Can you take a five-star luxury cruise on Jinji Lake in Suzhou?

You might really think from the title that I went on a cruise, but actually I recently stayed at the Crowne Plaza Suzhou (Suzhou Zhongying) right on the shores of Jinji Lake. The whole hotel is shaped like a giant cruise ship, and the view rooms and the lobby with its vast floor-to-ceiling windows make you feel as if you’re on a sea voyage. Today I’ll share some of my stay experience～

Let’s start with the location. Crowne Plaza Suzhou is on the western bank of Jinji Lake, close to ‘Yanyu Bridge’ metro station. We drove over from Shanghai and parking is free for guests. The hotel is practically in the new centre of Suzhou – incredibly convenient, less than 3 kilometres from the old town, and within touching distance of Suzhou’s new landmark ‘Dongfang Zhimen’ (Gate of the Orient). Even better, the hotel is right on Jinji Lake, so the scenery is gorgeous!

The moment I stepped into the lobby, I was captivated by the brilliant blue Jinji Lake view through the floor-to-ceiling windows – absolutely stunning. In the distance, you can see another Suzhou icon, IFC, across the water. The hotel was completely renovated in 2019, and with the Lunar New Year just around the corner, festive decorations everywhere gave it a wonderfully cheerful feel.

Our room was a lake-view one, offering sweeping views of all Jinji Lake. On the other side you can see Suzhou Center right from the room. I really loved this room type – you get Suzhou’s natural beauty and its modern face in a single glance.

From the bathroom you can also see the lake, and we were lucky enough to be upgraded to an executive room, which meant we could enjoy complimentary lunch, dinner and afternoon tea in the executive lounge on the 8th floor during its opening hours. Being on the 8th floor, the panoramic view is just fantastic – you really get those five-star cruise-suite vistas.

On a ‘trip’ like this, beyond the views and the stay itself, food is of course a huge part of the fun. This time at Crowne Plaza Suzhou I tried several distinctive restaurants:

The ‘Xiangming Fang’ lounge, facing Jinji Lake and pairing beautiful scenery with delicious treats, sits right in the middle of the lobby. Because the lobby bar is decorated with mooring bollards all around, it truly feels like you’re on board a ship.

They’ve recently launched a ‘Chinese New Year afternoon tea’, bursting with festive cheer. The professional servers bring out the afternoon tea on a tray shaped like mahjong tiles and open it in front of you – inside are mahjong pieces, handbags, firecrackers, lucky pouches… eating them made me feel like prosperity was on its way! Add the little ox decorations and New Year touches, and it’s perfect for the whole family. The afternoon tea has both sweet and savoury choices, but what pleasantly surprised me were the desserts – very light, not cloyingly sweet at all, perfectly suited to Chinese palates.

Also on the ground floor is ‘Shengxi’, a buffet restaurant where we had both dinner and breakfast. This restaurant sits right at the ‘bow’ of the great ship, with 270-degree views and superb natural light. Eating here felt almost overwhelmingly rich – there was so much to choose from: seafood, hot pot, Japanese cuisine, barbecue, Hong Kong-style dishes, desserts… you could happily wander from station to station. Dinner starts at 17:15, and I’d recommend going early because there really is a huge amount to try～

The breakfast buffet is also in this restaurant. I was worried it might repeat what we’d had at dinner, but that worry was totally unfounded – the variety at breakfast opened up a whole new world. Breakfast usually ends at 10:00.

Sipping a cocktail while listening to live music is my kind of evening. In the ‘Marianas Bar’ in the lobby, there’s a modern red electric piano, and at night the resident singer’s performance adds a touch of laid-back, cosmopolitan intimacy.

These days the Marianas Bar is all about the Kingdom of Gins. The bartenders have curated 36 gins from around the world, paired with tonic water and various spices and garnishes, whisking you away into a unique tipsy world.

Another reason I really love the Marianas Bar is its elliptical bar counter. The clock in the middle of the counter feels vintage and is not just the soul of the bar but the whole hotel – the guest rooms are arranged in a circle rising up around this bar. The décor is also full of character: old photos on the walls recall sea voyages, and vintage maps bring to mind sailors and old captains on distant journeys.

On one side of the Marianas Bar is the Western restaurant ‘Ting Ba’, where we had lunch the following day. Though not large, the fireplace and open kitchen are just as authentic as the food.

As the waiter said, it’s hard to go wrong with your order here. For main courses, I especially recommend the cod. The flesh is incredibly tender, and the pickled mushrooms plus the secret sauce create an unexpectedly delightful taste sensation.

Let me also mention the lasting impressions and highlights of my stay at Crowne Plaza Suzhou. First, the biggest feature is that five-star cruise experience – the building itself looks like a giant ship, and walking in you feel like you’re ‘boarding!’. Second, because it sits on the shore of Jinji Lake, the floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere – from the lobby, the restaurants or your room – give you views just like from a cruise. And then the interior amenities, décor and attentive service all add up to a wonderful cruise-like stay.

With the pandemic flaring up again recently, I clearly felt that the hotel was very responsible at check-in, and all checks were thorough. At the buffet, we were asked to wear masks and gloves while getting food, to avoid cross-infection – I personally think that’s an excellent idea!

The gym, swimming pool, recreation centre, etc. are all top-notch, and there are professional facilities and services for families with children.

If you can’t travel far during Chinese New Year, coming to Suzhou and ‘taking a cruise’ is a wonderful alternative ✌️

Stay tips:

Address: 168 Xinggang Street, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu Province

Check-in: 14:00, Check-out: 12:00