Boutique Hotels in Yunnan, China

We stayed one night at Kunming Huagu Hotel during a transit flight and were truly impressed. The hotel is very inexpensive compared to the quality and service provided, which is the best reason to choose this property. We were a group of 16 people staying in 11 rooms, and everything was handled smoothly. In the evening, when we requested transportation from the hotel to Nanping Street, the staff quickly arranged two shuttle buses at a very reasonable cost, which was extremely helpful and well-organized. They also provide free Airport shuttle bus service which is very helpful too. The rooms were very clean, comfortable, and perfect for a short stay. The service was prompt, polite, and professional throughout our stay. The only minor drawback is that the hotel is a bit far from the main city and tourist attractions, but considering the price, cleanliness, and excellent service, this is easily acceptable—especially for transit or short stays. Overall, great value for money and a reliable choice in Kunming. We would definitely consider staying here again. 👍

During our stay, the elevator was under maintenance and the building has quite a number of floors, so waiting time could be a little longer than usual. That said, the front desk staff were very supportive and polite. They helped us receive multiple parcels and even delivered our ******* orders directly to the room. As a gesture of apology, they also gifted us a set of tea cups, which we appreciated. The hotel is located in the city centre, so it can be a bit noisy if the windows are left open. Once the windows are closed, however, it’s perfectly fine. For the family room, there are two double beds. If there are three adults, one person will need to sleep on the sofa. Overall, a comfortable stay with thoughtful service, especially from the front desk team:)

The Four Points by Sheraton Kunming City Center is actually brand new, having just opened in May 2025. However, the building itself has a history, as it was previously the New Era Hotel, a landmark in downtown Kunming. After facing business difficulties and closing down, it was taken over and divided between Atour and Four Points by Sheraton. Four Points by Sheraton occupies the higher floors, with Atour taking the lower ones. Its location is truly in the heart of the city, bustling and vibrant, much like Beijing Road in Guangzhou. Large shopping malls like Kunming Department Store and Wangfujing are all nearby. The entire street is a lively pedestrian zone, making shopping and dining incredibly convenient. You'll spot it easily when you enter from Nantong Street. Upon entering, the reception counter is to your right, and a spacious lobby lounge with sofas is to your left. It's a great spot to wait if, for example, your car hasn't arrived yet. After checking in, taking the elevator to the eighth floor brings you to the amenity level. This includes a well-equipped gym, a bar, and the breakfast area. The bar opens to the public in the evenings, with mostly sofa seating that's nicely partitioned for privacy and comfort. The drinks are also reasonably priced; a cocktail costs just 58 yuan. That evening, I had a whiskey sour, and for 58 yuan, it was perfectly acceptable. It's a good complementary feature for a hotel bar. Moving on to the room, you'll find complimentary welcome fruit on the table. To the left of the entrance is the bathroom, complete with a toilet and shower. The room itself is quite spacious with a long layout and a single king-size bed. At the far end, there's a very comfortable armchair with a high back, not a sofa, where you can sit and overlook Nanping Plaza, taking in the entire Kunming city center. Next to it is a desk directly facing the window, perfect for gazing out when you need a break. This entire hotel is a renovated property, with comprehensive and well-appointed public facilities, contributing to a more comfortable stay. When I booked my room on Ctrip, I noticed it was listed as a five-star hotel. However, in my understanding, a hotel without a swimming pool is typically considered four-star. Still, you can usually book a room here for around 400-500 yuan. Overall, the hotel's location is truly excellent. The advantage of being downtown is convenience for everything, but the biggest drawback is potential traffic congestion. For tourists, however, this place is unbeatable. The pedestrian street right below offers evening strolls, snacks, and easy access to various attractions.

The in-room amenities were surprisingly excellent. I had expected a hotel over a decade old to be quite run-down, but it was incredibly well-maintained. I originally booked this hotel for its convenient location for watching seagulls, but I was genuinely surprised by how fantastic the room facilities were. It was clean, elegant, and high-end – nothing like a hotel that's over ten years old. I had a very comfortable stay; the room was quite spacious, and it even had a balcony with views of greenery and the sunrise. The hotel's dining was also superb. I tried the breakfast buffet, which was very rich and offered a wide variety of options, with both Chinese and Western dishes done exceptionally well. The hotel package I purchased also included an afternoon tea, which was equally lavish, excellent, and beautifully presented. I'd like to thank my butler and the lady at the front desk. Even though she was busy checking in six foreigners at the time, she professionally and thoroughly explained all the check-in procedures, as well as details about the restaurant and afternoon tea. Since there was no bellhop available then, she personally escorted us to the lobby to find one and then accompanied us to our room. The hotel is indeed very large, with a total of seven buildings, making it easy to get lost. Fortunately, the service here is truly top-notch. The bellhops and golf cart drivers were all very professional. They took excellent care of us during both check-in and check-out.

