A dream house

Xie Rongxiang, President of My Vacation Tourism and Investment Co. Ltd., has been keeping an eye on the domestic B&B market for the past eight years since meeting Huang Weishun, founder of Luci House, the first B&B hotel in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.

“I can see the promise in this business, as it can provide some unique experiences for travelers,” said Xie. “The B&B founders are, in a way, artists with idealism. They want to create a world by themselves and share it with visitors.”

“Building a B&B hotel is a process of expressing a designer’s understanding of life,” said Chen Feibo, founder and owner of Tune Life, a high-end B&B on Mogan Mountain, a retreat resort in Deqing County, Zhejiang. “To stay in my hotel is like talking with me through the house I’ve designed. It’s a lovely experience for both the visitors and the founder.”

Chen, who used to be a fashion designer, spent two years creating his hotel, much longer than other owners typically spend. In May 2016, the B&B finally opened for business.

Combining an elegant antique style with modern design, the hotel is not cheap; each room has its own independent stairway, and the lowest nightly rate is over 1,300 yuan ($209.7).

Located in the mountains, Chen’s hotel is isolated, and the closest restaurant is about 10 minutes’ drive away. Guests, however, can order lunch and dinner in the hotel and, if they want, can also make use of the kitchen to prepare meals themselves.

But such a remote location is what attracted Ada (who prefers to use one name), the owner of Zaishuangqiao B&B Hotel, away from life in the city, where she experienced solitude.

“I always felt helpless and lonely in cities, and I