Crowne Plaza Chengdu Panda Garden by IHG is the practical choice for travellers whose Chengdu trip is built around the giant pandas. It stands in the Poly Park complex in Xindu district, in the north of the metropolitan area, and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is about 7.6 kilometres away, a drive of around 14 minutes, which makes an opening-time visit much easier than from the centre. The hotel has 345 rooms and a 9.0 guest score from about 157 reviews, with cleanliness (9.4) and staff and service (9.2) rated strongly and location (7.6) lower because it is well outside the old town. Facilities are generous for the price: an indoor pool, a seasonal outdoor pool, Sense Spa, a gym and three restaurants serving Chinese cuisine, plus a bar and a coffee shop. It suits families and panda-focused visitors, and less so travellers who want to stroll to Kuanzhai Alley in the evening.
Location and getting around
The Panda Base is about a 14-minute drive, which lets you arrive at opening time when the pandas are most active. The hotel offers a theme park shuttle for a surcharge and an airport shuttle at a fee per vehicle. The city centre is not close, so plan on taxis or ride-hailing for Taikoo Li, Jinli and Kuanzhai, and allow extra time in traffic.
Facilities
The indoor pool is open year round, and the outdoor pool runs seasonally, from late June to the end of August. Sense Spa offers full-service treatments, there is a gym, and the three restaurants serve Chinese cuisine. Free self-parking and free in-room wired internet are provided, with free Wi-Fi in some public areas.
Who it suits
Families and panda enthusiasts, and travellers who want a pool and spa after an early start without paying city-centre prices. A good plan is to spend the first night here for the panda base, then move to a central hotel for the old town.
Good to know
Breakfast is a buffet from 8:00 to 10:00 for an extra fee of around CNY 138 per person. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out before noon. Pets and service animals are not permitted, and the hotel accepts cards only, not cash. Some reviewers mention older rooms, weak air conditioning in places and an outdoor pool in poor repair, and one said an expected shuttle did not run, so confirm transport arrangements in advance.
If you are visiting in the hot months, the outdoor pool is a real asset after a morning among the bamboo, and a spa treatment is a pleasant way to recover. For a three-night stay, many visitors choose two nights here for the pandas and a leisurely first morning, then finish in the centre.
Why stay here
- ✓Indoor pool
- ✓Seasonal outdoor pool (summer)
- ✓Sense Spa
- ✓Gym
- ✓Three Chinese restaurants
- ✓Free self-parking
- ✓Free wired internet in rooms
- ✓Buffet breakfast (extra fee)
Good questions
How far is Crowne Plaza Chengdu Panda Garden from the Panda Base?+
The Panda Base is about 7.6 kilometres away, roughly a 14-minute drive, so you can arrive at opening time.
Is the hotel near the city centre?+
No, it is in Xindu in the north, so the old town and Taikoo Li need a taxi or ride-hailing trip and extra time in traffic.
When is the outdoor pool open?+
The outdoor pool is seasonal, from late June to the end of August, while the indoor pool is available year round.
