Sea of Clouds Vacation Villa

The bed is roomy and has an adjustable heated mattress, which helps in the cold. But the rest of the property stays chilly, and you have to walk along stone paths to reach the rooms. The old toilet flush can clog easily if paper goes in. Breakfast is a simple buffet on the second floor, with no meat that I saw. With the cold and the walking, it may be a tough fit for older guests, especially anyone who needs help getting around.

The rooms have pretty good views, and they're clean, spacious enough, and have comfortable beds with mattress heaters. The basics are all there, and the breakfast is a nice, light spread of Chinese dishes like rice, porridge, fried vermicelli, and pickled sides. The warm soy milk was especially good. Just note that breakfast runs for a short window, 7:30-8:30. The bathroom really lets the room down. Mold and dirt in the tile grout make it look unclean even if it's been cleaned, and the toilet sits in the same shower area. Using it in all that dampness isn't pleasant. I'd call the place decent, around 3.5 stars.

We enjoyed the stay overall, and the view from our room for three was fantastic. The room was clean and pleasant, with basic toiletries, and the water heater warmed up quickly. There was also an electric bed mat to keep us warm in the cold. Breakfast was just so-so. One thing to keep in mind for older guests: getting to the rooms means going up and down stairs, and the hotel doesn't help carry luggage.

The sunrise was fantastic, and there's a bus stop right outside the villa for the Hehuanshan north peak hike. Our room had a heated blanket, but no room heater, so nights can feel pretty cold.