Hotels With Pools in Shanxi, China

On my trip to Datong, I booked a stay at the Howard Johnson Jindi Plaza Datong, located right by the ancient city, through Trip.com. It's rated 5 stars online, and it truly lives up to the hype! As soon as I checked in, I was upgraded for free to a deluxe business suite. It was my first time seeing a suite with a dining table big enough to host over 10 friends and family. After one night, I switched back to my originally booked business king room. The king room was also incredibly comfortable, measuring a spacious 62 square meters. Opening the curtains revealed views of Datong's streets. If you walk to the end of the corridor, you can even see a panoramic view of the ancient city of Datong. What truly stands out is the fantastic Chinese restaurant at this 5-star hotel. I stayed in Datong for three days, and除了one lunch I had in Hunyuan Ancient City, all my other five lunches and dinners were enjoyed at the hotel's Chinese restaurant. Here, a bowl of Shanxi's specialty knife-cut noodles is only 6 RMB, and a bowl of cold noodles, even tastier than those in Hunyuan, is just 3 RMB. You can order half portions of shumai, and during the first dog days of summer, they even had dumplings. I tried the braised deer tendon with scallions, something I'd never had before, and it was superb, as were the husband and wife lung slices and jellyfish salad – perfect with drinks. Dining here is delicious and affordable. If you top up 200 RMB, you even get a complimentary plate of Shanxi's signature 'guoyourou' (fried pork in sauce). A huge shout-out also goes to the restaurant staff. They are warm, thoughtful, and genuinely care for guests, even advising against ordering too much, ensuring just the right amount! In summary, I give a 5-star rating to both the hotel and the F&B department. The last photo is of the hotel's breakfast, which was also excellent. The hotel has two breakfast restaurants, so even with many guests, it never feels crowded!

The hotel's location is good. Although it's a bit old, it still has all the hardware facilities expected of a five-star hotel. Let me focus on the most unpleasant service experience this time. We booked a family room, which included three breakfasts. Our child had an upset stomach the night before and was throwing up and had diarrhea all night. So, in the morning, only the two adults went to eat, thinking of getting a takeaway box for the child. This is where the unpleasant experience began. The person in black, who seemed to be a supervisor at the restaurant, said that if we had already started dining, takeaway boxes wouldn't be provided (at this point, we thought we only had two breakfasts included). Later, after checking the order, we confirmed that the family room included three breakfasts. We went back to the restaurant reception to ask for a takeaway box, clarifying upfront that our room included three breakfasts and that we wanted to pack something because our child was unwell. Even then, the front desk staff said that after 6:30 AM, it's recommended to dine in, and takeaway boxes are generally not provided. She also claimed it was busy and she couldn't authorize it (even though there were no guests waiting at the front desk at that time) and that only the supervisor could approve it. I had to wait for her to call the supervisor over again before I finally got a takeaway box. Throughout this entire process, both of them had cold faces and showed absolutely no service意识 (service awareness). This definitely deserves a negative review!!!

I found this hot spring hotel online, and after seeing the good reviews, I decided to book a stay to try it out. The online reviews were absolutely right – the environment is beautiful, the facilities are excellent, and the rooms are comfortable, spacious, and spotlessly clean. The natural volcanic hot springs and pools have crystal-clear water, offering an incredible experience that instantly brought me immense satisfaction. Furthermore, the front desk service was incredibly welcoming; check-in was smooth and fast, and they patiently and meticulously answered all my questions. With such a comfortable environment and excellent service, I didn't hesitate to extend my stay.

