasick. We were back on shore in five or six minutes, and his attitude was poor. If you're paying yourself, definitely don't spend money on this! Remember to avoid this pitfall.

I had a very satisfying stay here. The entire hotel seems to have been converted from a village, mostly made up of individual small buildings. The hotel itself is a fantastic place to explore, with bridges, a river, and beautiful scenery. You could easily spend a whole day here without getting bored, it's very relaxing. The butler service was excellent; they responded to messages promptly and were quick to address any requests. The hotel restaurant service was also great. We happened to be there during a Qingming festival event, and the hotel organized some fun games that the elders really enjoyed and even won prizes. This is definitely a hotel I'd recommend to friends, and if I travel to Shaoxing again, I would certainly consider staying here. It's truly a great place.

I stayed in a room in the first phase, and it was clean and tidy, with all the necessary amenities, plus complimentary fruit. The hotel, which is a renovated village, has an authentic layout. Bluestone paths connect all the houses, and you can see bauhinia, camellia, weeping crabapple, and wisteria everywhere. In spring, the whole park is filled with birdsong and flowers, and at night it's incredibly quiet. For getting around, you can call for a shuttle service, and they'll even help with your luggage. Sometimes, when you meet staff on the park paths, they'll greet you proactively, which is very welcoming. The breakfast offers a rich variety, and there's always something to suit your taste. The food is also served very quickly. The park also offers activities like tie-dyeing, rubbings, dough figurine making, a bookstore, black-awning boats, tea ceremonies, and a traditional opera stage – plenty to do. Overall, this stay was truly excellent!👍

The hotel is huge, and the Dayu Mausoleum scenery is absolutely stunning. I originally booked a twin room, wanting to experience an eco-friendly stay, but was upgraded to a river-view courtyard villa. It was so pleasant to sit in the courtyard and have tea. Special thanks to the front desk staff, Taiting, for coordinating and showing us several rooms, and to Xiaoyue for gifting our child a breakfast.

Although the hotel features a resort-style garden design, it's also fully equipped with modern amenities like a gym and a swimming pool. Plus, Mia from the front desk was so kind and helpful when we checked out!

The hotel's overall ambiance is super nice, with a classical Jiangnan garden style. On my second day, it rained, and I spent half a day exploring the hotel – the misty Jiangnan scenery was incredibly picturesque. I was particularly impressed by the hotel's internal golf cart shuttle service, which was prompt and efficient. The front desk staff were also excellent; one particular male front desk agent had an exceptionally good phone manner and was very thoughtful in his arrangements. Breakfast was also very varied. I'd love to stay here again if I get the chance. The only slightly negative experience was with the Wupeng boat service; both the ticketing staff and the boatman had rather poor attitudes, which was a shame since I paid for it. ☹️

A tranquil town with buildings in an ancient architectural style, which the kids loved. It has a peaceful old town vibe and plenty of family-friendly activities. There's also attentive butler service. The breakfast spread was abundant.