Howard Johnson by Wyndham Hotels in Dayi

Apart from the reception service, which was excellent, everything else about this hotel was terrible. This is the worst hot spring hotel I've ever stayed at, and I've traveled extensively. You rarely see cars from outside the local area, as Dayi and Dujiangyan are popular summer getaways for Chengdu residents. 1. I was persuaded by the charming front desk staff to pay over 400 RMB for a private bath room. The room was dark and damp, and the 'private' bath offered no privacy at all. There were so many mosquitoes and other insects in the room that you could see traces of them everywhere. This was likely due to the abundant greenery around the hotel combined with continuous rain and humidity. They offered two plates of pears as 'seasonal fruit' – when I asked customer service, that's what they said. Really? Over 1000 RMB for a room, and all you get are two plates of pears? What a way to run a business! And for the private bath, you have to wait for staff to fill it. Is it really that technically challenging? The 'private bath' is just mountain spring water – they euphemistically call it 'spring water from Xiling Snow Mountain' – and it even has time restrictions. 2. The 'Baile Tang' (public hot springs) is all hype. They don't even provide drinking water at the hot springs – I've never seen that before! The retail prices are completely opaque and outrageous: an ice cream costs 22 RMB, and a bottle of Bai Sui Shan mineral water is 8 RMB. It completely blew my mind. The only reason I didn't report them for price gouging is because I didn't want to deal with bureaucracy or spoil my vacation further. Out of 25 advertised hot springs, I only saw a few open; the rest were either closed or cordoned off for private use. You constantly hear people hawking 'back-scrubbing services.' The huge mosquitoes were everywhere. Hot springs in Jiange also have outdoor areas and greenery, but you don't have to battle mosquitoes like this. My family of three didn't get our legs completely covered in bites there. 3. As for the restaurant, their 'brown sugar pancake' (Hongtang Guokui) was actually just a small, fried, filled steamed bun from breakfast. Pure consumer fraud. The waiter, to their credit, was quick to address it and refunded 38 RMB. 4. Breakfast was chaotic, with limited space and no available seating. No one wanted to sit in the sun. To get wontons, you had to wrap them yourself, and the restaurant staff would cook them. Absolutely ridiculous! The most laughable thing is that they still chased me on WeChat for a good review. Unbelievable nerve!