No relaxing vacation is complete without a spa treatment, so I booked in a 60-minute aromatherapy experience. The spa offers a variety of scented massage oils—from more conventional options like lavender to oils infused with Chinese medicinal herbs.

Each spa treatment room is connected to a platform surrounded by water and has red doors that are reminiscent of the Forbidden City’s gate. I had a quick shower in mine and then settled down on a swinging bed. While different from most massages, the gentle swaying of the bed actually helped me relax further throughout the massage. I appreciated greatly how the masseur always applied the right amount of pressure to the lymph nodes to relieve muscle pain, and the gentle patting with a whisk-shaped bamboo tool on my legs to defuse the tension in these over-used muscles. The treatment ended with tea and cookies, and I should mention that both the bamboo tool used during the massage and the long jing tea are signature products of Hangzhou, and they added a lovely local and ceremonial touch to the experience.

However, there’s room for improvement: first, the background music during the massage was a little too energetic for relaxation; second, the spa only provided face wash in the dressing room, other skincare products such as a moisturiser would have been appreciated.

If you’re after more than just a relaxing stay, make sure to take advantage of the cultural activities offered by the hotel, such as a guided meditation session on a vessel crafted like an ancient fishing boat with a roof and operated manually by a boatman in a fishing hat. The meditation teacher, dressed in a traditional Chinese costume, led us through stretches and breathwork to the sound of birdsong as the boat took us through a journey in the lagoon. Hot tip: each session only accommodates two guests, so we suggest booking in advance.

To explore West Lake some more, you can also book a morning bike ride led by the hotel’s staff. The 60-minute ride along the lake is not too strenuous, but you might want to stay close to your guide if you’re not familiar with the road signs as the path can get busy during the day.

For those who’d rather enjoy the garden, the hotel offers morning tai chi classes led by the chairman of the Chinese Health Qigong Association, Master Li Hong-miao, who explains each movement and theory in detail. Master Li was somehow also able to pay close attention to each of his students’ postures, which was great for those of us with no prior experience.

Considering the fact this is an experience offered by the hotel, which should see guests from all around the world stay, the tai chi class could benefit from better English translations for Master Li’s teachings, which were in Mandarin. However, given that tai chi philosophies and Chinese culture are difficult to translate, this is also an understandable problem.

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At Jin Sha, which boasts one Michelin star, you can try exquisite Hangzhou, Shanghainese, Sichuan and Cantonese dishes. I enjoyed an eight-course lunch that included a sumptuous fish soup that comes with a tale.

Legend has it that the soup is actually a family-style Hangzhou dish that thoroughly impressed a Song dynasty emperor despite its humble origins, which then made it famous. The original recipe calls for barramundi, but for today’s taste buds, head chef Wang Yong has replaced it with cod for a lighter flavour profile.

As someone from Hong Kong, I had high expectations of the Guangdong crispy chicken, and Wang delivered: the crispy golden skin came right off the tender meat, which was perfectly seasoned with spicy salt and soy sauce.

As well as traditional Chinese flavours, Wang also served a modern dish made with mashed broad bean, Chinese toon, sea urchin and topped with a soft-boiled egg. It was beautifully presented and fun to have as guests were encouraged to mix the ingredients to their own liking. While all the ingredients were soft, their different levels of creaminess played well together.

The meal ended on a sweet note with a long jing tea crème brûlee—a perfect mix of bitter tea and rich custard.

While the hotel’s architecture, interior design and location that whisk guests away to imperial China are a fun touch, it’s the staff’s attentiveness and hospitality that makes staying at Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake so special. From their eagerness to guide me to my destination when I got lost in the hotel to the speedy return of my coat—neatly folded and placed in a gift bag—which I had left behind after an activity, it’s the attention to detail that makes all the difference.

At the end of every stay, if time permits, the hotel arranges a boat ride from its premises to the West Lake dock as a send-off. A treat I enjoyed as it allowed me the time to savour Hangzhou’s signature long jing tea and tea cakes one more time as I feasted my eyes on the ancient Broken Bridge, bamboo groves, Leifeng Pagoda and mountain ranges in the background before I reluctantly make my way back to modernity.

Tatler tip

Mosquito repellent will come in handy if you are travelling to Hangzhou during the warm seasons.

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