Zen Stone Landscape

The hostess was very kind, spoke English, and made us tea in the mornings. The place has a family-run bed and breakfast feel. It's quiet up high overlooking the valley, and there's good parking for cars. The rooms were a little dated, but spotlessly clean and had all the basics.

We wanted a peaceful romantic getaway, and this place was perfect for that. It's in the mountains, in a beautiful valley with a quaint river running through and a view of the ocean. The surroundings are beautiful and serene. Breakfast was huge, and you could eat as much as you wanted. The staff were very helpful.

This is just the factual situation for reference. During the Qingming Festival holiday, we booked a four-person room for three adults and two children, one aged seven and one infant under one, without an extra bed, for around 9,000 yuan. At arrival, the landlady said that counted as five people and charged another 1,000 yuan per extra person, including the infant, whether or not we added a bed. That brought it to about 10,000 yuan a night. I won't comment on the service attitude. The room had only basic facilities, was not large, and had no refrigerator. It did have a mountain view, but the window was very small.

For people who come to Shui Jin Jiu often, the appeal is the feeling of the place: nature, mountains, mining history, and all those layers together. That matters more than whether the view is simply good or bad, and I think a stay should match what guests are led to expect. The owner's canned replies can be skipped. The scenery itself is ordinary unless you happen to get good weather. In autumn and winter, it rains a lot around Shui Jin Jiu, so the views don't live up to the photos and comments online. The location is much like the rest of the area: driving and parking are awkward. Having a parking lot doesn't make Romantic Road convenient when the road is winding and remote. I gave transport three stars, so questioning whether I actually stayed there felt unfair. I had no particular expectations for the food or how quickly it would be served, so I'm not reviewing that. The building, surroundings, and facilities have some age to them. The place wasn't bad, but it didn't merit more than three stars. I don't understand why the owner keeps insisting it's five-star, as if people haven't stayed in actual five-star hotels and can't tell the difference. I came back after hearing the owner had replied to me. Given that response to my comments about access and parking, I don't even want to give this place one star.