Shangri-La Hotel, Hohhot
An indoor pool and hot tub pairing that outclasses the rest of Hohhot
About this hotel
Most hotels in Hohhot with an indoor pool stop there; this one adds a hot tub next to it, which matters once the city's winter sets in and outdoor plans get cancelled. The pool area sits apart from the lobby traffic, so it stays usable for a proper swim rather than a splash between meetings. Guests staying here get two restaurants and a cocktail bar without leaving the building, plus full-service laundry for longer stays. Five Pagoda Temple is a short taxi ride away, and the airport transfer runs a little over half an hour, which is typical for Hohhot rather than a mark against the property. Business travelers get a business center on site, and families are accommodated without the hotel leaning hard into either crowd.
- Indoor pool
- Hot tub
- 5-star
- Near Five Pagoda Temple
Our take
Shangri-La earns its five stars mainly through the pool and hot tub combination, which is rare in Hohhot outside a handful of properties. It suits couples and business travelers who want a proper swim and soak after a day of meetings or sightseeing, especially between November and March when the hot tub does more work than the pool itself. Families will find it comfortable but not purpose-built for kids. Anyone chasing sea views or a swim-up bar should look elsewhere, since this is an indoor, city-hotel pool rather than a resort one.
- ✓Ask for a room away from the restaurant floor if you want a quiet evening after the pool.
- ✓Use the hot tub in the early evening, before dinner service pulls staff attention elsewhere.
- ✓Book the taxi to Five Pagoda Temple through the front desk rather than hailing one outside.
Why we love it
- Indoor pool paired with its own hot tub
- Two restaurants and a bar in-house
- Short taxi ride to Five Pagoda Temple
- Full-service laundry for longer stays
Why guests love itWe came for the indoor pool and stayed loyal to the hot tub once Hohhot's cold set in properly. The pool itself is calm rather than lively, better suited to laps than to keeping children entertained for an hour. What won us over was being able to swim, soak, then eat at the in-house restaurant without stepping outside into the cold. The taxi to Five Pagoda Temple the next morning took almost exactly as long as the front desk said it would.