Where should I stay in Hangzhou?

Hubin Road, east shore of West Lake. That is the answer for a first trip to Hangzhou. Metro Line 1 stops at Longxiang Bridge and Fengqi Road stations, both under a 5-minute walk from the water. The lakeside promenade stretches about 3 km north to south. The Broken Bridge sits at the north end, and views of Leifeng Pagoda mark the south. Hotels here range from the Hyatt Regency right on the waterfront at $180-250 per night down to reliable four-stars on Nanshan Road for $70-120. Mornings on the promenade smell like damp stone and lotus in summer, osmanthus in October. Grandma's Home, the Hangzhou chain that started a few blocks inland, runs about 60-80 CNY ($9-12) per person for Dongpo pork and shrimp with Longjing tea leaves. A taxi anywhere along the lakefront strip costs under 15 CNY, but most evenings you will walk.

Beishan Road runs along the north shore of West Lake, between the Broken Bridge and Baochu Pagoda. The pagoda dates to around 1000 CE and sits on Precious Stone Hill, lit up at night so you can spot it from most lakefront rooms. This side is quieter than Hubin. Fewer tour groups, more residents out with their dogs at 7 AM, and erhu notes drifting across the water on weekend mornings. Budget $50-100 per night for a clean boutique guesthouse. The trade-off is the 15-minute walk to Longxiang Bridge station, or a 10 CNY cab ride. If your flight lands late at Xiaoshan Airport, 27 km southeast, expect a 45-minute taxi at around 130 CNY ($19) or the Airport Express bus to Wulin Square followed by a short cab.

Hefang Street near Wushan Hill covers the budget end. The pedestrian street itself is touristy, full of calligraphy shops and skewered snacks at 10-20 CNY, but small hotels on the side streets run $35-60 per night and put you a 10-minute walk from the southern end of West Lake. The China National Tea Museum, opened in 1991, is a 20-minute bus ride west. For the opposite end of the price range, Longjing Village and the hills behind Lingyin Temple have a handful of high-end properties. Amanfayun occupies a former tea village and tends to start around $500 per night. The air around Longjing smells like camphor and wet bamboo after rain, but getting anywhere requires a car or a 50 CNY taxi back to the lake.

Skip Qianjiang New City, the glass-tower financial district about 8 km east of West Lake. Hotels cost $60-90 for the same quality that runs $70-120 lakeside, and you will spend 25 minutes on Metro Line 1 every time you want to reach the water. The area around Hangzhou East Railway Station is similar. Convenient if you are catching a 6 AM bullet train to Shanghai, 45 minutes away, but otherwise a grid of chain restaurants and conference hotels. Hangzhou fills up around the October Golden Week holiday, October 1 through 7, and prices can rise 40-60% across all neighborhoods. Lakefront properties often sell out 6 weeks ahead during Golden Week and peak lotus season in July. Book early or shift your dates by a week in either direction.