Howard Johnson LakeView Kunming — Open the Curtains to Dianchi Lake and the Western Hills, a Good-Value Lakefront Resort in Kunming
Picture stepping out of your block in the morning and finding a broad green garden running down to Dianchi Lake (滇池), the largest lake in Yunnan, with the Western Hills (西山) rising on the far shore — that's the first impression for guests at Howard Johnson LakeView Hotel Kunming (昆明滇池豪生大酒店), the resort-style 5-star hotel planted on the shore of Dianchi Lake on the Xishan side in the southwest of Kunming. It's a spacious garden resort with both room blocks and standalone villas spread across the grounds, a quiet setting, and the mild "Spring City" air all year round. Score 9.0/10 from around 4,200 real guest reviews — a solid mark for a lakeside resort. Honestly, if you want a five-star lakefront that feels like a genuine getaway at a price you can reach, guests say with one voice that this is very good value — the trade-off being that it sits a little out of the city centre.
Here's the first thing guests tend to mention — the lakeside atmosphere. Howard Johnson LakeView is designed as a waterfront resort: the grounds sit right on Dianchi Lake (滇池), the largest lake in Yunnan province, looking out to the Western Hills (西山) on the far shore. Many guests say that just walking the gardens in the morning and breathing the cool, easy air feels like escaping the city for a real break, even though you're still within Kunming. The resort is a sprawling garden, with both room blocks and standalone villas spread across the grounds, plus a pool and lakeside paths — a good fit for travellers who want quiet over the bustle of the city centre.
One guest recalls: "The resort is beautiful — the gardens are huge, you can walk all day, and the views of Dianchi Lake and the Western Hills are genuinely lovely. The air is cool and pleasant, the rooms are large, and the staff are kind. For a five-star at this level the price isn't high at all — really good value. The only thing is it's a way out of town, so you need a taxi to reach the centre."
The heart of the place is its resort feel. Across grounds this large there are gardens, lakeside paths, open lawns, and a range of room types to choose from — from rooms in the main building to standalone villas that give more privacy. Plenty of guests say that settling in by the lake at dusk to watch the sun drop behind the Western Hills is a memory that sticks. The lake-view rooms are another thing people happily pay extra for — waking up and pulling back the curtains to a full view of the water and the hills. There's also a fitness centre, a spa, several restaurants, and plenty of garden space for children to run around, which makes it work well for families who want their kids out in nature.
Another thing guests praise often is the value. You get a five-star lakefront resort — with the gardens, the views, and all that space — yet rates start at around ¥480/night, which is low compared with several other resorts on the Dianchi shore. Reviewers travelling with family or settling in for a longer stay often say this is why they chose it. Travellers using Kunming as a stopover before heading on to Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, or Xishuangbanna also like having an easy-going resort to spend a night in before they move on. By most accounts a few corners are starting to show their age, but overall it's well kept and holds its resort atmosphere.
On getting around — to be straight with you, this place is out of the city centre, on the Dianchi shore on the Xishan side. Kunming does have a metro (the Kunming Rail Transit), but the nearest station is still some way from the resort, so most people use a taxi or bus into town, about 30–40 minutes, to reach the Green Lake (翠湖) area, the old town, or the Nanping / Zhengyi pedestrian streets (南屏街/正义路). Travellers arriving from elsewhere usually come in at Kunming South high-speed rail station (昆明南站) or fly into Changshui Airport (KMG), then take a taxi out to the resort. The hotel runs a shuttle at certain times — check with the front desk when you book. If you plan to be in the city every day, budget a fair bit of travel time.
A score of 9.0/10 from around 4,200 real reviews shows that most guests come away pleased. The recurring praise is for the lakeside atmosphere, the big gardens, the Western Hills views, the cool air, and the value. The criticisms are real and worth knowing first. The first is the location: it's out of town, about 30–40 minutes from the main sightseeing areas like Green Lake and the old town, so if you're here mainly to explore the city you'll be taking a taxi back and forth every day. The second: the resort has been open for some years, and a few buildings and rooms are starting to feel dated next to the newer hotels in town. The third: the grounds are very large, and the walk from the lobby to some room zones is a fair distance — older guests or anyone with luggage should ask for a room near the lobby or use the resort's in-grounds buggy.
Standard rates start at around ~¥480 (฿2,400) per night, with a typical range of ฿2,400–4,500 depending on season and whether you land a garden-view or a lake-view room (the Dianchi-view rooms cost noticeably more). China's long holidays — Golden Week (October 1–7), Chinese New Year, and Labour Day (May 1–5) — plus the winter season when Siberian gulls flock to Dianchi are when rates climb fast and rooms fill quickly, since Kunming is both a holiday town and the gateway to the whole of Yunnan, so book ahead and take a free-cancellation rate to be safe. On the whole, if you want a five-star lakefront resort with a genuine getaway feel at a price you can reach, and you don't mind taking a taxi into town, the Howard Johnson LakeView is the lakeside choice that many guests rate good value in this area.
The honest summary, friend to friend: Howard Johnson LakeView Kunming is for travellers who want a Dianchi Lake resort with a getaway feel, big gardens, Western Hills views, at a five-star price that's good value. If you're travelling with family, here for a quiet break, or using Kunming as a stopover before Dali and Lijiang, this is great value. But if you'd rather sleep next to the old town, walk Green Lake and the pedestrian streets every day, or you don't want to lose time in a taxi, compare it against the Zhongwei Green Lake Hotel or the Grand Park Kunming in our list, which sit more centrally, first.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Genuinely on Dianchi Lake — a garden resort with Western Hills views
- ✓ A quiet setting with cool, pleasant Spring-City air all year round
- ✓ Good value — a five-star lakefront from around ¥480/night
- ✓ Both rooms and standalone villas, great for families and longer stays
- ! Out of town, about 30–40 minutes from the main areas (Green Lake / old town)
- ! The resort has been open some years; a few buildings/rooms feel dated
- ✓ Views of Dianchi Lake and the Western Hills; walk the gardens all day
- ✓ Easy to use Kunming as a stopover before Dali / Lijiang / Shangri-La
- ✓ Rooms and villas in several styles, many with a lake or garden view
- ✓ Good service, kind staff, and plenty of space for children
- ! Metro is far — you rely on taxi/bus for the city
- ! The grounds are very large; the walk to some room zones is a fair distance
- 💡If you're here mainly to explore the city (Green Lake, the old town, the pedestrian streets) · This resort is out of town on the Dianchi shore, Xishan side; the metro is far, so you'll take a taxi/bus into town around 30–40 minutes each way, every day · Fix → if you'd rather walk the city every day, look at the Zhongwei Green Lake Hotel (right on Green Lake) or the Grand Park Kunming (central) in our list
- 💡If you want a brand-new room and the latest building · The resort has been open for some years, and a few buildings and rooms are starting to feel dated next to the newer hotels in town · Fix → ask for a renovated room and specify a lake view when you book; or for a newer Dianchi-shore resort, look at the InterContinental Kunming in the same area
- 💡If you're visiting over a Chinese long holiday or in winter · Rates run ¥480+/night and climb higher over Golden Week / Chinese New Year / Labour Day and the gull season on Dianchi, filling fast · Fix → book ahead with a free-cancellation rate, or for a tighter budget see the Crystal Orange Nanping or the Atour Nanping in our Kunming hotels list