An Elegant Chinese-Style Hotel by the Qiantang River: Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou

I remember back in summer, when I was heading to Hangzhou Civic Center, I passed by the Diaoyutai Hotel. I was deeply impressed by its magnificent exterior. I even told my friend that it must be amazing inside and that I’d love to stay there for a few nights if I got the chance…

Then, just last week, I actually got to stay there! I brought my mom along to experience this luxurious hotel with its Chinese flair.

As a travel blogger, I’ve stayed at many five-star hotels, but deep down, this one is my favorite by far, no contest. It’s a perfect blend of Chinese chic and international style!

First of all, the entire building of Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou is both majestic and restrained. Designed by the British firm ATKINS, it exudes a sense of high-end grandeur.

Walking into the lobby is like stepping into an exquisite Jiangnan garden, yet the details convey a royal grandeur. The entrance is designed as a sedan chair hall, featuring a sedan-shaped art piece that immerses you in traditional Chinese culture. Further inside, four pillars catch your eye. The lobby is spacious and grand, but the wooden pillars are strikingly minimalist, with handcrafted textures and a tactile, uneven surface that express vitality and a sense of history.

The lounge area and reception are separated by a moon gate. The reception area’s ceiling incorporates pavilion elements, and the backdrop wall is adorned with Chinese ink paintings. The lobby ceiling features a deliberate use of Chinese red, and on either side of the reception desk are bookshelves, an essential touch of Chinese charm.

With Christmas just around the corner, the hotel had a rich festive atmosphere, with all kinds of decorations and displays that looked beautiful and stylish.

Staying in a River-View Suite: A High-End Blend of East and West

I absolutely loved the river-view suite I stayed in! The room’s color scheme is vintage yet luxuriously chic. No matter which corner you’re in, it’s incredibly photogenic – you can snap stunning shots in no time! Just look, even my mom could strike a pose like an influencer!

Inside, the overall feeling was one of pure comfort and relaxation, as if you were in a peaceful, secluded Jiangnan mansion.

The desk in the room is designed to resemble a traditional eight-immortals table.

The bathroom’s black-and-white floor tiles give it an exotic flair. When you’re tired, just sink into the oversized round bathtub for a soothing soak.

The toilets are all fully automatic – super smart and thoughtful! And the bathroom: it has top-of-the-line rainforest shower equipment, with an overhead showerhead and three side jets that can all spray water at once, so you never have to worry about getting cold. Such an incredibly thoughtful design! The hotel also uses Appelles, a premium Australian organic skincare brand, for bath products, and provides different bathrobes for winter and summer.

My favorite part was the two hexagonal washbasins, handcrafted from copper. The design is said to be inspired by ancient wells in Hangzhou and the leak-lattice windows of Jiangnan, giving a sense of completeness. I immediately told my mom I’d install the exact same kind at home!

On the walls, there are Chinese paintings in exquisite Western-style frames, showing refined taste.

The room is also equipped with a BOSE wireless music system, a 55-inch full HD TV with adjustable angles, and multi-functional ports so you can mirror your phone or computer screen on the TV.

The only slight pity was that on the day I checked in, it was foggy, so I couldn’t clearly see the Qiantang River. If the weather had been good, the view from the room would have been absolutely stunning!

Mipin Western Restaurant: Stepping into Marco Polo’s Travels

For dinner, we ate at Mipin Western Restaurant. The restaurant draws inspiration from the travels of Marco Polo, bringing together Chinese and Western cultures, essences, and cuisines in a perfect encounter.

I tried the beef hot pot launched for winter, a novel way of eating. You dip small chunks of beef into a pot filled with oil, swish for just 10 seconds, then eat. Dip it in sauce, pop it in your mouth, and it’s mind-blowingly delicious! The milky, juice-exploding beef is the tastiest, most tender beef I’ve ever had!

The mushroom soup and pasta were also very tasty.

And there’s an all-you-can-eat salad and dessert bar too!

Must-Try Hangzhou Cuisine

The next day at noon, we went to the hotel’s Pin Ju · Hangzhou leisure restaurant, which serves authentic Hangzhou cuisine. The semi-open kitchen lets diners watch the chefs at work. The atmosphere has a slightly bustling, down-to-earth feel, relaxed and unpretentious; most of the customers are young office workers.

We ordered drunken crab, beef cubes, meatball hot pot, oil-blasted prawns, peanut sprouts, and other specialty dishes, all bursting with Jiangnan flavors.

Exquisite Breakfast Full of Hangzhou Character

Breakfast here is sumptuous and exquisitely presented, with a strong Hangzhou identity. Items like victory cakes, osmanthus layered cakes, drunken chicken, and more are all delicious! And what makes it even better is that you can enjoy the view of the green park outside through the floor-to-ceiling windows while you eat—so charming!

Leisure and Entertainment: Gym and Pool

On the basement level, there’s a 20-meter heated swimming pool, a jacuzzi with spa jets, and a fitness center.

The Prestigious 18th Floor: A Hidden ‘Sky Garden’

Villa Hangzhou is located on the 18th floor and serves the renowned Diaoyutai cuisine. The 260-square-meter space is designed as a mansion’s reception hall, furnished with Chinese-style pieces, and the dining area can accommodate a 24-seat round table, with views of the Qiantang River. Two elevators that go directly from the ground floor offer VIPs a private dining experience. From Villa Hangzhou, you can stroll into the adjacent Chinese-style sky garden. This 680-square-meter Jiangnan garden, complete with bridges, streams, pavilions, and terraces, is an idyllic venue for private banquets.

If you come to Hangzhou, you must visit Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou to experience a place brimming with the essence of Chinese culture and the charm of the ancient Qiantang capital!

2021 Chinese New Year Activities

If you stay during Chinese New Year, there will be a series of activities to bring back the flavor of a traditional Chinese New Year, and all are welcome to join! On New Year’s Day (first day of the lunar year), there will be a Chinese lion dance; on the second day, sticky rice cake making; on the third day, folk sugar-blowing; on the fourth day, shadow puppet theater; and on the fifth day, folk dough figurine sculpting. From the first to the fifth day, when you dine at the restaurant, a magician will bring you surprise gifts!

Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou

Address: No. 65 Wuxing Road, Jianggan District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province