Xishuangbanna Family-Friendly Hotel Guide! Real Experiences at Three Popular Hotels

With my three-year-old baby, I embarked on a solo mom trip to Xishuangbanna! Escaping the severe cold of the south, we arrived in the spring-like warmth of Banna, where the climate is pleasant and the scenery beautiful. This trip focused on relaxing at hotels with the child, without a packed sightseeing schedule. We experienced three popular family hotels: Wanda Vista (photos 2-7), InterContinental (photos 8-11), and Sunac Crowne Plaza (photos 12-18). Here is a detailed and honest review to help parents make the best choice~ 1️⃣ Environment: Vista > InterContinental > Crowne Plaza Vista: The most private among the three, with the fewest guests. The entire hotel is surrounded by dense tropical rainforest, full of rich tropical charm. The environment is quiet and serene, with lush summer greenery and fresh air. Walking with the child inside the hotel feels like being in a natural tropical rainforest park, fully enjoying the tranquility and beauty of nature. Crowne Plaza: The lobby is spacious and bright, with relatively more guests and a lively atmosphere. The hotel is not very large; beyond the lobby is a beach area that is a joyful playground for kids. The summer beach area is cool and comfortable, where children can build sandcastles and play with toys, fully releasing their energy—perfect for parent-child interaction. InterContinental: Upon entering, you immediately feel a bustling atmosphere with many guests. The hotel is vast, like a large city park, with many rooms spread out, making it easy to get lost inside, reminiscent of a dormitory building. The summer vegetation is rich and the scenery beautiful, but due to the high number of guests, it lacks privacy. 2️⃣ Room Cleanliness: Vista > Crowne Plaza > InterContinental Vista’s rooms are standalone villas, each with a private courtyard and small pool, creating a strong vacation vibe. However, the dense vegetation blocks sunlight, so whether checking in at 3 PM or the next morning, there is no direct sunlight in the room, causing the courtyard pool water to be quite cool, which may feel chilly for children playing in it. The room size is the largest among the three hotels but lacks child safety fences and dedicated family activity areas. Additionally, the hotel’s floating afternoon tea priced over 400 yuan is average in taste and appearance, not very cost-effective. Crowne Plaza’s rooms are simply and elegantly decorated, meeting basic living needs, but the sliding door design for the toilet and bathroom is inconvenient and flawed. InterContinental’s rooms are the smallest and oldest among the three, with cleanliness needing improvement. Our room had a toilet odor issue after washing up, and mysterious stains were found on the sheets. However, the hotel staff responded promptly, replaced the sheets, and resolved the odor problem, showing commendable attitude. 3️⃣ Service: Vista > InterContinental > Crowne Plaza Vista’s service is industry-leading, with thoughtful and attentive details. One small detail left a deep impression: while adults were checking in, staff proactively helped watch the child nearby and thoughtfully prepared coconut juice for the child, even asking if the ice was suitable to drink, showing great care and making parents feel very warm. InterContinental had some hygiene issues but the staff’s follow-up attitude was proactive and responsive, quickly resolving the problems, which somewhat restored goodwill. Crowne Plaza’s service was average, with no standout features. Staff only helped open and close car doors during pick-up and drop-off, lacking extra thoughtful service, resulting in an overall ordinary experience. 4️⃣ Travel Photography: Vista > Crowne Plaza > InterContinental Vista offers 6 complimentary travel photos and a 30-second video. The photos have a warm yellow tone with strong tropical vibes, producing surprisingly good results. The family photos have a great atmosphere, perfectly capturing wonderful vacation moments. Crowne Plaza provides 4 complimentary travel photos with a greenish tone, ideal for photographing children, capturing their innocent, lively, and adorable moments quite well. InterContinental offers 5 complimentary travel photos and a 15-second video. The style is more traditional studio-like, lacking uniqueness and creativity. The photos are quite ordinary without memorable highlights. (Detailed travel photography reviews for the three hotels will be shared separately.) 5️⃣ Family Activities: Crowne Plaza > InterContinental > Vista Crowne Plaza offers the richest variety of family activities, including bubble battles, bonfire parties, handicrafts, and more, mostly free for guests. The schedule is packed daily, allowing children to fully participate and never feel bored, thoroughly enjoying their vacation. InterContinental has fewer family activities, many requiring extra fees, making it less cost-effective and hard to meet children’s play needs. Vista has almost no dedicated family activities, better suited for families who prefer quiet and private vacations, not ideal for active and lively children. Summary: For traveling with children, Sunac Crowne Plaza is the top choice, with abundant family activities that let kids play freely and parents relax. For those who value hotel privacy and a serene environment, seeking a high-quality vacation experience, Wanda Vista is a great option. Xishuangbanna, looking forward to the next meeting 👋