The 19 Best Luxury Hotels in Sichuan

When it comes to swimming, the province has many faces: hot springs in the countryside around Chengdu, pools high above the city and pools in the clear mountain air. Many of them are heated, so the pool at your 5-star hotel in Sichuan is part of the stay in every season.Ocean Spring Resort Chengdu · JintangHot springs: our tip is the Ocean Spring Resort Chengdu in rural Jintang. There, the White Horse radon spring feeds 21 thermal pools, spread over a 3,500 m² hot-spring center indoors and in the garden. And every one of the 44 villas comes with a private pool fed by the spring. The Chengdu Expo Waterfall Hotel has a 520 m² indoor and outdoor pool with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the waterfall.

In the mountains of Jiuzhaigou: the Rissai Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Rissai Valley includes an indoor pool with a hot tub, welcome after a day at the lakes of the national park. The Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou sits at around 2,500 meters and has an indoor and an outdoor pool.

Above the rooftops of Chengdu: even if you are only passing through, you don’t have to go without a swim. At the Waldorf Astoria Chengdu, the pool is on the 48th floor, with a Jacuzzi and skyline views. The Upper House Chengdu has a heated 25-meter pool with sauna and steam room, and The St. Regis Chengdu offers both an indoor and an outdoor pool.

On Mount Qingcheng, traditional Chinese medicine takes center stage. The spa at the Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain works with acupuncture, cupping and Taoist rituals, and around the resort grow the organic gardens that supply the kitchen. If you are planning a few days just for yourself, this is a good place to be.Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain · Dujiangyan CityIn Jiuzhaigou, the Rissai Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Rissai Valley takes the “six wonders” of the valley as its theme, with singing-bowl sound therapy and yoga beside a waterfall. The Banyan Tree Spa at the Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou has twelve treatment rooms, works with traditional Chinese herbs and invites you into “The Rainforest” for water and heat therapies.

In and around Chengdu, wellness is never far away. The Mi Xun Spa at the Upper House Chengdu occupies two converted heritage courtyard houses, and at The Ritz-Carlton Chengdu the spa fills an entire floor. After the spring pools, the Ocean Spring Resort Chengdu offers massages, hot-stone treatments and foot baths. When you book a 5-star hotel in Sichuan, it is worth setting aside a full spa day.

Rates start at 76 € at the Chengdu Expo Waterfall Hotel and go up to 1,208 € at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Rissai Valley, where you always have an entire villa to yourself. In Chengdu, most hotels start between 99 € and 161 €. In the north, the Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou starts at 131 € and the Conrad Jiuzhaigou at 215 €. What your preferred dates cost is shown for each hotel, updated daily, in the hotel list further down.

What is always included: breakfast for two every morning, continental at the Upper House Chengdu. At eleven hotels, the suitespot benefits apply from the first night, at eight from two nights, including the Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou and the Ocean Spring Resort Chengdu.

Upgrade and check-in: an upgrade subject to availability is offered at 18 of the 19 hotels, usually on arrival; at the Grand Hyatt Chengdu and The Langbo Chengdu it is confirmed at booking, though not from a room to a suite. At the Gran Meliá Chengdu, instead of an upgrade, you get either a guaranteed check-in from 10 a.m. or a check-out until 4 p.m.Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou · CaiyuanHotel credit: it is usually 100 US dollars, as at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Rissai Valley and the Conrad Jiuzhaigou; at the Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain you can spend it in the restaurants or the spa.

At The St. Regis Chengdu and The Ritz-Carlton Chengdu, the credit is split into 50 US dollars for the spa and 50 for food and drinks. At the Gran Meliá Chengdu, the 100 US dollars apply from three nights, and at some city hotels such as the Grand Hyatt Chengdu it is 50 US dollars.

Plus a few extras: you earn double Hilton Honors points at the Conrad Jiuzhaigou and the Waldorf Astoria Chengdu. The minibar at the Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain is yours once free of charge, and at the Gran Meliá Chengdu, suites and villas earn 20 percent extra Meliá Rewards points.

Points and status: 16 of the 19 luxury hotels in Sichuan let you earn with a loyalty program. Five belong to Marriott Bonvoy, three each to IHG One Rewards and ALL (Accor), two each to World of Hyatt and Hilton Honors, and one to Shangri-La Golden Circle.

When it is loveliest: every season has its own appeal in Sichuan. In spring the valleys are in bloom, in summer the highlands are lush and green, in fall the forests around Jiuzhaigou turn red and gold, and in winter hot pot and hot springs keep Chengdu warm. Book early for Golden Week around October 1, when many Chinese travelers are on the road themselves.

How long to stay: for a trip through Sichuan we recommend seven nights – three in Chengdu, two on Mount Qingcheng or at the hot springs and at least two in Jiuzhaigou. If you want a 5-star hotel in Sichuan for every stage, this is how you combine city, mountain and high country on one route.