28 Best Hotels in Beijing to Shanghai, China

It's worth dragging your suitcase along cobbled Donguang Street in the heart of old Yangzhou to reach this restored Qing Dynasty courtyard hotel, where quiet gardens and pavilions are connected by lantern-lit pathways and oval "moon gates," and modern guest rooms have well-equipped bathrooms. A basic Chinese breakfast is offered, though most guests skip it and head to one of Yangzhou's famous teahouses.

With rich textiles, sleek furnishings, and floor-to-ceiling windows, the guest rooms at this welcoming hotel are fine for the price; ask for an east-facing room, and you'll be treated to rousing vistas of Xuanwu Lake and the wall surrounding Nanjing's old city. Making the location even nicer is the fact that there's a subway station just outside. If you don't feel like venturing far for dinner, the 20th-floor revolving restaurant serves an all-you-can-eat buffet with Western and Chinese dishes. The staff can help you arrange day trips around the city.

The two-story stone entrance to this luxury hotel is topped by a pagoda that's modeled after the nearby Pan Gate; try to snag a courtyard-facing room (with garden views) or a newer Pacific Club room (pricier but with more perks). The Pagoda Lounge Bar overlooks the Ruiguang Pagoda. Kids enjoy the outdoor Roman-style pool.

Wake to crowing roosters at this curio-filled boutique hotel opened by a Shanghai artist; it's in a 400-year-old stone house outside Xidi, an hour's drive from Tunxi, so a stay here lets you experience ancient village life—without forsaking air-conditioning or Internet access. The staff prepares tasty home-style meals for lunch and dinner using whatever's in season. A driver is on hand for local tours, airport pickups, and trips to Huangshan, making this a good base for exploring the area. A second, larger location is a 10-minute drive away.

This grand old mansion next to historic Pingjiang Jie balances period atmosphere and contemporary comfort; just ask to see a few rooms before check-in—antique furniture and modern bathrooms are a given, but a cramped, awkward layout and lack of natural light can be issues. The dimly lighted lobby is the oldest part of the complex, dating back 450 years. A series of 11 individually designed gardens are planted with bamboo, plum trees, and peach trees, making it a fun place to explore.

Two kilometers (1 mile) south of the old walls, this elegant hotel set around a purpose-built lake was Qufu's first world-class accommodation, at last making the UNESCO-listed town a compelling destination for a luxury break or side trip that's complete with creature comforts. In addition to excellent restaurants, the hotel has first-rate pool, gym, and spa facilities.

If you're looking for luxury, this 48-story tower remains a fine choice despite all the recent competition; rooms and suites are chic and understated, with subtle Asian flourishes and all the trimmings you'd expect from the brand, including plasma TVs and rainfall showers. Dining options abound, including beautifully designed Chinese and French eateries. The hotel is within walking distance of the eateries on Hunan Lu pedestrian street.

Looking somewhat like a tube of lipstick from the outside, this 49-story cylinder sits right in the center of town, boasting sleek and spacious guest rooms and a grand lobby with impressive chandeliers and marble columns. A terrific Italian restaurant called Biscotti uses authentic imported ingredients like Parma ham.

From the Yungu Cable Car station (or top of the Eastern Steps for hikers), this is the first of the four main hotels at the summit area that you'll reach; middling rooms are made up for somewhat by a good restaurant downstairs.

With rooms set among flowering rhododendrons and azaleas, the Beihai Hotel is a decent choice for a night on the mountain; ask for a front-facing room which has better views.

Steps from the heart of the city, this well-run hotel has an offbeat charm, with a bright, brash, and soaring lobby and stylish, reasonably priced guest rooms. The helpful 24-hour travel desk can arrange day tours in and around Nanjing or set up farther-flung excursions.

Huangshan's first world-class hotel is a really good bet for a night of creature comforts after you've hiked the trails and returned to Tunxi. The rooms overlooking the Xin'an River are the nicest, and there's a big pool to unwind in.

