Where to Stay in Chongqing: Best Areas, Hotels + Where We Stayed
Updated: Aug 27
Trying to figure out where to stay in Chongqing can get confusing very quickly.
This city is huge, incredibly vertical, and split by two rivers, which means a hotel that looks close to something on a map may not actually feel close once you factor in hills, bridges, stairs, and Chongqing’s completely chaotic geography.
After visiting, I am SO glad we stayed where we did.
My family stayed at The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square in Jiefangbei, and I genuinely thought it was the perfect location for our first trip. We could walk to shopping, Hongya Cave, the Yangtze River Cableway, the river cruise area, and even Raffles City. Jiefangbei is also widely considered the easiest base for first time visitors because so many of Chongqing’s major attractions, restaurants, shopping areas, and metro connections are concentrated around central Yuzhong.
And then there was the breakfast.
The breakfast buffet at the Westin felt like it never ended. Every time I thought I had reached the end, there seemed to be another section. It was honestly one of those hotel breakfasts where you need to walk around once just to understand your options before you start filling your plate.
Would I stay there again? Absolutely. For us, the Westin was the perfect combination of location, comfort, and convenience, and I would absolutely stay there again.
But there are a few other areas of Chongqing that make sense depending on what kind of trip you want, especially if skyline views, nightlife, budget, or proximity to Ciqikou are more important to you.
So here is where I would stay in Chongqing, the areas I would recommend for different travelers, and the hotels I would look at first.
Where to Stay in Chongqing: My Quick Answer
If you do not feel like reading the entire guide, here is the short version.
Jiefangbei: My number one choice for a first trip and where my family actually stayed. Best for sightseeing, shopping, food, and being able to walk to several major attractions.
Chaotianmen & Raffles City: Best if you want river views, modern architecture, and to be right near Raffles City and many river cruise departure points.
Nanbin Road: Best for incredible views looking back toward Chongqing’s skyline and a slightly calmer stay.
Guanyinqiao: Best for shopping, nightlife, restaurants, and experiencing a more local commercial district.
Shapingba: Best if you want better value or plan to spend more time around Ciqikou Ancient Town.
For a first trip to Chongqing, I would personally choose Jiefangbei again without hesitation.
My Top 3 Hotels in Chongqing Overall
⭐ The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square — Click here for rates and availability.
This is obviously my most personal recommendation because it is where my family actually stayed.
What sold me was the location.
We were right in the heart of Jiefangbei, surrounded by shopping and restaurants, and we could walk to so many of the things we wanted to do. For a city as complicated to navigate as Chongqing can be, that made a huge difference.
Being able to walk to Hongya Cave, the Yangtze River Cableway, the riverfront, and Raffles City meant we were not constantly getting into cars or figuring out transportation every time we wanted to go somewhere.
And again, that breakfast buffet deserves its own mention. I genuinely felt like it just kept going.
Best for: First time visitors, families, couples, foodies, shoppers, and travelers who want to be close to the major sights.
⭐ InterContinental Chongqing Raffles City — Click here for rates and availability.
If you want your hotel to feel like part of the Chongqing experience itself, I would look at InterContinental Chongqing Raffles City.
It is inside the massive Raffles City complex at Chaotianmen, right at the point where the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers meet. The area is particularly convenient for Raffles City itself and river cruise departures, while Jiefangbei is still relatively close.
This would be my pick for someone who wants dramatic river and skyline views and does not mind paying more for a standout hotel.
Best for: Luxury travelers, couples, architecture lovers, and anyone who wants amazing river views.
⭐ Conrad Chongqing — Click here for rates and availability.
If you want luxury but prefer being slightly removed from the busiest tourist core, I would look at Conrad Chongqing.
It is in Nan’an District on the south side of the Yangtze, putting you closer to the Nanbin Road side of Chongqing. Hilton lists Jiefangbei around 3.5 kilometers away and Hongya Cave around 4 kilometers away, so you are not right in the middle of the tourist center, but you get a different perspective on the city.
I especially like this option for someone who wants a more relaxed luxury hotel while still being close enough to central Chongqing to sightsee easily.
Best for: Couples, luxury travelers, repeat visitors, and travelers who want a calmer base.
1. Jiefangbei: My Top Pick for First Time Visitors
If you are visiting Chongqing for the first time and just want me to tell you where I would stay: Jiefangbei.
