2-Star Hotels in Jiangsu, China

I arrived in pouring rain. I thought I could walk to my hotel but it was impossible in the downpour. I didn’t want to bother any hotel owner.   I didn’t and still don’t  have an eSIM that can make local  call but thanks to Trip.com, there is a link that I could call the owner for free.  I didn’t advise the owners my arrival time so they were off running errands.  I called the owner to pick me up and thankfully he answered. He was busy but gracious enough to turn around and picked me up. It knew Zhouhuang requires a ticket but I didn’t know that no cars, nor motorcycles, nor bicycles are allowed. Without him I would have arrived the hotel easily.  I always like to meet the owners instead of employees . They were very helpful and answered all my questions. They are honest people who dedicate their  blood and sweat to their business. The owner even offered to walk me to the bus stop  to Suzhou which was my next destination.  This  operates two hotels with 9 in one and 6 in the other. The one that I stayed in with 9 rooms is in a  lively and busy area . Just outside the hotel is a restaurant and there are plenty of places to eat. Inside the hotel is a peaceful oasis where you won’t hear any noise. The location is the best. The other hotel is in a quieter neighborhood a few minutes away. Each of the 15 rooms has it’s own personality, is different and has its distinctive decoration. The owners said they decorated them themselves. I love the decoration and especially the lighting.  After you reserve a room, be sure to contact the owner for the exact address in case you want to arrive on your own. I think it is best to request the owner to take you there because he/she will lead you to the ticket booth to buy tickets. There are a number of bridges so heavy big luggages can be a bit of a challenge .  If you arrive after 5 pm, you can enter free of charge as no one is there to check your ticket. . But once you are inside, and if you choose to leave the area after 8 or 9 am until 5 pm, you have to pay to come back in. You can buy a one day or in my case 3 days pass.  Do check with the owner for up to date information.  The room was quite clean. There were hot water all the time. There were other guests during my stay but they were not noisy at all. I barely heard them. I slept very well during my 3 nights there.  Zhouhuang is really beautiful. There are many canals, bridges, boat rides, good food of all kinds. I had some of the best meals there. In fact , I ate in the same restaurant that serves dumpling twice. One night I had grill (BBQ) meat just outside the entrance for 4 yuans. .  There is decent size supermarket just outside the turnstile and not too far away is a much bigger supermarket. It was there where I bought half a Peking duck for only 32 yuans . The seller sliced the meat and separated the meat from  the bones. The bones he fried so it was crunchy.  It was delicious. There is a theater that offers performances. The night view is great. If you step out your room, you will be overwhelmed in a good sense by the exciting surroundings.  This hotel definitely is one of the best that I have ever stayed in. Look at the beautiful pictures and find one that you like.  I stayed only 3 nights and one of those days I went to Tongli. In my opinion, one should spend at least 2 to 3 full days in  Zhouhuang (and especially this hotel ) savor the ambience. I don’t think Tongli is worth the time because it was twice as expensive and there are not that many canals and boat rides. It is much quieter and has fewer things to see. . The worst is that the sightseeing places require you to show your ticket. After 2 places, I lost mine ticket and I  couldn’t get in the rest of the places. It is unnecessary to require proof of entrance because you can’t enter the area without a ticket. 

I was initially asked by the hotel to leave a five-star review, but after my full stay I can’t do so in good conscience, and I have since adjusted my rating based on the second half of my booking. This was a two-part stay (two separate bookings of five days each), and while there are genuinely strong positives, the overall experience was significantly affected by ongoing service and cleanliness issues. There are still clear strengths to highlight. The location is excellent—quiet, safe, and surrounded by good restaurants, convenience stores, and a pleasant park nearby. The rooms are also very well designed: spacious, comfortable, and equipped with useful amenities such as a washing machine. The layout and overall setup make it a very livable space. The staff were, for the most part, kind and helpful. One staff member in particular was consistently warm and welcoming. When issues were raised, the team did attempt to respond professionally, and I do appreciate that some solutions were offered, including a discounted rate for a future stay. However, there were repeated concerns that affected my experience, particularly during the second half of my stay. Cleanliness remained a consistent issue. Even after rooms were serviced, dust accumulated very quickly—so much so that items like my laptop would be visibly covered overnight. This raises concerns about the overall level of cleanliness and ventilation. In addition, housekeeping services felt inconsistent. On multiple occasions I had to specifically request basic essentials such as bottled water and fresh towels, rather than these being proactively restocked daily as would normally be expected in this type of accommodation. Service consistency also varied. Some days staff would check in or ask whether I needed room cleaning, while on other days there was no such follow-up at all. This lack of routine made the experience feel unpredictable for a stay of this length. There were also concerns regarding pricing and communication during an attempted extension of my stay. I had initially paid approximately 268 rand per night (already at a discounted rate). When I asked to extend for one additional night during the May Day holiday period, I was quoted around 800 rand. While I understand that rates fluctuate during peak demand, this felt inconsistent given the earlier discount offered due to the significant issues experienced in the first rooms. The handling of this request also felt quite rigid initially, although the pricing discussion changed once I indicated I would be leaving a review. By that point, however, I had already made alternative arrangements in another city. I also noticed a change in overall tone and attentiveness from staff following my initial complaints, particularly on the day I was trying to extend my stay. In that instance, even basic housekeeping services were not offered, which contributed to a feeling of inconsistency in service. Ultimately, I think this hotel has strong potential. The location, room design, and general setup are genuinely excellent, and there are staff members who are clearly committed and welcoming. However, the inconsistency in cleanliness standards, basic housekeeping expectations, and service delivery means I cannot recommend it as a reliably high-quality stay at this stage. With more consistent attention to cleanliness and service fundamentals, this could be an excellent hotel experience—but in its current state, it falls short of that standard.

