Intercontinental Hangzhou Wulin by IHG

My first stay with Vignette Collection was at Hangzhou Wulin GDA Hotel. It has had a strong reputation since opening more than half a year ago and feels like a semi-flagship for the brand. Its history is a winding one. It opened in 1999 as Radisson Plaza GDA, one of Hangzhou’s first five-star hotels. After that partnership ended, the name changed and ownership passed through several hands. It closed for renovation in 2022, with an InterContinental relaunch originally planned. When an exclusivity agreement didn’t come together, it opened in 2025 as a Vignette Collection property as a transitional step. It seems quite likely to become an InterContinental eventually. The Wulin business district location is very convenient for tourists, within walking distance of Wulin Square and West Lake. The balance of facilities and price is good too. Calendar rates are about half the price of the nearby Four Seasons, so it also appeals to business travelers. The exterior keeps the building’s original shape, while the bronze main entrance and circular driveway give it the feel of a private estate. The lobby is small because of the original layout, and has a more intimate, delicate beauty instead of the grandeur of a traditional grand hotel. The interior theme is “Collector’s Residence,” drawing on the 1929 West Lake Expo. HBA Shenzhen handled the design, but the look strongly converges with the CCD aesthetic. Curved lines, lotus-leaf-shaped metal lights, a spiral staircase and antique-style palace lanterns all contribute to a certain sameness in the industry’s design. The lobby is highly social-media-friendly, so young women are often taking photos there. To me, the whole project has a very templated CCD style. That may not be HBA’s usual standard, and could be the result of clear requirements from the owner. When owners tend to favor sales-center-style designs, even top firms lean into viral formulas. It makes me wonder how much distinctive expression we can still expect from hotels. I stayed in an approximately 60㎡ one-bedroom suite, done mainly in beige and wood tones. It works for business needs while echoing Hangzhou’s landscape elegance through soft materials. Every room has a built-in vinyl record player, which gives the place a refined, old gramophone atmosphere. The 24th floor has the building’s highest ceiling, making the space feel open and light, and the floor-to-ceiling windows give panoramic city skyline views. The bedroom is relatively compact and dimly lit, with a hint of Shangri-La’s quiet elegance. The bathroom takes up the largest share of the suite, has marble finishes and a Dyson hairdryer. Suite amenities are upgraded to Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo line. The stay exceeded my expectations for Vignette Collection and had some pleasant surprises. VC is often criticized for “picking up scraps,” meaning independent or de-flagged hotels, but those projects are often built to the standards of the brands they were originally meant for. Opening under Vignette Collection is a viable route. Hangzhou Wulin GDA Hotel has an excellent location and will likely be rebranded as InterContinental in the future. If you want to experience its current Vignette Collection incarnation, perhaps it’s best to do that sooner rather than later.