The Intercontinental One Thousand Island Qiandao Lake is one of the must-visit family hotels near Shanghai.
Qiandao literally means one thousand island – it’s an area of lakes and valleys in Zhejiang, perfect for a family getaway from Shanghai.
Distance from Shanghai: Four hours drive South West. They do run a shuttle bus from Shanghai.
Room rate: ¥800 upwards.
Best for: Activities, nature, walks, views
The Location: This is a little further away than many other hotels — it’s a four hour drive. But, the drive there and the location is glorious. The sweeping green hills and open lake are a world away from Shanghai. There are even hawks flying through the air and nature everywhere you look. They run a shuttle bus to and from Shanghai.
They call it ‘Hangzhou’ but that’s just for the idea – it’s actually about one hour drive from Hangzhou.
The Hotel: We really love this hotel. It is further away – around four hours from Shanghai – but they do have a shuttle bus for an extra 400 RMB per person.
It’s in the perfect location on Qiandao (Thousand Island) Lake. It’s quiet and serene, with walking areas right by the hotel, as well as boats (and jet-skis) on the lake and a small indoor kids club for ages 2 to 8. The highlight is being able to walk around the hills right by the hotel’s own grounds, and take a boat out on the lake. Blissfully calm after a Shanghai week.
The international buffet is dull, but the Chinese restaurant is pretty good. They do have another local style restaurant on the grounds, though this does get packed on a weekend.
The Rooms: The rooms are really, really nice. Even the small rooms have a great design and feel. Of course, you should choose a lakeview room, as the view is incredibly nice — so it is definitely worthwhile upgrading to get a lakeview or you will be disappointed to not get one!
Overall: All in all, this is another hotel outside of Shanghai which you simply have to visit. The natural environment, nearby walk and boats on the lake are what you need to unwind.
Details:
Intercontinental One Thousand Island Qiandao Lake
Tel: 571-8881-8888