The Hot Spring Hotel That’s Impossible to Book Even at 1,000+ Yuan – What’s So Irresistible? We Went to Find Out for You

This family-friendly hot spring hotel, nestled in Zengcheng, Guangzhou and surrounded by forests and mountains, has had its themed family rooms frequently sold out since opening early this year. What exactly draws visitors from everywhere? Let’s go take a look today.

It’s just a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Guangzhou. The hotel lobby is simple yet elegant, and the lounge area doubles as a small library, where ceramic ornaments and pine bonsai on the shelves lend a refined charm to the books. Grab a book, find a quiet corner, and read a few pages—the waiting time doesn’t feel so long after all.

The layout between floors is refreshingly open. Green bamboo at the corners adds a burst of vitality and freshness. Under parasols, small groups of friends sit chatting and sipping tea.

The hotel currently offers mountain-view rooms, lake-view rooms, waterfall-view rooms, and three themed family room types, each with an area of over 50 square meters. Every room has a private terrace hot spring pool. Draw the blackout curtains around the railing, turn on the water valve, and pure, natural mountain spring water slowly flows in. Wait about 40 minutes, and you can enjoy a private relaxing soak without leaving your room.

Terrace hot spring pool, with the distant Baishuizhai Waterfall in view.

The premium rooms come with a small walk-in closet, bathrobes, disposable slippers, and sanitized slippers. The bathroom has separate wet and dry areas, and basic toiletries are fully provided. The five-star bedding is soft, warm, and enveloping. The latex mattress is medium-firm, making it effortless to turn over.

The family starry-sky room features a universe and starry sky theme, with a blue-and-white color scheme and decorations like meteorites, astronauts, and rockets. It has a duplex layout. The upper children’s bed, which looks about 1.5 meters wide, can accommodate one older child or two little ones. The lower level has two 1.5-meter beds, perfect for a family of four. Kids are overjoyed scrambling up and down through the starry climbing net.

The family ocean room, themed with the sea, ships, and little fish, creates a blue ocean world where kids can fully explore the mysteries of the deep. Spacious at 110 square meters, it has a 1.8-meter children’s bed in the loft and two standard 1.5-meter beds in the room. Even a family of four won’t feel cramped; both adults and children have their own space.

The family forest room incorporates elements of the forest, animals, and plants. Open the door, and you’re in a lively forest animal world. The most eye-catching feature is a slide running from the loft all the way down—surely the most thrilling spot for kids, as if they’ve entered an amusement park in the woods. They’ll slide down and run back up tirelessly, and even adults can’t resist joining in. (Tip: The slide is fairly steep, so younger children need adult supervision.) No wonder the forest-themed room is the top seller—it always seems to be booked out. If you fancy this room type, be sure to reserve far in advance! The bathroom is designed with child-height fixtures, and toiletries include a kids’ set—very thoughtful. This room is ideal for a family of three, with a 1.3-meter children’s bed in the loft and a 1.8-meter king bed in the main space.

After the room tour, it’s time to enjoy a forest afternoon tea. The glass-walled restaurant seems embedded in a green world, cleverly blending with the small pond outside and the distant green mountains. Having afternoon tea in this green forest world not only delights your taste buds with sweet treats but also lifts your spirits, brightened by the afternoon sunlight.

After a delightful afternoon tea, the hotel manager led us to the picking garden. Kids love picking all sorts of things, and the eggplant patch was just ready. Glossy purple eggplants, and pairs of cute little hands—within fifteen minutes, everyone had a bountiful harvest. The hotel’s plantation has a variety of vegetables and fruits, and seasonal family picking activities are organized. Be sure not to miss them.

Kids who never get enough fun come to the hotel’s Tianyang Lake. By the dock, there are various water sports: kayaking, paddleboarding, water bikes, sightseeing boats, and more. Everyone picks their favorite activity. My daughter and I went kayaking, paddling on the beautiful lake. On a nearby hill, a waterfall cascaded down—the locally famous Baishuizhai Waterfall. With the setting sun and sparkling reflections on the water, we paddled around the lake and returned safely to shore.

