Niccolo Suzhou

At night, the view from the room and lobby is beautiful, with the city lights spread out below. Niccolo Hotel is Suzhou’s highest hotel, and the rooms are spacious and clean. The pool is on Level 117, making it a good fit for families or groups of friends travelling together.

The best part for me was the room: it was great, and housekeeping left nice touches. The gym was okay, while the pool was empty, and the staff there didn’t speak English either. There were plenty of people wandering around taking Instagram photos. The breakfasts were lavish, though the whole setup felt showy, with three chefs standing idle, and the sunlight gave me a migraine. I hadn’t ordered that with my coffee. Dinner was also too fancy for its own good, though the in-room menu is simpler. The hotel is beautifully designed, but it’s in the business district, not a lively part of town. Visiting Suzhou means taking a taxi, so keep that in mind. The doorman in the lobby spoke English fluently, but that was the exception. Check-in was exhausting after travelling. The girl who helped me was very sweet, but spoke no English at all. Finding other English-speaking staff continued to be a problem. I don’t expect fluency, but some English seems fair in hospitality. It’s the tallest building in the province, but that mostly means constant glare from the sun, earaches every time you’re in the lift, and a trip up to the 115th floor to find a restroom because there isn’t one in the lobby. The place is beautiful and well designed, and I’m sure it looks great on Instagram, but it can be frustrating. It feels like a little expat bubble in Suzhou, far from the fun of the city. They try hard, maybe a little too hard. If you want to feel like an influencer while travelling, you’ll love it and I can’t recommend it enough. If all that makes your skin crawl, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Bougie, beautiful, and a bit bonkers.

The price felt reasonable for what you get. Service was good, breakfast was nice, and the rooms had extraordinary views. I’d recommend it.

We enjoyed the Bar at Niccolo on the 115th floor. The view and music were great, and the service and drinks were good.