Duxinshe Homestay (Pingjiang Road Shop)

The staff are very nice and willing to help if you need extra water. The location is close enough to the main touristy street but far enough away to be quiet. The room itself is very clean and well-equipped--we liked the tea set. Our only problem was that the bidet did not work :( (at least the toilet flushed though!)

First off I think it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to know that the description of amenities etc. That C-Trip has on this page is not correct at all. This is for C-Trip to fix, but it might have helped us manage our expectations better. There is no restaurant, no porter, no Concierge car etc. This place is a Home Stay, not a hotel. It does not have all the amenities of a hotel. And that is important. But the people who run it, do so with kindness and a friendly style, however it is not a slick, smooth running establishment so don't expect that. In terms of accommodation, the room was nice and spacious, the bathroom with the Japanese toilet was fun, and it was clean. There was bottled water and tea provided, though just for the first day, and there was great air-conditioning. There is also a washing machine to do a bit of laundry and a place to dry it which also happens to be on the communal balcony (remember this is a home not a hotel). The bins in our room were not emptied every day, and we were not sure if we had to do it, or if there was a room service. That said, the Family who run it are absolutely adorable, Grandma is lovely. It is clear they were opening their home to travellers. And there are two cuddly kitties with whom a spent a cuddly time. One of the greatest advantages in my opinion but also perhaps for some travellers is the setting. It is in old Suzhou Hutongs, which are not everyone's cup of tea, they are sometimes very "grass roots" and not in a pleasant way. However, for me personally it was a wonderful way to see how people live away from the glitz and the glamour. It is a close walk to Pingjiang Lu, and lots of gardens are no more than 15mins away. We had a pleasant little stay here.

Room is clean and has quite good location near Pingjiang road. However, the room description says there is balcony with river view, but actually the room doesn’t have balcony; you need to go out to the common hall to see a little bit of view. Worst thing is the toilet, the water pressure is too weak that flushing is not enough, you need to manually pour water from the bucket to the toilet to flush. This makes me super annoyed and didn’t want to use the toilet at all. Luckily i only stay for one night.

Location is good. 5min walk to Pingjiang Road. Noisy at night with periodic beeping.

This is such a lovely little homestay! We struggled to find the entrance since Tencent Maps sent us a street over, but after adding them on WeChat they sent us a pin right away and helped us make it (see photo!). The room was clean, well-air-conditioned, well thought out, and we had so much fun with the Japanese toilet! My chinese is limited to basic conversation only but staff were friendly and the lady at the desk on the day we checked out showed us her newborn kittens! Super super happy all round with this stay! Note to other guests: - Taxis will have to drop you a few streets away as much of the old town's streets are too narrow for cars. - The entrance is right on the canal, not round a corner. - The door is open at all times, so don't worry if you're back late!

Excellent little guesthouse just a five minute walk from Pingjiang walking street. Located in the middle of a network of traditional houses and lanes, it's an ideal place to get that traditional feel of old Suzhou. The room was cozy, warm, and clean. Highly recommended.