At Atour, Discover Another Possibility of Travel

At Atour, Discover Another Possibility of Travel At 6:30 in the morning, I was gently awakened by a soft knock on the door💓. Opening it, a staff member smiled and handed me a cup of warm honey water: "Sir, this is the morning drink you requested last night😯." This scene took place at the Atour Hotel on Chunxi Road in Chengdu🏩, a place I originally intended to stay at for just one night. Yet when I left, it had become the warmest memory of my journey💙. Atour's uniqueness begins the moment you step into the lobby. Here, it's not called a "lobby" but "The Bamboo House"🌟—a 24-hour open reading space. Over 3,000 books are neatly arranged on wooden shelves, ranging from bestsellers to local chronicles, and even out-of-print art books✨️. The most surprising part? These books can be borrowed for free, even taken out of the hotel. "If you like it, you can take it and return it at any Atour hotel," the front desk girl said with crescent-moon eyes🌙. I once saw a business traveler hurriedly take a half-read copy of *The Silk Roads* and return it three days later at another Atour in Beijing. This trust-based service is like a breath of fresh air in the highly standardized yet impersonal hotel industry🎉. The room details are even more thoughtful🎊. The bedding is made of bare cotton with "Atour" embroidered in silver thread, feeling as soft as clouds. The bathroom is stocked with AFU essential oil toiletries, the faint lavender scent instantly relaxing. The minibar, besides the usual drinks, includes local snacks🎀—spicy beef jerky in Chengdu💕, osmanthus cakes in Hangzhou. These small items quietly tell the story of the city. One night, returning to my room, I found a steam eye mask on the bedside table with a note: "Noticed you've been using the computer a lot today—this might help ease the fatigue." Such subtle care touches the heart more than gilded lobby decorations🫧. Atour staff are specially trained in a unique "neighborhood service" philosophy. At the Xi'an branch, a front desk guy, hearing I wanted authentic roujiamo💒, hand-drew a map marking three alleyway spots known only to locals; at the Xiamen branch, noticing I had a cold, a staff member brought me a bowl of ginger soup within half an hour🫕. These "extra services" beyond standard procedures are called "Moments of Surprise" at Atour🥂. The hotel manager told me: "When hiring, we don’t prioritize hotel experience but the ability to sense others' needs." Perhaps that’s why Atour employees' smiles always carry genuine warmth☀️. What amazed me most was Atour's community concept🌟. Each branch dedicates part of its space as a community living room, hosting book clubs, workshops, and even neighborhood meetings. The Xuhui branch in Shanghai holds a "Midnight Diner" monthly, inviting guests to share hometown dishes🥬; the Hangzhou branch organizes West Lake morning runs led by staff. This design breaks the invisible barriers between guests, offering lonely travelers a chance to connect. At a calligraphy workshop🍬, I met a designer from Guangzhou, and we later formed a business partnership. Atour is like a magical node linking lives that would otherwise never cross paths🍻. The checkout moment remains vivid🍵. Instead of the routine "Do you need an invoice?", the front desk said: "Remember that book you didn’t finish in The Bamboo House? We’ve prepared a copy for you." The paper bag held not just the book but also a handwritten Chengdu food guide. In that moment, I realized Atour doesn’t sell rooms but a lifestyle filled with human warmth🍸. While chain hotels chase scale, Atour stubbornly preserves the warmth of "human connection." That’s probably why I still carry that book from Atour in my luggage😃—a reminder that the most precious part of any journey is the unexpected warmth we encounter.