Romantic Hotels in Anhui, China

Our trip to Huangshan finally happened after 2-3 years of planning. We had to postpone by a day due to Typhoon Bai Hai豚 (White Dolphin), but still re-booked the Baiyun Hotel, knowing it was close to both the sea of clouds and the sunrise. Despite that, I was still a bit anxious looking at the weather forecast. The slow climb up the mountain, with the rain and the pine trees along the steps, was surprisingly refreshing and lifted my spirits considerably. Upon arriving at the Baiyun Hotel, Manager Xiao Min's welcome and care made me feel even warmer. Her greeting, guidance, suggestions to soak our feet after the rain, relax and watch a show, explanations of all the facilities and the buffet, and even tips for watching the sunrise the next day, deeply touched me. The next day, we reached the summit in just over ten minutes to watch the sunrise. Thanks to the warm jacket from Baiyun, my child's hands stayed toasty. Just as I'd hoped, when the full sun emerged, I was even more delighted and grateful for the pines, rocks, and the human touch of Huangshan. I think I'll come back to Huangshan again, and I'll still choose Baiyun. Best wishes to Manager Xiao Min and her team!

The Jiuhua Mountains Julong Hotel, which is conveniently located right at the entrance of the Jiuhua Mountain Scenic Area. It was very convenient to venture around the mountain by foot. As for food, we didn’t quite get accustomed to the flavors, especially with the spices. The breakfast at Julong Hotel was good, but it can get crowded before 8 am. There is no gym in the hotel. It snowed on the 3rd day and it was chilly. The room was equiped with heater so it was ok. The walkway outside the hotel room can be very noisy, especially with kids running and adults talking. Otherwise, the overall experience was good.

I'd been longing to visit Huangshan for ages, and this time, my dream finally came true. I arrived a day early, planning to head straight up the mountain, but I hadn't checked the cable car operating hours. So, I had to find last-minute accommodation at the foot of the mountain. Tangkou Town was packed with guesthouses along the streets, which felt a bit overwhelming. I decided to search for B&Bs on the outskirts of town instead and immediately fell in love with this one. The pure white walls and bright, clean rooms gave the whole place a gentle, relaxing vibe. Many guests praised the auntie's cooking, so I booked it right away. My stay certainly didn't disappoint; both dinners were absolutely delicious – we polished off every dish. The taste was truly amazing. The room was spacious and grand, and the owner even kindly upgraded my room for free. Opening the window, I faced a vast bamboo forest. The evening breeze rustled through the bamboo shoots, and sleeping to the gentle sound of the bamboo was incredibly soothing. There's a path behind the B&B that leads directly to the mountain entrance, and they even have their own tea garden. Before dinner, the owner unhurriedly set up a tea ceremony, explaining the three famous Huangshan teas in detail: the fresh and tender Huangshan Maofeng, the straight and long-lasting Taiping Houkui, and the mellow and rich Qimen Black Tea. There was also the unique Kuibai – made from Houkui fresh leaves using Qimen black tea processing, offering a distinctive flavor. My favorite quote from the owner was: 'When guests arrive, I wholeheartedly take care of travelers from all directions; when I have free time, I make sure to enjoy myself.' No rushed itineraries, no crowds – just stealing a half-day of tranquility at this bamboo forest teahouse. This is the beauty of slowing down at the foot of the mountain.

Considering its mountain-top location and the inconvenience of transporting things, the room was actually quite spacious (compared to much smaller rooms downhill). The hotel staff were very enthusiastic and provided excellent service. During our stay, there was a typhoon, and the staff promptly informed us of all necessary precautions and helped us confirm the route down the mountain. The window sealing wasn't great, leading to a lot of wind noise in strong gusts. Also, the faucet was a bit low, making it inconvenient to fill water; I suggest replacing it with a higher one.

This guesthouse is located right inside the scenic area, making it super convenient for resting after an evening stroll. The decor is charmingly traditional, perfectly complementing the Huizhou architectural style. The guesthouse itself feels like an integral part of the scenic area, featuring a garden restaurant and a coffee bar where you can even pet cats. The owner is fantastic, offering luggage pickup and drop-off services right from the bus station. It's a highly recommended place to stay.

I booked this hotel blindly, mainly to catch the sunrise and sunset, and it turned out to be much better than I expected. For sunset, the Starting-Belief Peak is only about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. It's also close to Danxia Peak, Monkeys Watching the Sea, and Clear and Cool Terrace. For sunrise, I chose the nearest Clear and Cool Terrace, which was just over a 10-minute walk away. The hotel's concierge, a lovely young lady, was incredibly friendly and welcoming. She thoughtfully provided a foot-soaking tub and a small tea gift pack, which was a really nice touch. The hotel environment is also good – quiet and clean, and the staff are very prompt with cleaning. When the weather's good, they even air out the mattresses in the sun! They also kindly provide free down jackets and flashlights for guests to use when watching the sunrise and sunset, which is very helpful. Overall, the experience was quite good. I'll include some photos of the hotel and the sunrise/sunset I captured for everyone's reference. Choose as needed!

