This stay at Garden Hotel Suzhou was originally just for its ancient garden charm. Unexpectedly, after staying for two consecutive nights, it was surrounded by the leisure facilities hidden in the pavilions and water pavilions here. Without the need to go out of the park, the relaxation of the vacation can be fully filled.
At 6:30 in the morning, I walked along the camphor tree trail in the garden towards the leisure center. The morning mist along the way had not yet dissipated from the lotus pond, and the morning exercise guests passing by relaxed their steps, afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the entire courtyard. The leisure center is hidden in an independent small building deep in the garden. Pushing open the door completely eliminates the stuffiness of ordinary fitness venues. The entire floor to ceiling glass window faces a small bamboo forest, and the rustling sound of the morning wind blowing through the bamboo leaves, mixed with the distant bird songs, is more relaxing than the dynamic music in the gym.
The 24-hour fitness area is equipped with imported professional equipment, from the dumbbell group in the strength training area to the treadmills and elliptical machines in the aerobic area. Each one is well maintained and has no lag when used. The most thoughtful thing is that small towels and free electrolyte water are placed in front of each treadmill. After running for half an hour, you can see the bamboo shadows swaying outside the window when you look up. Even exercising has become a pleasure, completely without the boring feeling of going to the gym as usual.
The most surprising thing for me is the indoor temperature controlled swimming pool, where the water temperature remains around 28 degrees Celsius all year round. Even in the early autumn weather, the water doesn't feel cold at all. A large viewing window is built on one side of the swimming pool. When you swim to the turn back point and look up, you can see the the Taihu Lake Lake stones and plantains outside the window, just like swimming in the waterside pavilion in the garden. The rest area by the pool is filled with free ginger tea. After swimming two laps and getting ashore for a drink, the muscles and bones of the whole body are warmed up, and even the soreness and bloating accumulated from visiting scenic spots during the day are reduced by half.
After exercising and taking a turn, you will arrive at the matching sauna and sweat steaming area. The temperature control in the dry steaming room is just right. After steaming for ten minutes, the pores of the whole body will be relaxed. The nearby rest area also provides free Suzhou local osmanthus and mung bean soup, which is sweet and refreshing to take a sip, making the whole person feel refreshed. When I don't want to engage in intense exercise, I go to the table tennis room at the leisure center to play two games. The table is of professional competition level, with soft and non dazzling lighting. When I get tired, I sit on the sofa by the window to rest for a while, chat with other guests who are also on vacation nearby, and time passes slowly.
The service details at the leisure center are also particularly considerate. The staff will proactively hand over towels to wipe away sweat, and when they see that my ankle has been injured before, they specifically remind me of the location of the anti slip pad by the pool to prevent me from slipping. Before leaving, I also experienced a Chinese massage massage at the hotel. The technician's technique was authentic and accurately kneaded the hard lumps on my shoulders and neck that had been accumulated for several days. After finishing, my whole body felt lighter by two liang.
After staying for two days, I didn't even rush to a few popular attractions, and spent most of my leisure time at the leisure center. In other places, recreational facilities are just an additional feature of hotels, while in Garden Hotel Suzhou, it is another way to open a vacation hidden in the garden, where you can completely relax both physically and mentally without leaving the garden. Next time I come to Suzhou, I will definitely leave enough time to leisurely soak here for a few more days.Show more