Yee Hueh Lee
December 10, 2023
If your aim is to see the lake at the top of Changbai Mountain, definitely book this hotel for at least two days. The hotel package includes 3hr ski experience per pax per day, unlimited access to the hot spring, and easy access to the Changbai North Scenic Area. The service was super prompt, warm and attentive, but you will need to be Chinese speaking, or get a companion who can communicate with the staff. The staff will add you to their WeChat upon check in, and will not only give you tips on how to visit the scenic area, but will also answer to your (reasonable) requests and questions within an hour. They will update you every morning whether the peak open for viewing, and will guide you in purchasing tickets for the scenic area. We managed to see the peak on our second morning after taking the earliest transfer from the hotel. We have to thank the staff who are so professional and constantly act in our best interests. Best service we had in our trip to China so far.
The rooms are good, and the hotel cluster is well taken care of. There are transfers between the hotel and the ski resort, the hot spring centre, the scenic area as well as the train station. For free pickups from the train station, you will need to call the hotel beforehand. I didn’t get a local phone number and had to borrow my previous hotel’s phone to book a pickup. They will also arrange for a free drop-off at the train station.
The hotel compound looks beautiful in winter. The staff even built snowmen around the compound and we saw rabbits on our first night here.
There are a few things which fell short of expectations, but we understand are beyond the control of the hotel. The outdoor hot spring water is super murky, and the toilets in the hot spring centre smells quite bad one day during our stay. And while the hotel does provide priority access to the peak of Changbai Mountain, the company running the scenic area may not open the access queue during peak periods, and will request that you queue with the tour groups.
However, the warm service by the hotel staff trumps these shortcomings and we have immensely enjoyed our stay at the hotel overall.