Dalian's First Luxury Wilderness Resort with a Jade-Green Private Bay, Fully Booked from 1358 RMB per Night

While average temperatures in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen reach 35°C, Dalian averages only around 24°C. Dalian truly deserves the title of one of China's 'Cool Cities' and naturally becomes most people's top choice for summer escape.

Staying at Dalian's First Luxury Wilderness Resort: Four Seasons Whale Tale

Several friends from Beijing flew to Dalian specifically to escape the heat. I accompanied them to stay at Dalian's most stylish, soulful, boutique luxury wilderness resort with a private jade-green bay — Dalian Four Seasons Whale Tale Hotel. We spent three days and two nights gathering with old friends, including sailing, paddleboarding, lawn afternoon tea, strolling along old streets, watching a classic movie, and experiencing the romance of Whale Tail Pavilion Night...

We four booked two suites — one overlooking the jade-green bay, and the other with a Wizard of Oz-style sea-view courtyard and a large soaking pool. My friend said, 'I never expected Dalian to be so cool, and the hotel is as tasteful and of the same quality as the hotels we stayed at in Greece.'

I'm especially delighted that Dalian now has its own 'boutique luxury wilderness hotel.' 'Wilderness' means being in accord with nature, and 'luxury' means quality and comfortable vacation experience. The hotel's exterior was designed by a German architect. The overall architecture blends with the reefs and sea. The interior design features a unique wabi-sabi aesthetic, with lush greenery and decor exuding a Bohemian laziness and distinctive free-spiritedness. Moreover, the hotel's room service is particularly attentive — each guest is assigned a dedicated butler. It is said that the staff come from major five-star hotels, no wonder the service is so thoughtful and comfortable.

Four Seasons Whale Tale perfectly showcases true coastal city life.

Dalian's only seaside lawn afternoon tea

We've seen coral on the Great Barrier Reef together,

Fed swans on the Danube together,

Watched sunrise from a hot air balloon over the Amibara Plateau together,

Were moved to tears by tens of thousands of blue fireflies in Cairns together,

Rode camels across vast Gobi Desert on grasslands at minus 40°C together,

We have measured and recorded the beauty of the world together.

After two years apart, we reunited at the jade-green private bay of Four Seasons Whale Tale Hotel, enjoying Dalian's only seaside lawn afternoon tea. We reminisced about our journeys, continued to write wonderful memories, and toasted to our limitless lives.

What attracted me most to the hotel is that guests can enjoy both the jade-green private bay and the ocean-view lawn afternoon tea. Every snapshot looks like an oil painting.

Afternoon tea menu: seasonal fruits, French fruit tarts, donuts, French croissants, blueberry muffins, French croissant sandwiches, chocolate muffins, nut yogurt fruit cups, sparkling wine, madeleines, latte, blackcurrant special soda, black sesame bread rolls.

Photo tips: Wear a bright floral dress or vintage French style, paired with a straw hat for better photos. In short, whatever you wear, every casual shot looks like a masterpiece.

Must-do cool experience in Dalian: Sailing out to sea

Every year in Dalian, I host several waves of relatives or friends, and planning activities has always been a headache. This time, choosing the right hotel solved all these problems for me, and it was even cheaper and hassle-free than if I had arranged it myself.

The hotel butler arranged daytime sailing for us. Departing from Four Seasons Whale Tale Hotel, we headed west along Binhai Road, passing Beidiao Bridge and Yanzhuo Ridge. The advantage of sailing during the day is that you can dance with the seagulls and admire the romantic cityscape of Dalian. In the late afternoon, you can see a beautiful romantic sunset at sea. In the evening, you can enjoy a glass of champagne in the cool summer night, immersed in the charming night.

What to wear: swimsuit, shorts, sunscreen, plus a long dress for photos, hat, sunglasses.

Sailboat food: Complimentary seasonal fruits and soft drinks are provided. You can also pre-order delicious food from the hotel's Jingxi Restaurant.

Dalian's only Moroccan-style photo spot

Unable to travel abroad, it's incredibly beautiful and happiness to find a Moroccan-style spot in Dalian!

The private headland bay is jade-green, with pale rocks and lush wild trees. On cloudy days, the mist often is thin and light; on sunny days, the sea water lazily ripples. This area is open only to hotel guests. After making a reservation, the aesthetically adept butler can set up a scene on the rocks in advance.

Bring your beautiful clothes and long dresses, strike poses, and every casual shot looks like a magazine cover. Four Seasons Whale Tale has more than just the Moroccan spot; the beach, Whale Tail Pavilion, hotel restaurant, rooms, and even public areas all produce movie-poster-quality snapshots.

Encounter 'Jingxi' Delicacies

The highlight of any trip is often food. The hotel's 'Jingxi Restaurant' provides a perfect gourmet menu for our vacation.

Breakfast at Jingxi Restaurant is of high quality, offering both Chinese and Western options. The small meat-filled wontons are especially tasty. Surprisingly, they even serve oden (Japanese stew) for breakfast. The coffee beans are excellent, with a hand-brewed taste.

The restaurant's design is the kind you fall in love with at first sight. It specializes in Western cuisine with fusion dishes, with exquisite and delicious presentations. We ordered stir-fried clams with eggs, braised mixed fish, black-gold crispy roasted pork belly, Caesar salad, handmade Italian pizza, handmade squid ink dumplings, etc. You can order any dish without risk. On weekend nights, there's also BBQ. The restaurant also serves afternoon tea during the day. The barista is handsome, and I especially recommend the lemongrass Thai green lemon tea. You can also enjoy freshly caught seafood like sea urchin, sea cucumber, and conch.

Watch a blue-sky and starry-sea outdoor movie

Every Friday and Saturday at 8:30 PM, a screen is set up in the blue bay to play a movie.

During our stay, they showed one of my favorite classic films, 'Roman Holiday.' We lounged on the soft cushions on the beach, sipped wine, and watched the movie. In the distance, the twinkling lights on the rocks reflected with the moonlight on the blue sea. It was my first time watching a movie accompanied by the sound of waves — so romantic and unique.

At Four Seasons Whale Tale, artificial traces are hidden, the power of nature is magnified infinitely, and everything returns to its most natural state. Thank you, Four Seasons Whale Tale, for taking us to a paradise beyond the common view.

About the author: Jiuwo Guoguo, travel writer, author of 'Travel Across China: Jiangxi' and contributing photographer for 'Silk Road Feast on the Xinjiang Journey.' She has traveled extensively across 6 continents, 40 countries, and 298 cities. She is one of China's Jiuwo Hundred Beauties and a contracted photographer for Visual China. She loves recording and sharing beauty, always being nature's wild child.