4 Best Hotels in Southwestern China, China

The "Terrace of Serenity" more than lives up to its name. Built on a patch of regrown tropical forest, this resort lets you watch the Mekong River slide by from your hammock while you listen to birds sing or tree frogs croak—sounds that are increasingly rare around Jinghong proper. The guest rooms, resembling Dai houses on the outside, are all different on the inside, and some have furniture dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Dreamy terraces and bathrooms smoothly blend in with the jungle outside. The restaurant, one of Jinghong's best, is worth a special trip.

Filling the gap between the small hotels and guesthouses in the Old Town and the ultraluxurious Banyan Tree, the Lijiang InterContinental was the beginning of a wave of international five-stars moving into Lijiang. Rooms are comfortable and spacious, staff speak good English, and kids eat free at the Chinese or Brazilian restaurants. The gym and pool are both clean and modern, and there are babysitting services should you want to leave the kids behind for a night on the town.

Easily the most elegant hotel in town, the Sheraton Guilin welcomes you with a chic lobby with a sunny atrium and glass elevators that whisk you upstairs. The standard rooms are gorgeous, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden or the river. There are massive flat-screen TVs and bathrooms with rain-forest showers and separate soaking tubs. Rooms on the club floor offers rooftop seating with mountain views. The Chinese restaurant on the first floor offers a delicious culinary tour of Sichuan and Guangdong, while the restaurant on the second floor serves tasty Western standards as well as some interesting fusion dishes.

Among the city's best lodgings, this chain hotel has everything a high-end traveler needs, and more: a full-service spa, a bar with amazing city views, great international dining, and an attentive staff. Rooms have brilliant color schemes and contemporary furnishings, and those above the 20th floor overlook the surrounding mountains.