The room was quite spacious, and the soundproofing was excellent. I kept hearing firecrackers, though I'm not sure where they were coming from. However, there were far too many mirrors in the room, which would be awkward if you're staying with friends. There's also no partition when you step out of the shower to change. On the plus side, the in-room fridge had complimentary drinks, and there was a generous supply of water and towels. The hotel is located in the new city, about a 10-minute drive from the old city, with a taxi ride costing under ¥15. The hotel's Fenglin Pavilion restaurant was decent. As for the hotel itself, it lacks entertainment facilities, and the breakfast was terrible, absolutely terrible. While there seemed to be a lot of options, everything was unappetizing, with nothing good to eat. Every morning, almost 2,000 people had breakfast, sharing a hall with the Wyndham hotel, and the food on both sides was identical. It felt like pig feed. The ingredients were very poor, definitely not up to five-star hotel standards. Not a single dish was good. This hotel is suitable for business trips, but it falls short for family vacations.

Check-in was smooth and convenient. Our room faced the cultural tourism town, so we could enjoy the animation show for free in the evenings. Breakfast offered a good variety. There's also a Chinese restaurant for dinner; it's not managed by the hotel but the food is quite good. We didn't try the buffet, but the dining options close at 2 PM, which feels a bit too early. So, dining was a minor drawback. However, the environment is truly beautiful, surrounded by pine trees, green grass, and flowers. The tranquility is especially appealing for city dwellers. This will be my top choice for accommodation on my next trip to Wutai Mountain.

The room layout is excellent, spacious, and comfortable. The breakfast offers a wide variety, especially the bread, pastries, and cakes, which are plentiful and high-quality, tasting delicious. At the noodle bar, you can customize your dish with ingredients of your choice. They also serve Taiyuan-style noodles. The hotel's location is convenient for getting around. The security guard in the underground parking lot is very responsible; they even called to remind me when I forgot to close my car window! 👍

My stay in Datong was great this time. The front desk staff were warm and efficient, and check-in was smooth. The hotel breakfast offered a wide variety of delicious options. The room had an excellent view, and at night, I could enjoy the beautiful nightscape of the ancient city. It was incredibly relaxing to gaze at the city lights after a day of exploring. Overall, I was very satisfied with everything, especially the prime location. I highly recommend this hotel for anyone visiting Datong.

I recently stayed at your hotel and was deeply impressed by the extremely professional, warm, and thoughtful service provided by front office managers Laura, Andy, and Aria. I am writing this letter to specifically commend them. During my stay, the hotel was very busy and rooms were in high demand. Manager Laura proactively helped me adjust my check-in time and flexibly coordinated room arrangements. She patiently answered my questions regarding member benefits and late check-out policies, communicating efficiently and handling everything with great care. Manager Andy meticulously verified my check-in information and proactively helped me safely store my valuables. He was responsible and thorough throughout, which put me completely at ease. Manager Aria took the initiative to check on my stay experience, carefully inquiring about room temperature and facilities, and thoughtfully delivered a fresh fruit platter and bottled water. These detailed services were truly heartwarming. The three managers collaborated effectively, showcasing outstanding professionalism. Even during busy periods, they consistently maintained an enthusiastic and meticulous service attitude, perfectly embodying Marriott's high-end and thoughtful service philosophy. They made my stay an excellent experience, truly feeling like a home away from home. I sincerely thank the three managers for their dedicated service and wish your hotel continued success and prosperity!

Let me talk about the pros. The breakfast was quite plentiful and tasty, 68 yuan per person. Our child, being 15, paid an extra 40 yuan. We booked three rooms together. The rooms were decent for a five-star hotel, and the lobby was beautiful. Now for areas for improvement. Aside from the good security guard at the entrance, the service could be better. Since it's a hot spring hotel, the hot spring itself is important, but it was rather mediocre. Of the 12 pools, some were 58 degrees Celsius, some 48 degrees, and only a few were usable and small. Also, because so many people were crammed into a few pools, they became quite dirty. All three families stayed for an hour before leaving. There were too many access control points. For a hotel in such a remote area, I don't understand why there were so many access control points and card swiping systems; it was very inconvenient. I didn't intend to give a low score because the front desk gave us a complimentary breakfast, which was a concession.

Online booking is very convenient, the service attitude is very good 💪 The room is also refreshed ✨ In the morning, it is also quite rich, very close to Jia Street, super satisfied with this stay experience ～ (≧▽≦)