Awaiting us for dinner was the hotel’s signature dish: the Shikuang Lake Eco Whole Fish Banquet, featuring delicious Taichi-style steamed fish head, tender and tangy hot-and-sour fish fillets, crispy fried fish belly, and baked egg with tangerine peel and fish intestines… Suffice it to say, the chef’s skills are superb—even kids who normally don’t like fish couldn’t stop eating. I recommend the Yali Xuan Chinese Restaurant on the second floor; both Cantonese and local specialties are very authentic. Especially recommend the last dish: Bird’s Nest Roasted Pigeon, with crispy skin and flavorful meat, leaving a lasting aftertaste.

After a day of fun, the evening is the most pleasant and relaxing time for a hot spring soak. Whether you go to the hotel’s most distinctive outdoor Bird’s Nest Hot Spring or simply enjoy a private bath in your room with a face mask and a glass of milk, it’s pure bliss! (Tip: During the pandemic, the hotel temporarily closes the outdoor hot spring.) Because we were on a mission, the hotel staff made an exception and opened the Bird’s Nest Hot Spring for us—we’re truly grateful! That night, my daughter and I quietly enjoyed the entire forest from the bird’s nest, gazing at the few faint stars above, with occasional insect chirps nearby. The warm spring water enveloped us softly like silk. Humming a little tune, we leaned by the pool edge, letting our minds go blank, letting time flow quietly, and simply reveled in this beautiful spring night!

After a good night’s sleep, we woke to the crisp chirping of birds. The buffet restaurant on the first floor starts at 7:00 a.m., offering a variety of Chinese and Western breakfast options. Just a few tastes showed the chefs’ dedication: the slow-cooked plain congee was perfectly tender and smooth, slipping down with a rice fragrance; the soy milk was thick, just a little sugar bringing out a delicate sweetness and bean aroma—I hadn’t drunk such pure soy milk in a long time. But the highlight was the beef offal. I imagined the chef proudly noting, ‘Probably the best beef offal in Guangzhou!’ I got a bowl of rice noodles, scooped some offal and a few ladles of broth on top—a bowl of rich, flavorful beef offal noodles that was irresistible. Highly recommended!

Too full from breakfast, I took a stroll with my daughter in the outdoor hot spring garden. The morning forest garden had exceptionally fresh air, with birdsong and flowers. Many four-season osmanthus trees were planted in the courtyard; even though it wasn’t the osmanthus season, you could still catch whiffs of their fragrance. At that hour, there were almost no guests, making it perfect for photos.

Many of the hotel’s projects are now in the final stages. In the future, there will be an international RV camping site, a themed resort park, forest outdoor adventure training, family jungle exploration, and other experiential activities. This is set to pioneer a new one-stop model in the hotel industry that combines vacationing with family-friendly experiences. With titles like ‘One-Hour Living Circle of the Pearl River Delta,’ ‘A Worthy Rival to Chimelong Theme Park,’ and ‘Guangdong’s Version of Atlantis,’ the Senlin Hai Tourism Resort boasts all these tags. For us regular folks, isn’t this yet another place we can visit again and again on weekends?

Just as on the day we left, my daughter asked, ‘Mommy, when can we come again? There are so many things I haven’t tried yet!’ It seems this is the charm of Senlin Hai Hot Spring Resort Hotel: there’s always something that captivates kids, always something new to play, and it makes families happy, leaving wonderful memories—a place you start missing even before you’ve left. That is the Guangzhou Senlin Hai Hot Spring Resort Hotel.

Nearby attractions: Baishuizhai, Dafengmen Forest Park, Shimen National Forest Park, Liuxihe National Forest Park, and Nankunshan National Forest Park are all close by.

From Guangzhou: downtown Guangzhou – Huanan Expressway – Guanghe Expressway – Congwanshen Expressway – exit at Guancun (turn right) to Senlin Hai Resort.

From Zhuhai: downtown Zhuhai – Guang’ao Expressway – Guangzhou Ring Expressway – Guanghe Expressway – Congwanshen Expressway – exit at Guancun (turn right) to Senlin Hai Resort.

From Shenzhen: downtown Shenzhen – Pearl River Delta Ring Expressway – Congwanshen Expressway – exit at Guancun (turn right) to Senlin Hai Resort.

From Baiyun Airport: Baiyun Airport – Airport Expressway – Daguang Expressway – Congwanshen Expressway – exit at Guancun (turn right) to Senlin Hai Resort.

By public transport: Guangzhou Metro Line 3 – Jiahe Wanggang (transfer to Line 14) – Conghua Coach Terminal (Exit C1) – Bus No. 13 – Baishuizhai Road – walk 1 km to Senlin Hai Resort.