Ningbo: A Luxury Add-on Destination from Shanghai

Where to stay

Park Hyatt Ningbo

While I did not stay at this hotel, we did enjoy walking through its beautiful facilities and grounds, and dining at both the historic Tea House and the on-site Seafood House restaurant. Upon entering the hotel, we came across a beautifully costumed woman who was serenely walking to her Peking Opera performance in the lobby. Situated on the Dong Qian lake, the hotel offers waterfront suite accommodations and private dining boats. The warm and multilingual service was exemplified by the Executive Sous Chef who we chanced upon while wandering across the bridges and footpaths near the restaurant; as our reservation was a couple hours away, he took it upon himself to give us a tour of the dining boat, walked us to his recommended spot at the Tea House, and visited us at dinner to give some menu recommendations. He chatted amiably with us in both Chinese and English, showing grace and hospitality to native speakers of each language. Our “seafood party” platter showcased the diversity and abundance of the region, and his recommendations of the silver fish (grouper) and a vegetarian-suitable dish were exceptional.

The Chedi Ninghai

About a two-hour drive from Ningbo’s city center, you’ll find in rural Ninghai a luxurious resort that takes full advantage of the surrounding hills’ natural beauty. Golf cars whisk guests from the beautifully designed lobby to their room—each a separate unit (ours slept five) with hilltop views—or to one of the many public spaces scattered through the resort including a library/games room, spa with hot mineral springs, equestrian center, and infinity pool bar. The on-site restaurant is incredible, and I would stay here for the included breakfast alone. We came during the off-season on a weekday, and so we had the hot spring pools—one indoors, one outdoors—to ourselves. The hot springs are divided into women and men’s facilities as they are 100% nude. One of our group had taken her young family here during the summer and she praised the many activities offered for children, including pottery and an outdoor movie theatre. Fluent English was not spoken by any of the staff at the time we were there, although all signs and menus have English translation. Nevertheless, the service was incredible, with the manager giving us a tour across the property including the Presidential Suite which sleeps eight to 10 people comfortably across three units, joined by a private deck with its own BBQ, hot tub and infinity pool. I have become a real fan of The Chedi brand’s “quiet luxury,” and will seek to again stay at one of their properties in the future

Where to eat

美宴 (Mei Yan or "Feast")

Address: No. 87, Huaishu Road, Jiangbei District, Ningbo
When you walk through the doors of this renovated historic building, you are struck with the beautiful opulence of this throwback to Shanghai’s golden age. As we came during a non-busy weekday afternoon, the culinary team was using the downtime to do some training in the vast display kitchen. Ordering is done through a tablet at each table, with photos to help navigate the all-Chinese menu. It definitely helps to have a Chinese-language speaker in your group here. Don’t forget to try the raw sweet crab, loofah squash (yes that loofah!...the young version is a tender and delicious vegetable) and tang yuan for dessert.

I recommend Ningbo for those travelers looking to explore a lesser known city with great tourist amenities, and who are comfortable with Chinese-language only service.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to China. In need of further inspiration? Check out Celine Chua’s guide, A Cultural Guide: 4 Days in Beijing, China.