DP How to get 50% off your winter holiday travel with Accor

How to get 50 Percent Off Your Winter Holiday Travel with Accor

Robynne Tindall, Contributing Editor | Nov 10, 2021 11:32 am | Add a comment | 156 reads | Sponsored by Accor

The winter holidays are on the way, and it’s time to start planning your festive travel. Whether you want a stress-free city break or to adventure through remote and beautiful areas, there is no need to leave China to have the holiday of a lifetime.

Now is the perfect time to book with Accor’s Double 11 flash sale. For 48 hours only, organize your stays for the rest of the year and enjoy up to 50 percent off some of the most luxuriously comfortable suites around, with more than 140 hotels to suit every budget and style available in the sale.

From Nov 10-11, 2021, members of ALL - Accor Live Limitless can enjoy the following discounts and benefits when booking participating Accor hotels (for stays between Nov 10 and Dec 31, 2021):

Up to 50 percent off suites with complimentary breakfast.
30 percent discount on basic room types. Accor Plus members enjoy an additional 10 percent discount.

Read on for our recommendations of the best China travel destinations this winter.

Shanghai: Ultimate indulgence in a familiar city

Shanghai is a great destination for anyone who wants a relaxing city holiday without the stress of traveling to a far-flung corner of the country. Even if you have visited before, there is still plenty to discover, with new restaurants opening all the time and many hidden gems to explore.

The Fairmont Peace Hotel is the perfect base to take in Shanghai's historical architecture, featuring its own timeless exterior and interior. When it comes to Shanghai hotels, it doesn't get much more iconic than this, and the location at the intersection of The Bund and Nanjing West Road can't be beaten. When it was built in 1929 by prolific hotelier and businessman Victor Sassoon, the hotel was celebrated for its luxurious art deco style (which still survives today) and was known as the “number one mansion in the Far East.”. You can find more of Sassoon’s favored art deco/streamline moderne buildings a few blocks south of the hotel on the corner of Fuzhou Road and Jiangxi Middle Road. Just north of the hotel, Rockbund Art Museum is one of the city’s best spots for contemporary art, housed in the former Royal Asiatic Society Building.

Relax after a day’s exploring in a choice of 270 rooms and suites, many with stunning views of The Bund and Pudong skyline. Those views also take center stage at the legendary Cathay Room, serving fine European cuisine with a terrace overlooking the Bund. The hotel’s many dining venues make it easy to enjoy a truly indulgent stay, from the famous Jazz Bar with the world’s oldest Jazz band to Dragon Phoenix’s premium Shanghainese dishes to the Jasmine Lounge with its legendary tea dance (a genteel afternoon dance with refreshments dating back to the Victorian era) every two weeks.

Yunnan: Explore China south of the clouds

Yunnan is one of China’s most evocative provinces, home to breathtaking mountain vistas, fascinating ethnic minority cultures, and delicious food.

Most visitors use Kunming as a jumping-off point to the rest of the province but this vibrant city is worth a stay in its own right. Known as "the city of eternal spring," Kunming has a temperate climate all year round, making it a great escape. Spend the day among the remarkable ancient karst formations of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Stone Forest Geopark or stroll around Cuihu Park before enjoying a bowl of crossing the bridge rice noodles.

At night, retire to Sofitel Kunming, the tallest hotel in Kunming to date, for uninterrupted views over the city skyline. The hotel celebrates the French “Art de Vivre,” with thoughtful French touches incorporated into everything from dining features to room amenities. Guest rooms feature Yunnan culture-inspired design elements, and guests can enjoy authentic Yunnan specialties at the hotel's Le Chinois restaurant.

Dali? Lijiang? They've been done. Get off the beaten path in Yunnan with a trip to MiLe, a city in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, around a two-hour drive southwest of Kunming. Steeped in Hani and Yi minority culture, MiLe and its surroundings are the perfect place to explore another side of Yunnan. Both cultural and outdoorsy experiences abound; wander MiLe Temple, the temple complex honoring the Maitreya Buddha for which the city is named.

Stay in style in MiLe at Dongfengyun Hotel MiLe - MGallery, a boutique hotel set in Dongfengyun Art Village, a quaint hamlet comprised of vineyards, lavender fields, and postmodern architecture. The hotel seamlessly blends art and nature, arranged around five cone-shaped structures built out of locally-fired red bricks, with the scent of lavender wafting through the windows. A bowl-shaped “arrival pavilion” at the hotel entrance faces the sky and produces captivating echoes that instill at each guest’s arrival with a touching sense of ritual. Names of guest rooms are inspired by the Chinese names of local art forms, including pottery, architecture, painting, textile printing, and music. The hotel has two bars and two restaurants, and guests are also encouraged to explore the vineyard, Yunnan Red Wine Manor.

For those pining for travel to Southeast Asia, Xishuangbanna is an unmissable destination. Located on China’s southern border, Xishuangbanna boast’s China’s best-preserved natural rain forests and plays host to nearly 20 percent of China’s biodiversity — you might even see some wandering wild elephants! Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden is a good place to learn more about the area’s local plant species. Xishuangbanna is a Dai ethnic minority autonomous prefecture and is a great place to explore their culture, which shares many traditions and customs with people in Laos and Thailand.

For scenic rainforest views right from your balcony, stay at Pullman Xishuangbanna. Nestled in the heart of a natural tropical forest, the hotel’s guest rooms boast private balconies with scenic park views, the perfect place to relax and breathe in the fresh forest air. The hotel also seamlessly blends Dai customs and traditions with modern facilities to fully immerse you in the culture of the area — especially when enjoying a meal of authentic southern Yunnan dishes at the restaurant.