Bei Hai Hotel, Huangshan
North Sea Hotel, directly translated from Bei Hai Hotel or 黄山北海宾馆, is a strange name for a hotel being that it is located in a land locked province. Yet, after visiting, you realize the poetic sea of clouds that surround the mountains make the name quite appropriate.
The hotel, during the autumn holidays – as when we went, is arguably the busiest time of year. The annual holiday brings in tourist from all over the country and world. The cool time of year is my preference, since I’d rather avoid the sweltering summer months.
This hotel is one of the oldest on the mountain, with over 280 rooms. This time of year, they get so many requests for rooms, that they have ingeniously provided accommodations with tents, sleeping bags, and air mattresses. But I have heard that the sleeping bags are dirty. Anyways. . .we got lucky my booking of a room, though it was more than double the normal price – at around 1300 RMB a night. The beds were adequate, but the bathrooms were simple and spartan. The fluorescent light gave me an eerie feeling.
Would I recommend this hotel – well, I would. There’s also a large main dining room for breakfast buffet, and lunch & dinner. They even have a foot massage parlor – which we used twice. Located nearby are the chains or locks of love or commitment. Couples lock “locks” onto chain links, in a representation of their commitment to each other. After being on the mountain for a couple of days. One of the best things about the venue is that it is located relatively close, about 1/2 hour hike/walk from the Yungu cable car station. I strongly suggest this less travel route.
It is truly amazing how this hotel and other building are built on top of Yellow Mountain (Huangshan). There aren’t any direct roads leading and on top of the mountains. All there are cable cars. Yet, in order to get the supplies, people have to hand carry from the cable car station to each of the sites (minimum walk/hike of at least 1/2 hour) up and down stairs on the mountains. I am still in disbelief, as I kept looking for roads for trucks to drive up to the buildings. There aren’t any helicopter landing pads, either. Chinese labor is amazing.
Rating 2 Pigs Price Range 2 $/¥/NT
Links Sino Hotel, Trip Advisor, China Odyssey Tours, Fodors, Travel Pod, A Sina Blog, AiBang, A Sina Blog, A PC Home Blog
黄山北海宾馆 Bei Hai Hotel 安徽省黄山市黄山风景区北海景区 242709 BeiHai Scenic Area, HuangShan city, AnHui 242709 +86 559-5582555 tel +86 559-5581996 fax
Tent City, the hotel offers tents with inflatable beds for rental
During the Autumn Holiday - Huangshan is so crowded and the hotel is booked weeks in advance. Plus their prices go way up.
It was kind of chilly. I don’t think I would have liked sleeping outside.
Here is little map of the area
The Locks - symbolizing forever love or something like that. Couples will put together a lock on the chains on top of Huangshan
If you get tired, you can get a couple of people to pick you up and carry you down/up the mountain. For me (as a big guy) it would have cost USD 100 for them to take me down the mountain. I was actually considering it.
The 2 days that we were on Huangshan, the mornings proved to have spectacular views. But the afternoons had foggy and almost no visibility.
Morning
Late afternoon or nighttime view of the hotel with the fog rolling in
Our room. Not bad. But not great.
Our room came with 2 of these heavy coats. Pretty cool!
There isn’t a view, but at least it was better than sleeping in a tent
Our bathroom was small and spartan
Huangshan Beer
This was the main dining hall, where we had lunch, dinner, and breakfast.
Breakfast - Noodle Soup
Steamed pork buns - breakfast
Fried onion pancakes - breakfast
Cucumber - cold dish appetizer - lunch
Beef with vegetables - lunch
Spicy stir-fried potato strings - lunch
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes - lunch
Fried Rice - Lunch
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