Lai Sang Zhuokang Inn

It was a memorable NYE for me, had some drinks and chitchat with the other guests/staff by the fireplace, could see the fireworks and the view of Shangri-La old town from the 2nd floor. 阿英 was kind enough to upgrade me to the bigger room, provided an external heater as the floor heater would take some time, and sent our luggage to 北门. I wouldn’t mind climbing up some stairs but may not be ideal for some other people. Overall, I do love this place, it gave me the vibe of the mysterious Shangri-La.

Good location, room and views. However, we were picked up by the owner’s friend who didn’t know where we were going, made us drag our suitcase over the cobbles quite far. Then we arrived and there was no hot water and the hotel said it wouldn’t be fixed until the following day. We had to cut our trip short, although the owner was responsive on WeChat and flexible due to the situation so gave us a refund for the second night.

We arrived in Shangri-la late at night. The owner of the hotel told us to go to a certain location so they could go pick us up, we were not charged for this service. They were very kind to us, especially to me since I had a hard time adjusting to the altitude and they told us what to do to alleviate my altitude sickness issues. The rooms are very spacious, nicely decorated and clean. The atmosphere of the place gives you a feeling you’re immersed in the local culture. The view from the top rooms are breathtaking, you can have an overview of the town and the main temple. Just beware that in order to have this view, you need to climb a lot of stairs, and at this altitude, climbing stairs can be a daunting challenge, but totally worthwhile. I highly recommend this place.

It was a great location with a nice view and a very cute dog. But the room was cold and loud with thin walls. The courtyard was used for the dog and because they never seemed to walk it, it would pee and poop in there, which generated a bad smell. The bed was rock hard (although the reception tried to help us with an extra layer) and the room was not cleaned once while we stayed for a few days. I don’t think the price matches.

We rented the queen room with balcony for the view to the temple. The view is probably the best in Shangri-La, but the walk to the Inn is a little exhausting due to the altitude or your condition:) The room is typical local style, nice and spacious and there is plenty of warm water for the shower. There isn’t much hangers for clothes and the shower/toilet has no door to separate from the living area, only a curtain The bed is nice with comfortable quilt If you need daily cleaning you better remind the staff - otherwise they won’t do it