The lobby and front desk are clean and bright, and the room was also very neat and tidy upon entry. It's conveniently located, with many specialty snack shops within 1 km! The front desk staff had an excellent service attitude! Everything is brand new and exceptionally well-maintained, from the common areas to the guest rooms, all clean and fresh. The soundproofing is also great, allowing for a peaceful rest.

Haha, I found a bargain. The check-in experience was great! The front desk staff is warm and thoughtful, the room is clean and tidy, the bedding is comfortable, the breakfast is rich in variety, and the location is very convenient. Highly recommended!

This hostel changed the idea I had of a great hostel! SEE OTHER REVIEWS FOR COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING CHECK-IN/STAFF: Simple & easy. There is a language barrier with most of the staff, but it's nothing a little patience, on both ends, and a translator can't fix. I was helped to my room with my bags. I personally enjoyed the staff and especially one of the cleaning ladies. She was truly a joy to see every day and seemed like she genuinely liked seeing me. They helped when my food order had issues, twice. I was helped getting I was running late for my train on check-out morning. ROOMS/FACILITIES: Comfortable, clean and curtain for the beds. I the rooms are reasonably spacious. The average person follows the general quiet in the rooms so you can sleep peacefully any time you want. The blanket is thick, some beds have extra little hooks. (Would be nice if they added them for all beds) Pillows are decent, towel and locker provided. Beds have North American & Chinese style plugs. The entire outlet system of the building seems to be that way. AMENITIES/GOOD TO KNOW Laundry detergent, toothbrush/toothpaste individually wrapped units and earplugs provided at no cost. Towel/bed sheet change upon request is offered if stay is 3+ days. The main lobby toilets are used buy restaurants guests from next door. The is security at night (not personally for the hostel, for the alley) Private homes are across the way so keep the volume low to quiet after 10pm. OVERALL/PERSONAL THOUGHTS ” I would recommend staying here for a short or long period. Excellent valut for dollars. I felt very welcomed, comfortable & overall relaxed. My only real complaint is the lack of fridge,microwave and a sink area. As a budget traveler it can get costly having to order or go out for every meal is super inconvenient. To be fair, you can ask for your items to be placed in the staff fridge at the bar. The downside is having to wait and ask for staff to get it for me. This was super frustrating when I wanted my food and had to wait about 20 minutes for someone to finally be able to do it. Not to mention the general inconvenience of not being able to go to a fridge at will. Even though there's a laundry area upstairs, many people will do laundry in the sinks leaving the bathroom floors constantly wet and countertops soaked. Not management's fault but could possibly be addressed in the rules. There are days where a gentleman will come sit outside the hostel or the general alley area with Barky McBarkerson his incredibly annoying dog that's constantly barking at everyone and everything. When they're directly on the property hanging out infront don't even think of enjoying the fresh air peacefully . I think there's a way for management to address bothersome behavior to their guest. IMO if management could somehow provide a common fridge and a microwave, they would be close to top tier hostel all things considered. Review based on multiple stays. Enjoy

