Cendre Hotel

On my first trip to Suzhou, I stayed at Cendre Hotel. There was plenty of room, both in the spacious guest room and in the outdoor hotel area where you could sit and talk. They also have self-service laundry. The air conditioner remote is entirely in Mandarin, which was tricky since I can't read Chinese, but Google Translate sorted it out. WhatsApp didn't work on the hotel WiFi, so you'll need WeChat. We stayed in one night for dinner and ordered cold chicken, fried rice cracker, broccoli, the local prawn ball that looks like a lychee, and osmanthus cake. It was yummy. I'd stay here again if I return to Suzhou.

The location isn't quite perfect for getting into town, though a Didi car made it accessible. Inside, everything was excellent: the room was spotless and tidy, with all the modern amenities I needed, and the friendly, attentive staff made the stay comfortable and enjoyable. I'd recommend the hotel to anyone looking for a memorable stay.

The rooms are spacious, clean, and tastefully done, with comfortable shared areas and outdoor seating for guests. It's a hidden gem, around two miles from Lingering Garden (Liu Yuan), about half that distance from Tiger Hill Pagoda, and convenient for the train station. The service especially stood out. Construction outside left me less than perfectly happy with my room, and they changed it before I even had to ask. A young man at the front desk checked the Chinese map for public transport details that Google doesn't show, then walked me to the bus stop so I could reach my destination on time. I'll stay here again on a leisure trip or for work.

The breakfast buffet was delicious and included Western food. Rooms were spacious, with clean bathrooms, and I loved the rainfall showers, which felt unusual for China. The hotel was great value, extremely clean, and the staff were friendly and helpful. I'd definitely recommend staying here.