MMD2024This time, I stayed at Mo Keyuan from August 14th to 15th. When I was choosing a hotel, I was quite surprised to see Mo Keyuan had nothing but glowing reviews. After staying there, I realized that both its facilities and service are indeed exceptional.
**Ambiance & Location:** In terms of its location, it's merely 50 meters from Pingjiang Road, and within comfortable walking distance of Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove Garden, and Suzhou Museum. It's also nestled in the same alley as the famous Zhuo Lin Li Tang Zhou (a traditional dessert shop), just 20-30 meters away, and shares an adjacent alley with Couple's Retreat Garden. This geographical positioning is simply superb!
The hotel itself is a numbered private garden with five interconnected courtyards, boasting exquisite rockeries, ponds, and bridges. Its design is incredibly intricate, offering distinct scenic views with every turn. Guanhuatang, a key hall, is the central room in the innermost of these five courtyards. The front desk is located in the first courtyard, exuding an antique charm. Upon entering the second courtyard, you're greeted by a misty, ethereal atmosphere, providing a refreshing coolness on hot days and adding a wonderful artistic touch. The third courtyard houses the banquet hall, while the fourth and fifth are dedicated to guest rooms. In reality, this compound is far more complex than it appears, with the unique asymmetrical structure typical of Suzhou gardens revealing many delightful surprises.
**Cleanliness:** Everywhere I looked was impeccably clean. Unlike other Chinese courtyards I've stayed in, at Mo Keyuan, all areas (except guest rooms and staff offices) are openly accessible. Furthermore, the furniture inside is exceptionally well-maintained and clean, giving the impression that they are actively used daily. The rooms were subtly pre-scented with incense, and the bathrooms were also spotless.
**Facilities:** Mo Keyuan boasts comprehensive facilities, offering both dining options and captivating Pingtan (Suzhou storytelling and ballad singing) performances. Guests can enjoy these performances for free, held in a charming small hall in the second courtyard, which serves as both a restaurant and a performance venue. The performance hall is very well-equipped, featuring background projection and automatic stage curtains, truly showing great attention to detail. Furthermore, before checking in, I was somewhat concerned about security. However, upon arrival, I found that the visitor and guest areas are effectively separated by access control, ensuring both privacy and safety.
**Service:** The service was incredibly attentive. The butler was always ready to answer any questions and had an excellent, friendly attitude. Every staff member had a great service attitude and was remarkably patient. Due to a last-minute change in our itinerary, we only decided quite late that we wanted to have lunch at Mo Keyuan the next day. However, the butler arranged it perfectly, and we got to savor the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish and Crab Roe Tofu we had hoped for. The hotel's shuttle service was even more convenient, saving us precious time and effort when visiting the Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou Museum, and Lion Grove Garden. We also had the pleasure of meeting the garden owner this time, who was very approachable and clearly poured their heart and soul into managing this exquisite garden.
**Daily Pingtan Performance (2 Tickets):** The Pingtan performance was excellent. The young lady sang beautifully and spoke with such gentle grace; experiencing the 'Wu Nong Soft Language' (Suzhou dialect) live was truly delightful. The performance also included complimentary Biluochun tea and homemade mung bean cakes, making it a truly enjoyable experience. I'm extremely glad I chose Mo Keyuan this time. My only regret is not being able to stay an extra night to spend half a day simply wandering around the garden, sipping tea, watching the fish, and relaxing – that would have been utterly tranquil and perfect.
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