A Beautiful Rendezvous at Dream Butterfly Villa: Keeping Dali as Enchanting as Expected

Have you ever had this feeling?

Sometimes, the more you long for something, the more conflicted you become. You worry that imagination and reality will turn out vastly different, betraying your expectations. After marriage, my husband brainwashed me with the motto 'Enjoy poetry and wine while youth lasts,' and with mixed feelings, we planned our trip to Dali. I carefully selected and finally settled on the most satisfying hotel: Beautiful Rendezvous Dream Butterfly Villa.

The start of our trip was full of hiccups. My usual carelessness nearly caused me to lose my ID and miss the flight. Even my husband's best efforts to calm me couldn't dispel my unease. After landing, as soon as we exited the airport, we found the hotel's butler waiting for us at the exit. Sitting in the hotel's private car, the butler chatted with us cheerfully, which relaxed me a lot. Amid laughter, we arrived at the hotel. The butler gentlemanly opened the car door for me, bustling about with our luggage—such thoughtful service!

The hotel's design incorporates the style of Suzhou gardens. From a distance, you'd mistake it for the private courtyard of an old wealthy family. High-pointed roofs, antique-style corridors, and a prominent plaque under the eaves with 'Dream Butterfly Villa' written in elegant, handsome calligraphy. Upon asking, I learned it was the hand of Nan Huai-Chin. Just the first sight filled me with high expectations for our stay.

Stepping into the lobby, it was different from the delicate elegance outside. Marble floors, a small lotus-shaped pond in the center echoing the floral ceiling light above—it was simply magnificent! While I looked around, the butler had already checked us in and, as he led us to our room, he thoughtfully reminded us to watch our step.

After escorting us to our room, the butler brought us welcome fruits and tea. After a short rest, he came to discuss our itinerary, attending to every detail and listening carefully to our needs. After exchanging ideas, we finalized the schedule. I must say, the hotel's 'one villa, one car, one butler' service is incredibly thoughtful. An excellent butler can really save us from many detours, such as adjusting plans, offering sightseeing tips, restaurant recommendations, photo spots, and suggesting fun, authentic places. Meanwhile, the hotel provides a dedicated car service within a 30km radius of Dali Ancient Town, available on call, which made our travels extremely convenient.

For the first time, my husband and I traveled without having to worry about any itinerary details. The joy of just enjoying ourselves was truly unforgettable.

We booked the Erhai Garden · Private Pool Villa. The room was spacious, with a wood-grain ceiling, white gauze curtains, wooden decor, a comfortable king bed, and cozy soft lounge chairs. The simple yet elegant wood-themed design perfectly suited my taste. The large floor-to-ceiling windows offered an unobstructed view of the beautiful scenery. The room connected to a courtyard with an exquisite pavilion and a private soaking pool. My husband and I sat on the loungers by the pool, savoring the afternoon tea prepared by the butler, enjoying the view and chatting—what a blissful experience!

After resting from our travel fatigue, we strolled around and discovered how meticulously the hotel had been designed and landscaped. Lush greenery was everywhere. Along the winding paths, stone posts resembling porcelain stood on either side. Looking up, white walls and dark-tiled roofs were everywhere, interspersed with bridges over flowing water, creating an elegant ambiance—perfect for photo ops. We even changed into Republic-era style outfits. I wore a cheongsam, and teasing each other, we walked by the pond, an oil-paper umbrella in hand, feeling exactly like the refined men and women of that era.

The next day, we woke up especially early because the hotel offered a sumptuous breakfast. Various dishes were presented on elegant plates, and from early morning, we embarked on a culinary journey. After breakfast, led by our butler, our Dali sightseeing officially began.

The first stop goes without saying: when you think of Dali, the must-see is Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. Under the butler's arrangement, we went to Erhai Lake first. When we arrived, there were hardly any tourists. As far as the eye could see, Cangshan in the distance and Erhai before us were incredibly magnificent. Standing by the lake, with a gentle breeze blowing, ripples dancing on the water, seagulls rising and falling, everything around us fell quiet, as if washing away the worries and fatigue in our hearts, giving rise to a sense of calm and peace.

