I’m really glad that I stayed in this hotel, but there were moments when I had first arrived when I really second guessed myself.

My experience began when I first emailed the manager of the hotel - she was lovely and responded straight away answering all of my questions about getting to and from (and perhaps more importantly up and down) the mountain, as well as visiting the rest of the area which includes waterfalls and ancient villages.

Although I had booked through Ctrip, it was great to be able to email directly when Mandy had to go home, to ask how I could still do the trip by myself.  I extended the booking to cover the night I had planned to stay on the mountain at the Beihai Hotel (which I am so glad I did!) but kept the same twin room as the manager said it was on the quieter side of the hotel.

Their complimentary car picked me up from the airport - which was great as, after several hours of delay, I was ready to crash, and I met the smiley Mr Wu. 

The hotel itself was a swift come down from the insane luxury of Les Suites Orient, like going back several hundred years in time, or like walking into a museum.  The stonework of the area is stunning, one of the local specialties, and the reception area has examples and explanations of the Huizhou culture.

This was actually the best introduction to a room ever; the porter explained the layout of the room, pointing out the “Do Not Disturb” buzzer, the fridge - all in Mandarin, but I got the picture.  What I loved was that when I called reception, as the room was on the noisy side, to ask if I was in the right room, they realised I should be on the other side, so he moved me... and repeated the whole introduction thing again, even though the layout was exactly the same.  (I was also supposed to have a room with a view - but never did figure out what it could have been of - there’s not a lot of view around here!)  But on the downside this was the first hotel where my UK plugs didn’t work - and I had no idea where my adaptors were.

At first I found Tunxi and the hotel a little bit depressing, after the opulence of Les Suites Orient the uniforms here were a little threadbare, the shower quite basic, but there were aspects which were an improvement on my Shanghai abode.  For starters great bathroom products (some of which I even took with me to Beijing they were so good) and the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in.  Yes it was a twin bed, but even so.  If the most comfortable bed in the world wasn’t enough they also had a note saying that if you didn’t like it they would switch your mattress (one up from the pillow menus that seem to be appearing in some hotels), but I had no complaints.

One tip for staying in Chinese hotels would be to actually bring some scent of your own.  The room was very clean, but had been scented with a Chinese herbal smell that I really didn’t like.  I ended up putting some of my shower gel on the pillow to make it easier to sleep.

The manager had already suggested I take the complimentary water and drinks with me up the mountain, and the reception staff were happy to point me in the direction of the cheapest supermarket I’ve ever visited for everything else.

The restaurant was exceptional, and after a slightly lacklustre shower I got an early night.

The manager was the source of my best and worst advice for going up the mountain - that I should take the cable car (good) and that it was so easy I didn’t need a guide (bad) but it should be noted that the West Sea Canyon area where I got lost has just been opened up to the public and is off their current maps (like the old maps where they used to write “here there be dragons”).

The hotel will also organise their car to take you to the mountain or other local areas, and although it may seem a bit pricey at 300RMB (£30), the one hour drive to and from the mountain was worth every penny as far as I was concerned - especially seeing as Mr Wu Senior had to come and find me for the return journey.

I have to also mention the restaurant manageress as she was so lovely - despite not having much English I feel that she and I developed a bond over the day I spent resting and eating after the mountain.  They couldn’t believe their eyes when I would sit down in the restaurant a few hours after breakfast and ask for a menu, and they were delighted when I polished off a full plate and smiled.  It’s always nice to be appreciated.

A couple of other niggly points about the hotel were that there was some confusion over the final amount to pay - this may have been to do with local taxes and amounted only to a couple of pounds (and I was too tired to care), and the fact that because the Mr Wus (Junior and Senior) were out sightseeing I had to take a taxi to the airport, but after chatting to a few people at the airport I am convinced that this is the best hotel in the area by far and a fantastic base for visiting Huangshan.