喜林苑 — Hotel in Dali City

We got the Linden Centre recommended by a friend and it turned out to be even better than we could have imagined. Its located some 17km from Dali old town and that turns out to be a good thing because Dali is nice but very touristy. Xizhou is very cute and although it definitely has been discovered by tourists, it doesn't attract the masses that Dali does which makes it very nice to get away from everything. There are many newly weds and KOL's taking pictures just outside of the Linden Centre because of its beautiful location. This is more funny than anything else and we didn't experience any obnoxious tourists or large tourist masses that you tend to run in Dali itself from time to time.||||The Linden Centre is located in an amazing restored historic building at the corner of some rice fields. The restoration has been done beautifully and the building has a perfect balance between historical features and feel, and modern comfort at the same time. Our room was spacious, clean and very comfortable. The interior was clean and no-nonsense but that worked really well in my opinion. The courtyards and communal spaces were also clean and the rooftop patio in the back has an amazing view over the rice fields, the hills and mountains surrounding the area. Make sure you get up early to catch the sunrise there, it's amazing! Every day, they also have two tours - a morning one that takes you through old town Xizhou and the markets and another in the afternoon that tells you the history of the building and background of how the Linden Centre came to be - both highly recommended. ||||The owners, Brian and Jeanee are just the sweetest and most caring people that went above and beyond to make sure our stay perfect. Their amazing hospitality was shared by all the people working there as well. Each and everyone was attentive and friendly and helped us out whenever we needed anything. It's really the small things that show how considerate the team is, for example when we were finishing up dinner outside, one of the staff came by with mosquito spray in case we wanted to stay out longer and avoid the bites. We were especially thankful for the way they took care of us and all the guests during a string of earthquakes that hit the area...

We spent 10 unforgettable days in Yunnan Province, staying at three different Linden Centre properties as part of a small group of eight. From the moment we arrived, we were treated like family. The entire experience felt both authentic and enriching—truly beyond what we expected from a guided trip.||We stayed at their locations in Xizhou, Shaxi, and Naapa (near Shangri-La City). Each property was unique and equally exceptional:||Xizhou: A beautifully restored historic family compound full of charm and heritage.||Shaxi: An architecturally award-winning boutique hotel with stunning design and attention to detail.||Naapa: A serene and thoughtfully designed new building nestled in a Tibetan village.||The owners, Jeannie and Bryan, have made it their mission to revitalize rural communities. They hire locally and build deep ties with the villages where their properties are located. This created a warm and welcoming atmosphere at every stop. The staff were universally kind, positive, and helpful.||What made this experience truly special were the local connections we gained. Thanks to Jeannie and our guide, Jiang, we had the chance to engage with people in ways that independent travel rarely allows. We:||Visited local homes||Took a cooking class||Made a traditional Bei-style tie-dye scarf||Hiked to an ancient grotto in the mountains||Visited a Tibetan monastery ||Each day brought something meaningful and unique.||If you're looking for a deeper, more personal way to experience China—beyond tourist spots and tour buses—I can’t recommend the Linden Centre highly enough. This was a five-star experience in...

There is no doubt that the owners have done an outstanding job restoring this beautiful family compound in all its glory. We stayed one night in a room on the first floor of the back courtyard with a lovely view of the fields behind the building. We did enjoy watching local people/tourists wandering in the fields in the evening (including horsemen and a wedding) – it was a very unique kind of “people-watching”!|The room itself was adequate but not quite on the same level as other restored properties we had stayed in in Yunnan. It felt a bit crowded and the bathroom was on the small side, as were the windows. I am also not a huge fan of big wooden bed surrounds which for me being clumsy at least, are always accidents waiting to happen in the middle of the night!|Staff were nice when our guide dropped us off and helped us check in but were nowhere to be seen when we sat down by the bar for our welcome drinks later. After about 20 minutes of waiting (a family next to us were served dinner while we were there) we were provided with a beer and a pot of tea but nobody asked us if we wanted anything else so we left after a while. The next morning, we found breakfast equally unimpressive and staff were conspicuous by their absence. I have a feeling that things might run more smoothly when the owners are actually present…|Still, the beautifully restored property, pretty terrace at the back and general quirkiness certainly makes the Linden Centre an intriguing place to stay in Xizhou, which is a truly beautiful town with many...