The experience of arriving at a luxury resort should always befit the destination: you might hop on a helicopter in Nice and fly to your plush hotel in Monaco, or a panoramic seaplane flight from Male to your resort in the Maldives. Visiting Hangzhou’s legendary West Lake – once a holiday retreat for members of the Imperial household and a place that has inspired Chinese artists for thousands of years – requires a more sedate experience, which is why Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake has come up with a serene way for guests to immerse themselves in the mystery of the destination on the journey to the hotel.
From the airport, guests will be driven by limousine to the West Lake Pier where they will board a traditional Chinese sampan that winds its way through tree-lined waterways past ancient temples, bridges and pagodas on a 45-minute journey to the hotel.
Accompanied by a steaming pot of Hangzhou’s famous Longjing tea and a selection of gourmet snacks typical to the area, a boatman will share tales about the myths and legends of West Lake and the surrounding mountains, which together form the West Lake Cultural Landscape; inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011. After arrival and check-in, guests will learn more about the region’s famous brew in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony in Hu Yin Tea House, and find out why some strains of Longjing are literally worth their weight in gold.