GreenTree Inn, Jurong (Jiangsu Province) is an oldie but a goody! I stayed there for 5 nights in late August/early September (2025). At first glance I was a bit dubious, but it turned out to be a really great place to stay. I felt very safe there and in the neighbourhood (day and night) and would stay there again. Excellent customer service ..… the Reception and cleaning staff were all really friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. The first room I was allocated smelt of cigarette smoke (no thank you!), but I was immediately moved into a nicer smelling room, which was absolutely spotless, quite large, and had a nice new smart tv, air con, an opening window with a flyscreen and security bars (essential for a ground floor room), nice solid furniture, pure white linen (impressively imprinted with “GreenTree Inn”) and a clean, comfy doona and pillows. A standard hard’ish Chinese bed, but I find them quite comfy. The old carpet runner along the length of the long ground floor hallway (where my room was) is a relic from way back when, but it was clean and well maintained, as was the rest of the hotel that I could see. The shower head needed fixing, but that’s an annoyingly common problem in pretty much every budget ＞ mid range hotel I’ve ever stayed in, in China. The hotel is only about 20 metres from Jurong Chongming Subway Station. Local bus stop almost at the front door (& across the road). The entrance to the old cobbled road (no cars allowed) & all its little shops is across the road at the lights, and a large pharmacy at the entrance (near the “archway”). Electric scooters galore to hire (via the AliPay or WeChat apps) outside the subway. Plenty of restaurants in walking distance once you get past the trades shops (plumbing supplies etc). My only gripe about GreenTree Inn Jurong (& this is a gripe I have for many hotels etc throughout China) is that smoking is allowed on the premises. I think it’s the worst it’s been since 2002 when I first started travelling to China. It’s awful walking into foyers and lifts that reek of cigarette smoke, and copping wafts of the smoke along hallways from smokers in their rooms (& ashtrays at lift entrances), and horrible arriving tired after a long flight and long trek from airports etc, only to discover you then have to request a room change to escape the smoke, and start all over again. No matter how accommodating the staff are, I could easily do without that hassle and the horrible smell. In my opinion, hotels etc in China need to up their game where that’s concerned, and follow the lead of the many countries which have banned cigarette smoking in all public buildings (including hotels), all public indoor and outdoor spaces, anywhere near children and shopping centres, on and near public transport etc etc etc.

The hotel is super convenient for transportation, it's only about a five or six-minute walk to the subway station, which is incredibly friendly for tourists! I arrived quite early because I was on an early train, and the front desk staff proactively helped me with my luggage. Their service attitude was excellent, and they even arranged for me to check in early! The price is economical and affordable, and the environment is very clean. It's incredibly good value for money!

Location The hotel is near Dongliu Station, but you need to walk about 3 blocks (15 minutes). The walk is flat, but in July and August it can get very hot, so bring an umbrella. The area is quiet and feels isolated. Although the hotel is not far from Nanjing University Xianlin Campus, there is no direct train, you need to change lines and make an awkward turn. Shared bikes (Hello blue bikes) are convenient in Xianlin, but not around this hotel. A good option is to take the B3 shuttle bus from Sanyang Road, which goes to Nanjing University train station (walking distance to NJU). Around the hotel, you will find small eateries (like chicken and duck rice shops) and a few convenience stores, but no malls. Cleanliness The rooms are clean, but there is a smoke smell that stays for about a day. The staff suggested opening the window and using the aircon, but I also bought a reed diffuser from Miniso to make it smell fresher. Bedsheets were changed regularly (every 5 days). The toilet slippers looked dirty, so I did not use them. Also, the hotel does not provide floor towels. Staff & Service The staff were very kind and helpful. They upgraded me to a bigger double room with a sofa and work area, and also gave me a cheaper rate since I stayed for 40 nights. Cleaning staff came daily, bringing bottled water and keeping the toilet clean. The night-shift counter staff were also helpful. Facilities There is a washing machine that can wash and dry in one cycle. Do not overload it, or clothes won’t dry properly. Since the hotel is not very busy, I could use the machine anytime without queuing. Rooms have a hair dryer and a lighted mirror. The aircon makes a small dripping sound, but it is not a real problem. Noise The soundproofing is generally okay, but occasionally you can hear people talking loudly if there are guests next door. It’s not the hotel’s fault—just that people in China often speak very loudly, even inside their rooms or in the corridor. Nothing much you can do about it. Surroundings & Safety The area is safe, with big roads and many residential apartments. In the evenings, families with kids and dogs walk around, and I also jogged nearby. Food delivery is easy drivers can bring food to your room or the counter. Overall It is a quiet and safe place to stay, with helpful staff and decent facilities. The location is not very convenient for NJU Xianlin Campus, but manageable if you use the shuttle bus.

After a lot of research, I finally decided on Yindu, which I can confidently call the pinnacle of all-female hostels nationwide. I honestly don't think any other hostel can surpass Yindu. The location is excellent, making it super convenient for getting around. It's probably only a 6-7 minute walk from the subway station. There's a McDonald's and a police station downstairs, and an elevator which is really handy. The owner even provides fresh, sweet, and delicious watermelon. The environment is also fantastic. There are plenty of showers and toilets, so you never have to wait, and lots of hairdryers too. Sitting in the common area listening to music during downtime is very pleasant. When I checked in, the owner was very meticulous, explaining everything and introducing the facilities. All in all, Yindu is just the best!

I always choose to stay here whenever I'm in Wuxi, and it's consistently a fantastic experience. The front desk service is excellent and attentive, the rooms are spotlessly clean, and the facilities are well-equipped. This is my absolute go-to for accommodation in Wuxi! Highly recommend!