I have stayed in many hotels in China, but this one is unique. Therefore, I decided to review the Haidu Hotel in Dali. The name is pretty general, but I thought we were lost and in the wrong place when I entered the hotel’s main entrance. The hotel’s facade looked more like a Chinese temple—well, that was my first impression, and if you look at the main photo here, wouldn’t you think so?

Review of Haidu Hotel in Dali

Room at Haidu Hotel.

Our entourage checked in quite late after a long drive from Kunming. We arrived in Dali at about 11 p.m. The drive from Kunming took us about four hours, and by the time we got here, almost everyone was exhausted and couldn’t wait to shower and jump into bed for an early start the next day.

Overall, the Haidu Hotel is built on two main floors in a vast courtyard compound in the old quarter of the ancient Dali town. This means it is within walking distance of the main shopping area, which is excellent for travellers.

The hotel bedroom looks very traditional.

The fact that it is not in the core area gives me great pleasure as I prefer to walk and explore the area instead of walking straight into a busy town. Others may differ, so it is entirely up to the traveller. The rooms here exceeded my expectations as they were larger than usual.

Technically, the Haidu Hotel is more like a boutique hotel in Dali due to its facilities and design. Again, a temple looks and feels from the front but a very Chinese designer style in the rooms. I did not manage to check other rooms, but I stayed in a pretty funky room with a unique design and a sexy bathroom.

Interesting Shower System.

Speaking about the bathroom, if you look at the photo, you can see a glass wall with a sheer organza curtain that divides it from the room. Now, imagine if you are sharing the room with a stranger or colleague; wouldn’t that be awkward? Well, let’s leave the imagination part out of this.

The shower system was challenging as I had never seen or experienced it before. Even Japanese shower systems were pretty much easy to comprehend. This took the cake – for two days, I could not put on the shower; even asking the others, they kept telling me to turn the knobs at a particular style.

Eventually, I figured it out on the second day and felt useless for the previous day. It’s complicated but easy—that’s how I term this shower system.

It has a very romantic bathroom setup.

The rest of the room was impressive with the complimentary traditional Chinese tea and set, multiple plug points, fancy decoration and most importantly, the personal computer! Yes, a PC was in the room with a 15-inch LCD screen. Talk about feeling at home—this was awesome! Except everything was in Mandarin. Oh well, I got around it eventually.

The breakfast was in a small kitchen-cafe outside the main building. Here, the traditional Chinese breakfast of congee and noodles was served. I didn’t expect the regular continental breakfast, but it was quite an experience. So that you know, breakfast here is non-halal.

Room amenities: notice the LCD monitor and personal computer on the shelf.

Haidu Hotel Dali reception area.

The main reception looks more like a museum than a reception. The artefact pieces, stone collections and even a traditional tea table will steal your attention when you walk in. As for language, a couple of the younger staff here speak some decent English, so all was good for the entourage and me.

The facade of the Haidu Hotel.

Again, the Haidu Hotel is about a 10-minute walk to the Dali Ancient Town Centre, which is quite accessible for anyone planning to come here. The weather has been very cool since I visited here in March, and walking around the main town area has been very pleasant.

Several local attractions, such as the Ancient Bai Museum, Dali Shopping Street, and the 4 Ancient Gates, protect the town; some require travelling out of the main town area.

One of the popular must-visit sites is the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple in Dali, and you should be prepared to spend a few hours here as the entire place is huge. Another is the Cangshan Ropeway Mountain, which is suitable for those who like nature and the outdoors.

The Haidu Hotel in Dali.

Conclusion

My trip to Dali was organized by AirAsia, which flies to Kunming, China. From there, we took an overland trip to Dali and stayed in the ancient town. Our general accommodation was at the Haidu Hotel in Dali, China, which I admit was somewhat surprising for this part of the country.