With such beautiful scenery, how could I not capture some graceful photos? Unfortunately, my husband is a 'photo disaster,' and his straight-male aesthetic gave me a headache. Thanks to our butler, I was able to freeze those wonderful moments. I am sincerely grateful to our 'Doraemon' butler. As we left Erhai Lake, the tourists were gradually increasing, but luckily, under the butler's planning, we had enjoyed the views early on.

In the afternoon, we took the Cangshan cable car and experienced its scenery. The awe was truly indescribable—highly recommend experiencing it yourself!

On the last day, on the butler's recommendation, we reached Dali Ancient Town in about 10 minutes from the hotel. Dali is a unique place where classical and modern interweave, and you can see this especially in the ancient town. The town was originally built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty and is one of China's first historical and cultural cities, embodying Dali's history, ethnic culture, religion, and art. It includes 14 municipal-level or above key cultural relic protection sites, with four city gate towers, four corner towers, and a chessboard-style layout, exuding majesty and solemnity. Meanwhile, the flowing tourists, lanterns hanging high under the eaves of the gate and corner towers, and numerous characteristic shops inject modern vitality. It's truly a place where history and modernity meet—worth a visit!

Strolling along Yu'er Road in the ancient town, the street is broad and lined with plane trees and ginkgo trees. In autumn and winter, as far as the eye can see, the golden ginkgo and romantic parasol trees sketch an artistic beauty.

We also visited the Dali Three Pagodas Park. The three pagodas set against the blue sky looked even more sacred, leaving us in awe. As we admired them slowly, our hearts grew calm with each step.

After visiting, it was still early and the winter cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The butler suggested we go see them. Standing under the cherry trees, petals fluttered down with the breeze, landing on us, accompanied by a faint fragrance. My husband and I walked hand in hand, and it felt like a scene from a romantic drama. The attentive butler took many photos for us, and I genuinely thought his photography skills were excellent. Thank him for helping capture the beautiful moments of our Dali trip!

Before we knew it, our Dali trip was coming to an end. The front desk ladies and the housekeeping aunties always greeted us warmly. When checking out, I reluctantly said goodbye to the front desk lady. Even though it was only a few days, it felt like the warmth of home, and I didn't want to leave.

The butler accompanied us to the airport and we made plans to meet again. As we left, my husband said he really hit it off with the butler and hoped to become friends and stay in touch. I must say, the butler's thoughtfulness and meticulousness, and the hotel's exceptional service greatly enhanced our Dali trip. Without their care, my Dali experience might have been ruined by unexpected incidents and trifles. Thanks to them, Dali remains as wonderful as I had imagined in my heart—truly a trip well worth it!

Hotel address: No. 160 Beimen Street, Dali Ancient Town;

Price reference: from 1500 CNY

I saw that Beautiful Rendezvous has other great hotels under its brand. I recommend the following:

(1) Beautiful Rendezvous · Dali Garden Villa Hotel:

Hotel address: No. 1, Cangshan Xiaoyuan Villa Area, Dali Town, Dali City, Yunnan Province

A fairyland backed by Cangshan and facing Erhai, where mountain, sea, cloud, and moon invite you, and tea, wine, and books accompany you—exquisitely elegant.

(2) Beautiful Rendezvous · Dali Weide Manor Seaview Garden Hotel:

Hotel address: Next to Langqiao, Xiangyangxi Village, Wanqiao Town, Dali City, Yunnan Province

With crisscrossing paths and sounds of roosters and dogs, you're in the company of nature; rising with the sun and resting at sunset, it's a 'paradise' away from the glitz.

(3) Beautiful Rendezvous · Dali Golf Private Custom Hotel:

Hotel address: Building 10, Phase 1, Canghai Golf Resort, Dali Town, Dali City, Yunnan Province

A family outing away from the hustle and bustle, warm and free; a serene and modern sophisticated golf rendezvous, spending precious time with loved ones.

(4) Beautiful Rendezvous · Dali Private Home Resort Villa:

Hotel address: Yaopeng Xinyuan, next to Chongsheng Temple, Santa North Road, Dali Town, Dali City, Yunnan Province

A children's paradise, an ideal choice for family gatherings. Offering comprehensive services from accommodation, travel, to childcare—a home-away-from-home experience.