Banyan Tree Lijiang — Hotel in Lijiang City

We had a great 5 days at the Banyan Tree Lijiang. The grounds are quite impressive and the villas are very large with plenty of outdoor space. We particularly love the Naxi design, it is timeless and very unique. Location wise it is near the best ancient town in the city, Shuhe, which is far better and much more authentic than the much more popular Lijiang Ancient town. The resort itself is magical with views of the mountain right from your villa. The only downside is that basically none of the staff spoke English, especially the front desk and most of the restaurant staff. Which created some difficulties when trying to extend our stay. We were also never were given any sort of idea of what the resort offered. A sheet with everything listed would have been appreciated, It appeared you got a free photography session, however we never got offered that. Also it took us until the last day to realize they had a happy hour menu in addition to the midday tea. We probably missed a few other things too. The cleaning staff do a great job, and the restaurant staff work very hard and always made everything easy, and we’re always very attentive despite the language barrier. The breakfast spread is quite extensive. William, who is their tour guide and driver does an amazing job and speaks the best English of the entire staff. He went above and beyond, buying us train tickets twice and working with the front desk staff when we wanted to extend our stay. Cannot say enough about him. He’s amazing. The only major improvement I could suggest would be providing buggy trips to the Shuhe Ancient City which is a 10 minute or so walk from the resort. I noticed another nearby resort provided that service. Also keep in mind there are no international ATMs nearby so get your cash at the airport. Restaurants and shops don’t take credit cards at all so take out more than you think you’ll need. Or figure out how to use the Alipay app, which everyone takes and uses, rather than cash. There is a Bank of China branch about a 25 minute drive away if you run out of money. DiDi is a great ride share app, and very affordable, plan to use it to get around. Honestly despite the language barriers this place is very special, and a bucket list type of accommodation. I cannot...

We visited Banyan Tree Lijiang in April and had an exceptional overall experience.

Upon arrival, we realized that our original room had been misadvertised — there was no hot tub as listed, and the spa did not have pools or Jacuzzis open for general guest use. When we raised this with the staff, they were very accommodating and promptly moved us to a villa with a private outdoor Jacuzzi.

Our villa was absolutely stunning — spacious, minimalistic, and designed with elegant traditional Chinese elements. The open layout, serene décor, and large outdoor area created a calm and relaxing atmosphere. The highlight was the panoramic mountain view, which made every morning and evening feel magical. The villa offered both privacy and comfort, making it perfect for a couple’s getaway or a peaceful retreat.

The restaurant was one of the highlights of our stay: it had a great vibe, and the food was consistently excellent. Breakfast was served as an all-you-can-eat buffet, with a wide selection of fresh and flavorful dishes. The overall resort design is minimalist yet traditional, with beautiful landscaping, serene courtyards, and incredible views that encourage relaxation.

The resort is conveniently located near a smaller, charming old town — just a 10-minute walk away. While it is not the main Lijiang Old Town, it is equally picturesque and much less crowded, making it perfect for peaceful strolls.

Service was attentive and warm, though there were some minor challenges. Room service orders could only be placed by phone, and some of the in-room programs were not functioning during our stay. Additionally, staff spoke limited English, which occasionally made ordering food or clarifying requests a bit difficult. Despite these small obstacles, the team was consistently kind and helpful, and we appreciated the small traditional Yuxi gifts we received every day — a thoughtful and memorable touch.

Banyan Tree Lijiang is a world-class resort and an excellent choice for those who want to splurge on a private villa experience surrounded by natural beauty and traditional design. Despite a few small service and communication challenges, our stay was near-perfect, and we cannot...

The rooms are commercial with local design elements. It's a decent room with great views of the mountain. However I just came from banyan tree Shangrila and see some difference. Shangrila uses bottled water but Lijiang uses a small water filter machine. For me, in china, I don't know if the water has been boiled, how good the filter is, how long the filter hasn't been changed or how old the water has been there...other things like cotton buds are missing in the vanity bag, there aren't a lot of power outlets and the ones that are, are next to your head above your pillow, poorly designed. For similar pricing, Shangri-La is much better. On to the review on the spa experience. I have high expectations for Banyan Tree. It's name and reputation is associated with resort, spa and relaxation. The treatment room is ethnic and reflects the local culture but was a bit of a let down compared to it's world class brand. The cost of the massage was $999 rmb but was a special deal and the original price is $1380rmb. I want to share that that price is almost almost on par to top tier cities such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou where I can get treatments at Mandarin Oriental GZ for about 1500 and Chuan by Langham HK at similar pricing. However giving the price of Banyan Tree LiJiang spa is just a little less than these places, the treatment level did not feel at all even close to the quality I expect from the Banyan Tree name or the price that it is. While it wasn't a bad massage it certainly wasn't a good massage, I could compare it to a $300-400 or so dollar massage in a nice spa in Shenzhen. Which is sad considering this is Banyan Tree. The price while close to tier 1 city, the treatment quality was more reflective of...