The Langbo Chengdu Hotel

The location is fantastic, right next to Taikooli, though Google Maps has the coordinates wrong. The rooms were spacious and modern, with lovely views of the city and Jin Jiang, and parking was free. Staff were very friendly and helpful. We also used the gym, which seemed to be shared with apartment residents. The pool required a swimming cap. This was one of the nicest hotels we've ever stayed in, and very affordable, especially when booking with points.

The pool lends out swim caps, though the gym doesn’t open until 7:00 AM, so early workouts aren’t an option. I also noticed smoke coming through the bathroom vent on the 48th floor; keeping the door shut contained it. Smoking is allowed in some areas, which seems to reflect Chengdu’s wider smoking culture, so anyone sensitive to it may want to consider that. The Langbo sits two blocks from Chengdu’s main shopping district, with local restaurants and cafés nearby and riverside running paths alongside it. From the high floors, the city and mountains look spectacular. The lobby is on the 38th floor, with the rooms above it. As a Globalist, I had breakfast at the buffet, afternoon tea and evening happy hour in the 37th-floor lounge, a complimentary upgrade to a bright corner suite with floor-to-ceiling windows, and laundry for three items. Housekeeping was especially attentive and personal. The ground-floor concierge team was great with bookings and recommendations. Other staff were professional, though their interactions with foreign guests were fairly limited. When something came up, it was handled quickly in person or through WeChat. There’s a strong local feel in the design and food, which seem aimed mainly at domestic tastes. For a luxury stay with that character, it worked well for me, though the smoke could be an issue for some.

The air conditioning barely kept up. If you prefer a fairly strong AC when it’s over 24°C and humid outside, you may find the room uncomfortably warm. The cigarette odor was the biggest problem for me. I know smoking is allowed here and that there are no non-smoking rooms, but this is the only hotel room I’ve noticed smelling of smoke during my stays in China. They brought an air purifier when I asked, but after it had been running for an hour I couldn’t tell that it had helped. If you’re sensitive to cigarette smells, this is a major downside. The room also wasn’t very clean. There were small hairs in one sink and another beside the toilet sink, plus sticky patches on the suite’s living room coffee table. I wiped a few spots off the toilet seat, possibly pee splatter. Under the seat, the groove had dark stains; a wipe removed some, but they looked like they’d been there a while.

The view from the room is in the photos below. The Langbo in Chengdu was truly extraordinary, with a beautiful hotel, modern and tidy rooms, and a great breakfast with lots of variety. I’d recommend it.