Panba Courtyard Guesthouse and Hostel Reviews

It was very expensive for valentines day.

Stylish hostel in the beautiful old town of Lijiang. The family room I stayed in is really nice, everything made out of wood. The hostel is clean and there is enough possibility for entertainment, a pool table and bar in the hostel. The hostel has a balcony with chairs to sit, relax, enjoy the sunshine and read a book.

Great hostel! One of the only hostels I've come around each bunk for added privacy which was a really nice touch. Difficult to find but the staff is very friendly and helpful.

Best hostel I have stayed in while spending my time in China. I must also add that for a culture that has little understanding of my own, they did a fantastic job at accommodating my dieting restrictions. They also were very flexible in rescheduling per-arranged reservations, and on Chinese New Year, and also gave us a good, negotiable price. I was very pleased to spend every second there.

I did the Tiger Leaping Gorge Trail and came back to Panba's pretty tired and a little grumpy because I failed to find the tell-tale "N's Kitchen " that was spray painted all over the rocks. Rather than greet me with a bunch of reminders and rules, the staff talked to me for at least 20 minutes about the trail, shared their own experiences, and listened to my own. Maybe it was a small gesture on their part, but it really made my day to be immersed in such a warm environment. Top notch hostel!

Good value for money, helpful staff

Panba was a beautiful hostel with very nice rooms--we stayed in a 4 person dorm that had an ensuite bathroom. The common bathroom and showers were amazing too! It's a few blocks out of the main section of old town which was perfect for us--not too crazy, not too loud but close enough to the action. They were very accomodating when we had to change our reservations (several times) and stayed an extra day out at Tiger Leaping Gorge.

-No one ever locked our room door, so people could just walk in if they wanted. -The location is away from the noise of old town, which is nice for sleeping, but can be a little difficult to find. -The staff was super helpful. One guy picked us up after we got dropped off. Another helped us look up train tickets. -The dorm area is not enclosed by a roof, so our door led directly outside. Since we came in winter, it was very cold, but they provided electric blankets. -Overall, very good.

Out of everywhere I've ever traveled, this hostel is the most exceptional I've ever visited. Lijiang is a quaint little town that makes a nice stopover, but this hostel is what made our stay worthwhile. Richard is AWESOME and possibly the most helpful person alive, and the other staff are as well. Great character, food - everything is top notch. Highly, highly recommended.

This was a great hostel with very friendly and helpful staff.

The staff here was amazing - very friendly and helpful with tours, transportation, restaurants, etc. Cold at night in winter, although the electric blankets and extra wool blankets were helpful. The bathrooms were cleaned each day (I was in a 4-bed dorm ith ensuite), but the shower setup left the entire bathroom wet if someone took a shower. A curtain or mat might help. It's a farther walk from the center of town, but that ensures it's peaceful anytime of day. I loved the deck on the top floor!

Staff were incredibly friendly and helped organised tours to Tiger Leaping Gorge and bus tickets to Dali. The staff dinners were delicious and had some of the best food I've eaten in China so far. Would definitely stay here again. The guesthouse was only a 10 minute walk from the old town so it was reasonably quiet without being too far away.

Positive: they jave heating. blankets which is very nice during winter in Lijiang. The breakfast is also nice and fast. staff isvery helpful. showers were hot but only on the second day. they have a westeen and chinese toilet which is very clean. the sheets are fresh and everything clean in the dorm. Negative: the hostel is on Wuyi street which is one of the main streets but its so far away that you need 20 min walking from the main square and 10 from thw other central streets..too far!

It is not in the middle of the oldtown which is good (taxis could not go in the old town) . most of the staff are friendly and professional, but the lady receptionist is not quite helpful. Hot water - you will have to wait for few minutes. It is quite dry in Lijiang and could go -5C during Christmas. They have electronics blanket which keeps you warm, I would think if with Humidifiers will be very helpful. the mattress in the room of the rooftop was broken.

Wonderful staff! The 2D1N Tiger Leaping Gorge trip is highly memorable.