33 Best Hotels in Southwestern China, China

The area's only luxury resort, the Banyan Tree is made up of villas designed to resemble traditional courtyard houses. Each of the self-contained villas has its own hot tub or swimming pool. At the foot of mist-covered Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the hotel has spectacular unobstructed views, along with all the amenities you would expect in a world-class resort, from Thai massage in the spa to fine dining in the restaurant.

One of the most pleasant hotels in Dali's Old Town, the upscale Dali Gurong offers spacious and well-furnished rooms in a cluster of villas in a park-like setting. Some of the villas are built around a babbling creek that can be crossed via a footbridge. Look for the relaxing garden dotted with picnic tables in the back. There's a teahouse and a restaurant, and the staff is happy to assist you with laundry or travel information.

At what's the best budget hotel in town, the room are modern, with all the necessities. The hotel's east side and rooftop café offer great views of the Li river and Elephant Trunk Hill. To the west is plenty of shopping and dining along the Zhengyang Lu Pedestrian Mall. Some of the staff speaks good English.

Among the karst mountains outside of Yangshuo, the Giggling Tree is one of China's coolest guesthouses. Owned by a Dutch couple with children, it's been designed with families in mind. Set inside traditional farmhouses 3 km (2 miles) outside town, the rooms here come with amazing views, a refreshing swimming pool, and relaxing terraces in a very chilled-out countryside setting. They are also spacious and nicely designed. The dining room serves good Chinese and Western food.

If you're in Kunming only to relax, and noisy streets and busy traffic hold little appeal, then the international chain hotel is an exceptional option. Mixing Dai-style architecture with modern grandeur, this palace is almost worth visiting without actually staying here. The walls and ceilings are finished with intricate patterns; and water features pop up all over the premise, culminating in a typically Chinese-style waterfall in the center of the complex. No other Kunming hotel offers such luxury and such extraordinary service. Be advised, though, that the hotel is far away from the city itself and that the roads leading toward it are often congested—reaching the airport can take up to an hour.

Perched atop a mountain and peeking through the morning mist, a stay at Li'an Lodge is the ultimate way to immerse yourself in stylish Chinese style without sliding into kitsch. Its creator, Karen Su, is also a famed Chinese painter, and her eye for detail is evident in every nook and cranny of this unique boutique hotel. You can imagine yourself inside a Chinese painting with the dreamy views of the surrounding rice terraces; when the chill sets in, you can retreat to an exquisitely designed suite without missing out on the sights. It's a delight in every season. It's worth springing for a room with a terrace view.

Close to the main square, this luxury hotel is efficiently run. Its low price, excellent location, and fine gym make it a top choice in Nanning. It also has one of Nanning's nicest swimming pools.

Although calling it a"resort" may be a bit misleading, the New Huifeng offers plenty of peace and quiet. The soothing smell of polished wood is the first thing to greet you when entering the spacious and comfortable rooms, all of which are individually decorated. The snowcapped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is visible from most rooms and from the rooftop terrace.

With a hard-to-beat location, the Pullman Lijiang Resort offers views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain so beautiful that it has a dedicated viewing area. All of the private villas are oriented towards the mountain, and the most expensive ones have their own outdoor hot tubs. If the two stylish restaurants aren't enough, the hotel can arrange a chef to cook for you in your own kitchen. There's a very good fitness area and a sprawling indoor-outdoor spa.

Without a doubt the city's most luxurious hotel, the Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale brings taste and style to everything from the grand lobby to the soothing spa to the selection of six globe-trotting restaurants. Most of the rooms and suites have views of Lake Dian and the surrounding mountains, as well as plush furnishings and modern amenities like huge flat-screen TVs (there's another in your handsome bathroom) and MP3 docking stations.

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.

On the banks of the Luosuo River, this luxury resort is in Menglun, about 60 km (37 miles) from Jinghong. Built to resemble Dai village, it offers a fantastic tropical getaway with beautiful mountain and river views, all of which can be enjoyed from the comfort of a poolside recliner or your private terrace. The staff is attentive and warm. If you don't want to venture into Menglun, there are Thai and Chinese restaurants on the premises.

In the heart of Jinghong, the Crown Hotel has several low-slung buildings in a parklike setting with a lily-leaf-shape swimming pool. Just outside there's an interesting night market and plenty of food and drink options. The rooms are clean, spacious, and well-equipped for the price. Don't worry about noise, as they don't border the street.