This is my second time staying at this hotel, purely because of its location. For its spot, the amenities still offer great value for money. However, this time I booked a king room and was given one facing the street. My much-anticipated holiday, a relaxing mountain escape in southern Anhui, was ruined by a night of noise. I understand that the Yellow Mountain entrance/exit sees a lot of traffic, but the reality is I didn't sleep a wink. I'd suggest upgrading the windows on the street-facing side to high-standard, soundproof ones – it would make a real difference. The breakfast selection also seemed a bit limited. Overall though, it's still consistently good and remains one of the top-tier options in this town. These are my honest thoughts, hope they're helpful.

Before checking into Banyan Tree Huangshan, my expectations were really high, but I ended up quite disappointed. Let me start with the positives: 1. The breakfast was delicious with a good variety of options, quite decent for a star-rated hotel. The fresh juices were squeezed on demand, and the fruit quality was excellent. Most importantly, the staff were very efficient at clearing tables and setting up, so there was never any waiting for a seat, everyone could get seated promptly. 2. The service throughout our stay was fantastic. Everyone was very attentive and patiently listened to guest feedback and suggestions, making adjustments proactively. The downsides, however, were quite noticeable: 1. The hardware is terrible and doesn't match the price point at all. The air conditioning in the room was very noisy and just barely passable. The bathroom was particularly bad; I've never encountered such poor bathroom facilities, especially not in a five-star hotel. The shower pressure was very weak, and so was the water flow from the bathtub faucet. The toilet height was incredibly uncomfortable; even for someone of my 175cm height, it was awkward to use. Plus, the quality was poor, and due to the bad glaze, flushing was a hassle. The central air conditioning in the lobby was practically useless. Walking into the hotel lobby, it felt only a few degrees cooler than outside. We didn't want to spend any time in the public areas; with outdoor temperatures at 37 degrees Celsius, the heat in the lobby was unbearable. 2. The hotel's main selling point is its 'getaway' style, and while the environment is indeed deep in a valley, quiet and secluded, it lacks the simple recreational facilities that would make guests want to stay. I went to the pool table three times and couldn't play because there was always a queue. Besides that, there weren't many other good leisure activities. For example, the coffee and tea area wasn't appealing because the public area AC was too high, making it uncomfortable, and the cafe environment itself didn't match the price of the hotel, falling far short of many five-star hotels in scenic areas. Although the hotel advertised iron-flower performances, they were only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and we perfectly missed them during our two-day stay. In summary, the hotel's promotional pictures are very attractive, but the reality is quite different. If you're just looking for a secluded getaway, it can meet that need. For everything else, there's a lot of room for improvement.

Hidden gem // Cosy homestay with lovely and caring hosts - 10/10 recommend! We loved our stay at Villa Emerald Valley especially due to: + Lovely hosts: super friendly, multi generational, from the neighborhood and always keen to fulfill all our wishes even before we knew them + Bright, modern, clean and cosy rooms: Big windows, clean and modern bathroom facilities (great hot shower that is truly needed after a day in the mountain), really comfy beds, water boiler, etc. + Nice common area: game room, restaurant, tea table, small pool + Tasty food: breakfast, lunch and dinner freshly prepared, many options (also vegetarian), fresh fruits and tea, decent prices -＞ we loved their tomato&egg, bamboo, qingcai and tofu dishes + Smooth communication and great service: quick responses via WeChat, airport pick up (200¥ one way), support with ticket booking for huangshan, carrying luggage, extra fruits, etc. + Emerging into the community: as it was tea harvest time, the hosts took us to the tea mountain close by where we could help picking tea leaves + Location: huangshan is overall really touristy with a lot of group tourism and thus overall probably not the nicest place to stay for a longer time. However, the home stay, while being close to all main tourist attractions, lies very calm and right beside the mountains where locals live and work, so it does not feel touristy at all and you could easily spend several days there to explore and relax Also , the hosts can speak some English, so communication for foreigners is not a problem.

The room was clean and tidy, and the bedding was comfortable. The staff were warm and attentive, responding promptly to our needs. They even took us to watch the sunrise and sunset, which was a really thoughtful touch. The hotel's location is convenient, making it easy to get around. The food at the hotel was also delicious and to our liking. The various activities offered (like photo shoots and tea ceremonies) were also a nice touch! The environment is beautiful, and I'll definitely choose to stay here again when I visit Huangshan next time!