Suzhou’s old city is compact, but its sights are spread across the north-east, west and south, so where you sleep changes your days. Most visitors need only a few areas. Here are the main choices, tied to the five hotels in this guide, from budget to luxury.
Guanqian Street and the central old city: best for first-timers. The streets around Guanqian pedestrian street are the liveliest part of town, with restaurants, snack shops and shopping, and they sit close to Pingjiang Road, the Suzhou Museum and the Humble Administrator’s Garden. voco Suzhou Guanqian Street is the pick here, a four-star hotel with about 216 rooms, a 24-hour gym and free guest parking, one minute from the pedestrian street. For a cheaper base, GreenTree Inn Su Zhou Yangyuxiang Hotel is a simple budget hotel with free parking and Wi-Fi, a four-minute walk from Leqiao metro station and a short ride from Pingjiang Road. Choose this area if you like to step out for dinner and wander at night.
Shantang Street and Tiger Hill: best for atmosphere
The west side of the city centres on the canal street that leads to Tiger Hill, with red lanterns at dusk and a calmer feel in the evening. Wanda Yi Suzhou Shantang Street stands at 816 Shantang Street, a minute’s walk from the canal and about fifteen minutes on foot from Tiger Hill, with breakfast and free parking included. The trade-off is distance from the northern gardens, which are about eight minutes away by car. Choose it if you want canal views and plan to take a taxi for the museum and the Humble Administrator’s Garden.
The Lingering Garden area: best for garden lovers and value
Liuyuan Road sits near the Lingering Garden and West Garden Temple, a quieter district that is well placed for the west side of the city. Garden Hotel Suzhou, at 477 Liuyuan Road, has about 182 rooms in its own grounds, a free breakfast buffet and free parking, with the railway station about six minutes by car. It is a traditional hotel rather than a stylish one, but the price and the location make it a strong value pick.
Panmen and the south: best for comfort and families
The south-west of the old city around the Panmen Scenic Area is greener and more spacious. Pan Pacific Suzhou is the splurge, with around 300 rooms in garden grounds, an outdoor pool in summer, four restaurants, tennis and indoor golf. The Master of the Nets Garden is a short drive and metro lines are about five minutes away on foot. It is less convenient for evenings on Pingjiang Road, so plan taxis or the metro for the northern sights.
Which to choose
For a first visit of two or three days, stay at voco Suzhou Guanqian Street, where the museum, the gardens and the canals are within a short walk or ride. Choose Wanda Yi for lantern-lit canal evenings, Garden Hotel for value near the Lingering Garden, Pan Pacific for comfort and a pool, and GreenTree Inn if you only need a clean bed and spend the day out.
Practical tips
Book early for Chinese public holidays and spring and autumn weekends, when rates rise sharply. Check what breakfast and parking cost, since some hotels include them and others charge extra. Save your hotel’s name and address in Chinese for taxis, and note the nearest metro station. If you are arriving from Shanghai by train, Suzhou railway station is a few minutes by car from most of these hotels, so you can drop your bags and start sightseeing quickly.