Well hidden in the maze of streets in Old Town, the East River Hotel offers some of the area's most comfortable rooms. Among the brilliantly colored wooden buildings is a traditional courtyard with a clear stream running through it.

Adjacent to Green Lake Park, this is one of Kunming's most elegant lodgings, with comfortably furnished guest rooms that are a pleasant blend of traditional design and modern style. The grand marble-and-wood lobby is filled with plush chairs and sofas, and the coffee shop is a great place to relax with an excellent coffee drink or homemade ice cream. The restaurant hosts regular performances of traditional music.

With a downtown location and comfortable guest rooms, the Guotai Dajiudian compares favorably with flashier options that have appeared on the outskirts of town. The staff, which is mostly Miao, is very friendly. The restaurant serves a variety of traditional Miao dishes alongside other Chinese fare.

Outside the south gate, this quiet lodging is ideal if you want to avoid the hubbub of Dali's Old Town. Decorated in traditional Tibetan and Bai styles, the hotel is run by a Tibetan who can help you book tours of Dali and the rest of the region. It's the only place in Dali with a playground and a little pool with fresh spring water where the kids can play.

With exits on both Huguo and Yu'er Roads, the Landscape Hotel is probably the most centrally located place to stay in town. Mainly aimed at Chinese tourists, it looks better from the outside than on the inside, though the rooms are of decent quality and the beautiful courtyards make it a pleasant place to stay.

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.

With a privileged perch overlooking the river, this luxury hotel has breathtaking views of Elephant Trunk Hill and Seven Star Park. Rooms are stylish, spacious, and very modern. Five excellent restaurants serve Asian and Western cuisine. Every night at 8:30 the hotel hosts a 15-minute water show that turns the back of the building into a massive waterfall.

If you manage to book a room in this always-packed guesthouse, you'll find yourself a stone's throw from Green Lake. The comfortable rooms are equipped with floor-heating for those chilly winter days and have natural-stone bathrooms, which give an extra hint of luxury that can't be found anywhere else at this price. The rooftop restaurant cooks up some great Western food and holds a brunch on Sunday morning.

Built around a traditional courtyard, the Magnolia welcomes you with a glass-roofed lobby overlooking a lovely carp pond. Rooms have big picture windows, most with amazing views of the mountains, the river, or both. The family suite is particularly nice, with two adjoining rooms that give parents and children a little privacy.

This Marriott is in an eye-catching cylindrical tower, in the city's northeastern reaches, and close to the local convention center. Rooms have modern decor, comfortable furnishings and high-tech touches like flat-screen TVs and plug-in panels for electronics. There are three restaurants, including one that serves the city's best buffet. The bar is one of Nanning's classiest, with a wide variety of quality wines and cocktails.

With a central location, cozy accommodations, and reasonable prices, this handsome, modern hotel offers lot of bang for the yuan. The guest rooms are large and bright, with high ceilings, wood floors, up-to-date amenities, and sparkling bathrooms.

Conveniently located on Kunming's central pedestrian area, the New Era Hotel has well-furnished rooms with views on the west mountains and the crawling crowd below. The lobby includes a small bar and a business area and may seem a little uninviting, but all other amenities are in good condition, and breakfast on the top floor of the tallest building around is simply memorable.

Littered with luxury artifacts, the Regent might seem a little unnecessary when compared to the highly affordable options in the Old Town. But it you have to stay in a five-star, this is the one.

With its curvaceous tile roof and balconies with stunning views of the Li River, this is one of the town's nicest budget hotels. The guest rooms are tastefully appointed with dark-wood furniture. The first-floor restaurant, with open-air seating and a great views of the water, is a lovely place for breakfast even if you're staying somewhere else.

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.

One of the country's first "green" resorts, Wenhai Ecolodge is in the mountain valley that is home to Lake Wenhai, a seasonal lake that appears between July and March. When the basin is filled, the lake is home to black-necked cranes, black storks, and several varieties of ducks. There is excellent hiking in the valley, and the chance to come across some of the area's endangered plants and animals, such as the giant laughing thrush and the winter wren. The 12-room lodge is designed to minimize its environmental impact, and has excellent views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Room price includes three meals per day.