The biggest feeling is that all the waiters in the hotel are warm and thoughtful. We have stayed in many parent-child hotels with our children, and the waiter training of this hotel is really great! The room is clean and tidy, the layout is warm and spacious, the hotel is in a good location and very quiet. Especially the front desk Minnie George is also very enthusiastic, and she took the initiative to add WeChat. If you have any needs during the three-day stay, you can send her WeChat to help solve them in time. There is also a male lifeguard with braids by the swimming pool. The child's swimming ring fell in the pool. He collected it specially the next day. My mother insisted that I write down to thank him. The buffet dinner is also great. After the meal, I took the children to DIY food. I got more than one comfortable and pleasant stay experience. Our whole family had a lot of fun staying during the May Day holiday.

Hotel was amazing, great value for money with plenty of space and clean rooms. Located in old town, it’s only a short 10min walk from the bus stops to Tiger Leaping Gorge, Blue Moon Valley, Yulong Mountain, as well as being close to a small car accessible road for a car drop off/pick up. The highlight is the staff, all very friendly. Every night they drink tea in a room in the central courtyard and invite guests to join in and chat, it’s a great place to meet people. Even though they cannot speak much English, they never ignore you and make sure you’re included in conversations by asking questions and translating things. They’re especially helpful with making bookings for the local attractions and transport, as well as suggesting various other cool spots (like where to buy good tea). I was pleasantly surprised and fondly look back on my time here.

The hotel environment is quite good; the lobby is grand and impressive. The front desk staff were professional and welcoming, their smiling service deserves praise. However, there was a bit of a wait for the bellhop to help with luggage to the room after check-in, perhaps understandable given it was late at night. The breakfast was average, nothing spectacular, though there was a decent variety. The rice noodles, in particular, weren't anything special. I really appreciated the detail that the front desk called to ask if I needed room cleaning while I was out, since I hadn't specifically requested it with housekeeping or the front desk. The room size was just right, not too big, not too small. It's directly opposite the Twin Towers and very close to Wanda Plaza. Other attractions are also reasonably accessible, and taxis are easy to get. Check-out was quick, and the bellhop was very proactive in helping with luggage to the car when I left, which definitely increased my positive impression of the hotel. For an older hotel, it's quite well-maintained overall. I would suggest upgrading the hair dryers. All in all, it was a good stay, and I recommend it!

Tonight, I made a last-minute check-in at the 'Cuihu Hotel', designed by I.M. Pei. It was unplanned, but a delightful surprise. In my opinion, a hotel isn't a museum; its 'sense of history' should be elegant, not heavy, and its 'vintage feel' should be classic, not dated. Before arriving, I was very worried this 69-year-old hotel would feel stuffy and decayed. To my surprise, Cuihu Hotel strikes the perfect balance and shows great wisdom. For example, the public area ceilings are adorned with 24K gold leaf, and the murals feature maple wood relief carvings with gold accents – aesthetics that are certainly a product of their time [tears of joy emoji]. However, they've now added many art pieces to temper this 'bling' and enhance the elegance and scholarly vibe. Even the subtle classical jazz music and the light, delicate fragrance filling the air inject a fresh, youthful spirit into the overall ambiance. Yet, the common issues of older hotels persist: outdated facilities, bathtub design, and those unsightly large pillars… This leaves me feeling conflicted, both loving and hating it, and hesitant about whether I'd stay here again (especially with kids). What truly stood out was the check-in experience: the front desk gifted us fresh roses, a succulent potted plant, and a postcard as souvenirs. In the room, there was a handwritten card, red-billed gull biscuits, Yunnan small-bean coffee powder with a Moka pot. They even pre-arranged a bedtime dessert and a crib bumper. For welcome fruits, the housekeeping auntie knocked on our door with a basket, letting us choose our own! 😄 These interactions significantly elevated the stay, even adding a wonderful touch to my overall impression of this Yunnan trip. In summary, it has history but struggles with modernity; thankfully, the details, service, and quality are all excellent 👍. P.S. The room upgrade was successful, and my 'begging' for it went very smoothly.

This is a very nice hotel, great location, good rooms and excellent, helpful staff. But the hotel gets bad marks in two areas. First, the food was generally very good but the Western breakfast buffet choices were nearly always cold. I tried three days in a row to get poached eggs that were not hard boiled. On the third day I got what I wanted but even then the eggs were stone cold. The second issue was the the lack of necessary security staff. The lobby bar was nice and had a young woman playing guitar in the evenings but on our second evening 4 drunks were drinking, shouting and smoking and refused to stop when the hotel staff intervened. After this things escalated and instead of having hotel security throw them out the drunks started harassing us and it got ugly so we left for our room. The hotel called our room to apologize but it was not equipped to deal with this situation and needs to have better control over their public areas. A lesson to be learned. I will be sending a separate letter to Accor management giving full details of this unfortunate event.

The hotel facilities are complete, featuring smart toilets and a projection TV. The bathroom has a wet and dry separation, and the room itself is spacious with comfortable bedding. Anything you need can be delivered right to your room by the staff. The hotel's Dian Xiang restaurant offers many Yunnan specialty dishes, including a hotpot with a central fire pit. Breakfast is also quite rich, and you can enjoy lake views and see the 'Golden Mountain in the Morning Sun' (a scenic phenomenon). Bella provided excellent service.