Must-Stay on the Bookish Retreat List

For this Hangzhou trip, I chose the Scholar Hotel (Hangzhou Wulin Square Branch) and was completely charmed by its "scholarly vibe"📚! Nestled in the bustling Wulin business district yet exuding a serene literati ambiance, the Chinese-style decor even features ink paintings in the elevator lobby. The grand hall's shelves are filled with thread-bound books and tea sets, making you instinctively tread softly upon entering~ 📍Prime Location: • 5-minute walk to Wulin Square Metro Station (Lines 1/3), 12-minute taxi ride to West Lake, and a short stroll to Hangzhou Tower/Guodai City Plaza • Right next to Zhejiang Exhibition Hall and Wulin Night Market, perfect for evening food adventures (try the scallion pancake at the second stall by the entrance!) 🛏️Room Highlights: • Traditional Chinese push-window design + tatami tea table, wooden furniture with celadon tea sets, even the bedside lamps mimic palace lanterns • Bath amenities come in blue-and-white porcelain jars, and the shower gel has a Longjing tea fragrance! (I took the leftovers at checkout) 📸Photo Ops Guide: 1️⃣ Grand hall spiral staircase: Stunning light patterns at 3 PM through the carved lattice windows 2️⃣ Fifth-floor sky garden: White walls with black tiles and wisteria trellises, perfect for cheongsam or Hanfu shots 3️⃣ Breakfast hall calligraphy wall: Pose with the hotel's special "Dingsheng cake" for a "scholar's breakfast" moment 🍵Unique Experiences Rivaling 5-Star Hotels: • Free tea ceremony performances nightly at 7 PM (choose between Longjing or Jiuqu Red Plum tea) • Handwritten welcome note in Slender Gold style calligraphy! A copy of "Dreams of West Lake" placed by the bedside • Returned during a storm to find ginger tea ready at the front desk—detail-oriented service that moved me to tears ⚠️Pro Tips: • Wulin Night Market closes at 10 PM—arrive by 7 PM to snag the viral "Neon Tea Dance" milk tea • West Lake traffic is nightmare-ish on weekends—rent an e-bike instead (hotel can arrange) • Family rooms come with children's book and stationery sets 💡In a Nutshell: For the ultimate Hangzhou literati getaway, this is the spot—even the elevator's guqin background music oozes refinement. They even gifted me a bookmark souvenir at checkout~