Amanfayun

Our stay at Amanfayun felt unlike any other. We came for peace, nature, history, and that deeply zen feeling, and the property really let us disconnect from the outside world. Forests, streams, flowers, and ancient trees surround the hotel, and the whole place feels serene. One of the most memorable parts was the vegetarian restaurant. With its stone paths, flowing water, koi fish, greenery, and history, it feels timeless and spiritual, closely tied to the soul of Hangzhou. Gai Gao Ye looked after us with so much kindness and care. He showed us a beautiful monk sculpture carved from lychee wood, whose beauty and strong energy made it one of the most meaningful memories we took home. We also want to thank Vesper Li at reception for the warm hospitality and exceptional care. Everyone on staff was kind, gracious, and attentive, and the hotel's cleanliness and organization were impeccable. The one real issue was the lighting in the room. It was much darker than we expected, and sometimes uncomfortable. Everything else was perfect.

My family felt at home here, just as “Welcome Home” suggests. That's part of the culture, and this was easily my best resort experience. The woods are full of friendly cats, which add to the special, magical feel. Breakfast and the Steam restaurant, both operated by Amanfayun, were excellent. Be careful with the outsourced restaurant beside the tourist area, it could be a trap. Also plan how you'll get in and out, since West Lake has strict traffic controls around the resort. The low key luxury and excellent service worked well for us, though this kind of place won't suit everyone. Every staff member was friendly and patient with my toddler. I'll definitely return and stay at other Aman properties.

For a place charging over a thousand dollars a night, I expected much more attention to detail in the room and restaurants. The restored village setting is interesting, but this is still an "Aman" priced like one, and the experience felt very ordinary, not even up to a decent three star hotel. A person knocked on our door past midnight to ask for the car number for our pickup the next morning, even though it wasn't an early checkout. A lizard on the room sofa frightened my wife, so we had to close our luggage and avoid sitting on the furniture. The shared bathrooms had no hand lotion, there were no signs to guide us to our rooms at night, and most people had very poor language skills.

The food was to die for, and the staff were caring and hands on. The rooms look just like the pictures, if not better. We also couldn't fault the spa massage or any of the activities. It made for a relaxing, resourceful break between all the city visits on our China trip.