"As a traveler who prefers in-depth exploration, when choosing hotels in scenic areas, I always prioritize convenience over comfort and service details. When I first booked this Atour hotel, to be honest, I didn't have high expectations. After all, most hotels in scenic areas mainly rely on their location, and the service and facilities are usually just acceptable.
The first thing that impressed me was the hotel's location, right opposite the visitor center and only a few hundred meters from the scenic area's ticket office. This is very convenient for those of us who don't want to waste time on transportation.
Even more surprisingly, although the cheapest room type I chose didn't have a lake view, the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hallway on my floor, the restaurant on the first floor, and the rooftop terrace all offered excellent lake views. I a little regretted not booking a lake-view room. Otherwise, I could have brewed a pot of tea in the room, picked up a book from Atour's 'Zhuju' (Bamboo Dwelling) library, and purely enjoyed the private beauty of the mountains and lake, without enduring the cold, sun exposure, or rushing around.
This Atour's service completely overturned my preconceived notions about hotels in scenic areas. From check-in to check-out, from greetings to carrying luggage, from delivering toiletries to giving souvenirs, the staff's service didn't feel like a rigid process to complete a task. Instead, it felt like greetings among friends and family, which was particularly heartwarming. I felt that the staff here genuinely love their work, Atour, and Sayram Lake.
This time, I stayed in a 4.0 version room, which, according to the introduction, is the first of its kind in Xinjiang. The mattress and bedding have been upgraded, and the natural cotton texture is particularly skin-friendly. I'm a light sleeper, but the sound insulation at Sayram Lake Atour is excellent, allowing me to sleep soundly through the night.
The dining is also worth praising. The breakfast selection is very rich and balanced, allowing me to eat a hearty meal. As I've gotten older, I can't really eat Western cold meals for breakfast. Here, they also have freshly cooked noodles, wontons, vermicelli, as well as hot porridge, stir-fries, and tofu pudding to satisfy my 'Chinese stomach.' I especially want to mention Atour's late-night porridge service. After a tiring day of sightseeing, when you're too exhausted to move, a bowl of hot porridge and a small side dish is both stomach-warming and heartwarming, saving you the hassle of going out to find food.
The hotel also has free washing machines and dryers. The weather in Xinjiang is relatively dry, so clothes dry quickly after washing. Clothes worn today can be washed and dried at the hotel in the evening and worn again the next day. The laundry room is next to the gym, so you can even get a small workout while waiting for your clothes to wash and dry, saving the trouble of having staff deliver them back to your room.
These small details truly show the hotel's attentiveness.
In summary, my stay at Sayram Lake Atour Hotel completely exceeded my expectations. I initially thought it would just be a convenient place to stay for a quick night, but the overall experience far surpassed what I expected from a hotel in a scenic area. My only regret is that to save a bit on the room fee, I didn't experience a lake-view room. I plan to return next summer, and I will definitely brew tea and read a book by the floor-to-ceiling window in my room, spending an afternoon gazing at the blue of Sayram Lake and letting my mind wander!"