Novotel Living Dianchi Times Kunming — A Lakeside Apart-Hotel With Kitchen Rooms for Families and Long Stays

The first selling point here is the apartment-style rooms with their own kitchenette — these aren't standard hotel rooms. The hotel occupies Tower A of Dianchi Times Plaza (滇池时代广场) at No. 384 Dianchi Road, Xishan District, a belt of modern new towers along Dianchi Lake on the city's southwest side. Guests say the same thing again and again: the rooms are roomier than a typical hotel, with a kitchen corner that includes a fridge, microwave and hob, so you can cook a quick meal, brew coffee, or reheat takeaway with ease. That makes it a great fit for families with young children, or anyone staying several nights. There are restaurants, a supermarket and cafés within the building and the surrounding plaza, while Dianchi Lake and its lakeside parks are close by, a short drive or ride away.

On getting around, it's worth knowing this district sits toward the southwest, not in the old-town core near Green Lake (翠湖) or the Nanping (南屏街) pedestrian street — it's a lakeside, resort-side location. The nearest metro is Kunming Metro Line 5 at Fuhai (福海), which connects into the city centre and links to other lines. Most travellers flying in land at Changshui Airport (KMG) to the city's northeast, about 35–40 km from the hotel, a 45–60 minute taxi or shuttle ride (the airport has no direct metro — it's bus or taxi). Travellers arriving by high-speed rail come into Kunming South Station (昆明南站), which is on Line 1, then continue by metro or taxi. Kunming is also the gateway by train or flight to Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La and Xishuangbanna, and a base for a day trip to the Stone Forest (石林).

On the rooms, it helps to understand the Novotel Living concept first — this is Accor's apart-hotel line, built for multi-night stays, with a focus on spacious rooms, a kitchen corner, and a bright, playful look (the lobby and lounge here are decorated with bold, colourful furniture and eye-catching design pieces). There's a good spread of types, from a Studio at around 28–35 sqm with a kitchenette in a single room, up to a One-Bedroom Apartment at about 40–55 sqm with the bedroom and living area separated, ideal for families or groups of friends. The recurring praise is for rooms that feel larger than the price suggests, a clean new building, comfortable beds, a washing machine in some units, and an indoor swimming pool and gym that kids and fitness-minded guests love.

The criticisms are real and worth knowing first. The first: the location is by the lake on the southwest side, not in the old town — if your main plan is to wander Green Lake, the Nanping/Zhengyi streets, or visit Yuantong Temple (圆通寺), you'll be taking the metro or a taxi into the centre every day, and travellers who prefer to explore the city on foot may find it a bit far out. The second: as an apart-hotel, some services aren't as full as a complete hotel — there isn't a bellhop on call at all hours, and the in-house dining is limited (many guests simply cook in their kitchen or eat out in the plaza). Some reviews also note the breakfast has fewer options than a big full-service hotel. If you're set on a 5-star breakfast buffet or want the full range of services, compare it against a property like the InterContinental on Dianchi Lake in our list.

A score of around 9.5/10 from over 2,400 real reviews (Trip.com rates it "Exceptional") reflects how delighted guests generally are, especially with the spacious kitchen rooms, the new clean building, and the value when you're travelling as a group. The repeated praise is that it's great for families and friends, kids love the indoor pool, and the staff are helpful. The tower opened around 2023, so it's still new and well kept. To be clear, the real strength here is the apartment-style rooms plus the indoor pool plus a quiet lakeside district — it suits travellers who want a long, relaxed stay or are coming as a family, more than someone who wants to sleep in the centre for a single round of sightseeing.

Standard rates start at around ~¥500 (฿2,500) per night, with a typical range of ฿2,500–4,500 depending on season and room type (the One-Bedroom Apartment runs a little higher). Kunming enjoys mild weather almost year-round as the "Spring City" (春城), so people visit at any time, but China's long holidays — Golden Week (October 1–7), Chinese New Year, and Labour Day (May 1–5) — push rates up and fill rooms fast, so book several weeks ahead if you're coming then. The honest summary, friend to friend: Novotel Living Dianchi Times is for families, groups of friends, and longer stayers who want spacious kitchen rooms by the lake with an indoor pool. If you can live with a location outside the old town and apart-hotel-style service, it's excellent value — but if you want to sleep in the centre and explore Green Lake and Nanping on foot each day, compare it against Citigo in the Green Lake area or a downtown hotel in our list first.