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The north of Sichuan province is home to Jiuzhaigou national park – a must see in China. Located at 2600 meters’ altitude between mountains at the edge of the Tibetan plateau. It’s a remote place and because of that I recommend to stay at Intercontinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise. It’s a huge complex and offers great luxury in a remote place. I enjoyed my stay and I will show you around the InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise in this hotel review, but first a video introduction.
A trip here is easily combined with a Yunnan road trip or a trip to Tibet as well. Check my Yunnan itinerary and Tibet itinerary and plan your trip.
The hotel
InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise is a huge complex located near the Jiuzhaigou valley and about an hour drive from the airport. I had a pre-arranged car from the hotel to pick me up which was very pleasant as I didn’t need to negotiate with the expensive taxi drivers. The altitude is close to 3000 meters so keep in mind to take it easy the first day. When I first arrived, I had a déjà vu; the complex reminded me of the Intercontinental Lhasa and Intercontinental Chengdu which I found out later are part of the same investment group.
The main area of the InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise is a huge dome with bars and restaurants in a garden setting. The rooms are located in several wings on the left and there is another dome with a huge swimming pool and health club. When I arrived, I was warmly greeted and checked in quickly. As the complex is very large I got a small tour to get acquainted with its layout. A true paradise!
The rooms at InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise
Due to my status at the IHG loyalty program I received a nice upgrade to a huge suite with mountain view. The living room was spacious with seating area and separate dining table. Both the living and bedroom had an electric fire place; not needed during my visit but in winter it can get cold. The bedroom had a large king-size bed and working desk with again a beautiful view. A rainforest shower, I love those, was present in the bathroom as was a huge bath. Amenities were plenty and I can’t think of anything missing. I had a great time in my room especially because I had to work in the morning and evening. A large room is necessary then to not get claustrophobic.
Facilities at InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise
The facilities at the InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise are plentiful and include a huge spa and indoor swimming pool. I haven’t used the swimming pool myself but it looked awesome especially if you’re with kids. I did have a massage and this was relaxing. Both the altitude and full day hikes made me tired and a relaxing massage is then the best thing to take. The hotel has various other facilities like an indoor game room and kid’s area plus various cages with birds. The concierge can arrange any transportation to the places of interest. I recommend to go to Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou national parks. They are the most interesting for foreign visitors.
Dining & Drinking at InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise
The InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise has plenty of restaurants including an all-day dining restaurant. They are all located under the big dome in a garden setting. I only tried the Sichuan restaurant as they had so many dishes I wanted to try. Plus, I love spicy food! I expected prices to be high as around the hotel there are no other places to go for dinner but they were very reasonable. Breakfast in the morning was a bit hectic but that’s always the case in Chinese hotels. As a Westerner: just get used to that; it also has its charm. The quality of the food was very good and delicious prepared with local produce. I loved the various yak dishes from intestines, lungs, and the finest cut. After a long day hiking in the Huanglong national park it was very relaxing to sit on one of the terraces with a local beer. InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise created a true indoor paradise.
Conclusion
If you make it as a foreign visitor to norther Sichuan, then I recommend to stay at the InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise. I didn’t see that many foreigners but as a frequent visitor to China I can highly recommend go there. It’s easily reached from Chengdu or Chongqing. The InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise is a true indoor paradise with a small village consisting of all the restaurants in a garden setting. The food is terrific and affordable. A huge indoor tropical pool and spa make sure you’re kept busy if not hiking the parks. The rooms are comfortable and I really loved my suite which really was my home for a few days. I highly recommend to stay at the InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise and I also recommend to visit north Sichuan!
If you would like to know what you can do in and around Jiuzhaigou then see one of these options: day trip to Huanglong, visit Jiuzhaigou national park. I will add more destination information over time.
For more hotel information and booking options please visit the website of Intercontinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise.
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Gallery of InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise
** All opinions are based on a genuine stay, flight or experience. I’m not affiliated with the hotel, airline or tour operator but I might be (partially) sponsored – or paid. **
