The R.D Resorts LiJiang

My stay at The RD Resorts Lijiang began at the airport where I was picked up by a car organised by the hotel. I arrived very late but this did not deter from an exceptional welcome. Arriving at the hotel is a wonderful first time experience. The path meanders through green grass leading you past a small gold fish pond and a water feature steaming with dry ice, to a ceremonial tea drinking table. I was offered tea as I was checked-in, with music playing gently in the background. Once the check-in process was completed I was shown the way to my room via the hotel lift and given a brief tour of how to control the buttons in the room. As you walk into the space all the lights come on, and after a quick play, you quickly learn how to control the lighting in the space to set the ambience the occasion might demand. Most of the light controls are on either side of the bed. The bed is firm but comfortably so: all the bedding was reassuringly clean. The kingsized bed is set in a space accessed by two alcoves that separate the bedroom and a quaint sitting room, giving you more than ample space to spread out and relax, giving a tangible sense of home. There are no doors in this particular apartment. The bedroom also has a small freestanding clothes valet with some hangers, a place to air out your clothes as you relax into your stay. The sitting room is furnished with a fridge replete with bottles of water which were replenished everyday. There is a kettle, a pleather sofa, additional lamp with three light modes, a tv hung on the wall between the two alcoves, and a coffee table upon which the remote controls for the tv sit in a caddy. There is also a faux fireplace upon which two faux candles sit and a very useful tall freestanding mirror in the corner of the room. I went in summer: it’s warm - I found the ambient temperature was just right, but there are vents through which warm air can be pumped in if a temperature boost is required: there is a control panel in the room that let’s you set the temperature to whatever it is you prefer. The heat I’m reliably informed comes from a ground source heat pump. There is a humidifier in the room which gives the traveller some control on the humidity in the room, if it feels a little too dry. I used it more for the novelty factor! Just off the bedroom is the shower and toilet in two beautifully presented glass encased spaces separated by a sink under which clean towels can be found. Used towels were replaced daily by housekeeping. The toilet is perfect. The heated seat on the throne toilet is a wonderful added detail. Flushing is via a switch at the side of the toilet that you operate with your foot. The shower is big, easy to use and supplied with shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. My understanding is that much of the hot water is heated by solar energy. Shower slides and bedroom slippers are also provided; again the attention to detail is wonderful. The fifth floor helps separate this hotel from the competition. There is a laundry room, a small gym, an art gallery, a children’s library wall, and an outdoor sitting area connected to a staircase that leads up to a rooftop patio. The rooftop patio is on the sixth floor and offers vistas of Jade Dragon Snowtop Mountain, the reason many come to Lijiang in the first place. The sixth floor is also the location of the hotel cafe, where breakfast and afternoon tea are provided as standard with the apartment I stayed in. The hotel provides Naxi style accommodation with a considered and very deliberate modern twist, staff were always attentive. Nothing is too small: they are always willing to find a way to help. The service is second to none. And with the advent of translator apps, language is not the barrier it once was! Overall, the apartment I stayed in was exceptionally clean, well presented and serviced with all the essential amenities any traveller might need. Furthermore, the public spaces of the hotel are a joy to be in: I thoroughly