ANYU Hotel - Dali Ancient Town

The service attitude is good, but that's different from actually delivering good service. This hotel's price is high compared to others nearby. While the staff's attitude is great, the service and management are subpar. There's an exaggerated, showy facade, but basic services aren't done well, yet they proudly claim to be a branded hotel. 1. First, the butler service. Upon check-in, I was told there'd be afternoon tea and that I needed a voucher to redeem it in the common area. Some other hotels even deliver to your room and ask your preferred time, but here, when afternoon tea time arrived, the butler didn't even send a WeChat reminder. So, I missed it—my bad, I accept that. 2. So I went to the common area on the third floor, hoping for some snacks. They state it's open until 9 PM, but I arrived at 6 PM. The area was empty, no plates or cutlery replenished, the coffee machine was off, no hot tea, and the fruit bowls were almost empty with only one or two pieces left. I contacted the hotel, and a very kind staff member eventually brought me some items, but it really felt like no one was in charge. 3. What really highlighted the chaotic management was breakfast. The night before, they asked for my dining time the next day, stating it was to manage and arrange guest flow. Yet, when I arrived the next day, there were no seats! I ended up sharing a table with strangers. So what was the point of pre-arranging and managing? It would have been better not to ask; guests might have felt better and wouldn't have had to wake up at a specific time for breakfast. Besides me, there was another group of guests standing and waiting too. The hotel said some other guests didn't adhere to their times, so they were seated. Are punctual guests being punished? If they can't even manage and communicate something like this effectively, what exactly is the hotel's 'guest flow management'? 4. After arriving at the breakfast area, there was no introduction to what was available, what was self-service, or if tea and coffee were self-serve. Essentially, I was just left to my own devices by the so-called 'butler'. At the self-service area, I found two dishes were empty, the hot milk wasn't hot, and the hot tea was cold. Guests at the next table also complained that their different kind of tea was cold. 5. They brought out a pile of breakfast items in a rush, without explaining what anything was. What's the point of serving abalone? It's all just for show. Piling the table full seems to be their idea of completing the task. 6. Regarding the facilities, the room door lock was an old-fashioned key, very difficult to open. After entering the room, to lock the door, you have to use the key again from the inside! Every time I handled that key, my hands smelled metallic, and the fabric charm on it was dirty and disgusting. 7. The soundproofing is terrible, a common issue with old buildings. 8. Many items in the room were labeled 'Not for Gifting,' which felt very uncomfortable. It implies guests might steal things. It's not like this is a super high-end hotel or the items are particularly luxurious. Even the slippers were labeled. I've stayed in many top-tier hotels costing tens of thousands a night worldwide, and none were like this. Guests who can afford over a thousand a night probably aren't going to steal things. I really didn't experience any 'butler service.' Was I managing them, or were they my butlers? This all points to fundamental issues in the hotel's management and staff training. I will not consider staying at any other hotels of this brand in the future.

I really loved the hotel's ambiance and decor, it felt very warm, which is why I booked it. However, there were some issues during my stay: Firstly, it wasn't quiet at all. Being on the edge of the ancient city, there were noisy crowds late at night and early in the morning. The soundproofing was very poor. Secondly, I felt that all the hotel staff had a good attitude, but it was a bit rigid. We were out exploring during the day, so we couldn't make it back for afternoon tea. When I inquired, the staff said afternoon tea could only be served within the set time and couldn't be delivered to the room in the evening. I initially thought the afternoon tea might be very elaborate, but it turned out to be just tea, fruit, and pastries. These could easily be flexible and delivered to the room if guests don't have time (another hotel did exactly this). Also, the butler seemed to ask me the same questions repeatedly. This might be because the account isn't managed by a single person, and subsequent staff members didn't review previous chat history. Thirdly, some staff members weren't very professional. For example, I provided my phone number, and it was clearly their mistake that they entered it incorrectly, yet they told me it was an empty number. I found that quite exasperating. Fourthly, perhaps because the hotel is relatively small, the room was extremely dry and not very comfortable. Throughout my trip to Dali, I stayed at hotels costing 2000-3000 RMB, and compared to them, this one performed significantly worse.

The hotel is located in a quiet area despite being central, housed in an old residential building with an overall Republic of China era style. The room is small but charming, and the breakfast is exceptionally rich. The service is also good. It's very convenient to get to Erhai Lake and the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple. Overall, it's a good stay! 👍

The hotel is a mini-hotel with 3 floors and 10 rooms, located near Renmin Road Pedestrian Street in Dali Ancient City, and there's no elevator. The hotel has a strong design aesthetic, and the room layouts are elegant. The air conditioning works well, the hot water pressure is great, and the sink is very practical. Breakfast at the hotel is fantastic and unique, definitely a bonus point. The staff provide exceptional service; they are very responsive, contacted us in advance to confirm our arrival time, upgraded our room, and even helped carry our luggage to the room. When we checked out, they gave us a farewell gift, which was a very thoughtful touch. However, the room size is quite small, and the lighting is dim. You have to find just the right spot to open a larger suitcase, and the toilet in the bathroom isn't smart (non-bidet). Overall, our experience at the hotel didn't quite meet our expectations, which was a bit disappointing.

The service was incredibly attentive! All the staff were very friendly, and any minor issues we encountered were resolved quickly. The only thing is, the breakfast portions were absolutely massive, haha, but so delicious! It could easily serve as brunch, so you won't feel hungry until well into the afternoon! 👍

I found many things to like about this hotel. The decor is understated yet very tasteful. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and the hot water pressure in the shower was the best I've ever experienced. Breakfast was delicious and clearly freshly prepared. The staff were also exceptionally friendly and helpful, even offering an extra hot Americano before check-in and after check-out. That was a really thoughtful touch.