After a day exploring Suzhou's many gardens, return to one of your own—10 acres, to be precise, complete with flowering trees, tranquil ponds, and colorful pagodas, with rooms spread across six low-slung buildings. Feeling somewhat like a posh university campus, the Garden Hotel is two blocks from the Master of the Nets Garden and a short stroll from many restaurants and bars. Though it's showing its age somewhat, the hotel is still a pleasant and well-situated lodging.

In a gleaming tower that's connected to an upscale shopping mall, the Golden Eagle Summit is a step above most other five-star domestically owned hotels; lots of natural wood imparts warmth in the well-laid out guests rooms, where comfortable beds welcome you after a day of exploring.

Overlooking the busy shopping centers in Nanjing's commercial center, the Grand Hotel is an affordable and reliable base for seeing the sights, with a decent Western restaurant, babysitting service, and other family-friendly extras.

This centrally located design hotel is by no means the quintessential Suzhou experience, but the comfortable beds, international cable channels, and a bistro-style restaurant could be just the ticket after a long day exploring classical gardens; rooms are spacious, but beware of the inexpensive, windowless "atrium" rooms.

At this well-appointed hotel just a block from the city's main shopping district, the enormous guest rooms come as a pleasant surprise, even if service can be confused at times. The inexpensive restaurant is acceptable, but for a nicer meal venture out into the surrounding streets.

Looming over the city's most popular sandy stretch, this long-established hotel makes up for average rooms with terrific ocean views, easy beach access for kids, and friendly service. The revolving buffet restaurant on the 25th floor is a triumph of seaside kitsch.

Something of an institution, Nanjing's original modern five-star hotel is worth a look for its great location in the center of town, solicitous service, and—in its newer tower—sparklingly modern rooms. The pool and sauna are particularly luxurious, and as an unexpected bonus, the second floor boasts an authentic Japanese restaurant. Shoppers have a wealth of options in the malls and boutiques nearby.

On a quiet stretch of sand, this clean, comfortable hotel is made up of five two-story buildings linked by tree-lined paths. The simply decorated rooms include modern touches like cable TVs and high-speed Internet access.

Request a mountain-view room at this resort-style hotel situated in the quiet foothills of Mount Tai and offering compact but comfortable rooms, soft beds, international TV channels, and thunderous showers. If you can stand to miss the much-hyped sunrise, this is far better value—and provides a better night's sleep—than you'll find on the summit.

Overlooking the Grand Canal and within striking distance of Slender West Lake and Ge Garden, the popular Ramada Plaza Yangzhou Casa is accented with bright shades of red and has up-to-date amenities and a great pool. The hotel gets busy with tour groups in high season.

One of the few lodgings inside the walls of the recently rebuilt "ancient city," this Qing Dynasty–style complex offers simply furnished rooms set around a series of courtyards. The reception staff wears elaborate period gowns, amping up the Disneyesque atmosphere of the surroundings.

The carpets at the Shenghua could do with a scrub, but a few touches like having an on-site bilingual tour operator and guest rooms where teddy bears decorate the beds and bathrooms are equipped with tubs distinguish this average but well-run hotel from its peers. A decent restaurant serves local specialties such as lightly battered stir-fried venison.

Overlooking the enormous, lotus-shape sports venue built to host the 11th Chinese National Games, this hotel has indoor and outdoor pools, an excellent spa, and spacious guest rooms with fabulous amenities, including Egyptian cotton sheets and rain-forest showers. Housed in an imposing tower in East New Town, Ji'nan's central business district, this is a good spot for traveling executives.

Beside a canal and a short stroll to historic Pingjiang Lane, this comfortable and well-run hotel wraps around a peaceful courtyard and Suzhou-style garden. It's done up in traditional style with a sharply peaked roof that's illuminated at night. The hotel's proximity to most of the city's sights makes it a great choice. Rooms have different decor and amenities, so ask to see a few before settling in.

Choose between simply furnished rooms or grandly restored villas at this resort hotel, a short march from Old Dragon Head and centered on a seafood restaurant in a greenhouse filled with tropical flora. As you dine on spicy hotpot or local crustaceans, pay heed to the shrubby mound outside the windows. That's the long-since pillaged hump of the original Great Wall, 100 yards before it meets the grandly restored section running to the ocean.