This is central Chongqing on the Yuzhong Peninsula, and it gives you the easiest access to many of the things most first time visitors are coming to see.
You have shopping, restaurants, food streets, nightlife, metro stations, and several major attractions within walking distance. Current Chongqing lodging guides consistently recommend Jiefangbei as the easiest default for first time visitors for exactly that reason.
I also think this is the best area if you are someone who likes being able to leave your hotel at night and still have plenty happening around you.
Why I Like Jiefangbei
✅ Best overall location for a first trip
✅ Tons of shopping
✅ Restaurants and food everywhere
✅ Walkable to several major attractions
✅ Close to Hongya Cave
✅ Easy access to the Yangtze River Cableway
✅ Great nightlife and neon at night
✅ Good metro access
The Downsides
❌ It gets extremely crowded
❌ Hotels can be more expensive
❌ Traffic around the tourist areas can get intense
❌ It is not the quietest part of Chongqing
⭐ My Hotel Pick in Jiefangbei: The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square — Click here for rates and availability.
This is an easy one.
I would choose The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square again. Since we actually stayed here, I know firsthand how convenient the location was for our trip.
I especially recommend it if this is your first time in Chongqing and you want sightseeing, restaurants, and shopping all relatively close together.
Best for: First time visitors, families, couples, foodies, and shoppers.
2. Chaotianmen & Raffles City: Best for River Views and Modern Chongqing
If Raffles City is one of the things you are most excited to experience, you could stay right around Chaotianmen.
This is the tip of the Yuzhong Peninsula where the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers meet.
It feels very modern and dramatic compared with some of Chongqing’s older neighborhoods, especially because Raffles City completely dominates the skyline here.
You are also right near many river cruise departure points, so this area can be particularly convenient if a nighttime cruise is high on your itinerary.
The main tradeoff is that I personally prefer the restaurant, shopping, and general city atmosphere around Jiefangbei.
Thankfully, the two areas are relatively close.
⭐My Hotel Pick in Chaotianmen: InterContinental Chongqing Raffles City — Click here for rates and availability.
If I were staying here, this would be my pick without much hesitation.
You are literally staying inside one of Chongqing’s most famous modern landmarks.
I would choose it for a trip where the hotel and the views are part of the experience rather than simply somewhere to sleep.
Best for: Luxury travelers, couples, Raffles City, river cruises, and skyline views.
Jiefangbei vs. Raffles City: Which Would I Choose?
For a first trip, Jiefangbei.
If I came back for a more luxurious second trip and wanted incredible views, I would consider Raffles City.
Jiefangbei simply worked too well for us. I liked having shopping, restaurants, Hongya Cave, and other attractions surrounding us rather than being centered primarily around one huge development.
3. Nanbin Road & Nan’an: Best for Skyline Views
If your number one priority is waking up to Chongqing’s skyline, look at Nanbin Road.
This area is across the Yangtze River from the Yuzhong Peninsula, which means instead of being inside the skyline, you get to look back at it. That is the appeal.
At night, you have views toward Chongqing’s illuminated skyscrapers and riverfront, and Nanbin Road itself has bars, restaurants, and places to walk along the water.
It is generally quieter than staying directly in Jiefangbei, although the tradeoff is that you will rely more heavily on taxis, Didi, or metro connections to reach attractions across the river.
⭐ My Hotel Pick in Nan’an: Conrad Chongqing — Click here for rates and availability.
For this side of the city, I would choose Conrad Chongqing.
You still get a high end hotel experience but with a slightly calmer feel than staying right in Chongqing’s busiest tourist core.
Best for: Couples, luxury travelers, skyline lovers, and anyone who prefers a quieter hotel environment.
4. Guanyinqiao: Best for Shopping, Food & Nightlife
I would consider Guanyinqiao if you are less concerned with being able to walk to Hongya Cave and more interested in shopping, restaurants, nightlife, and experiencing a major commercial district that feels a little more local.
Guanyinqiao has huge malls, food, entertainment, and nightlife, and it is one of the shopping areas I would recommend visiting even if you do not stay here.
It can also offer better value than staying right in Jiefangbei.
The downside is that you are across the Jialing River from the main sightseeing core, so you will need transportation to reach many of Chongqing’s most famous attractions.
⭐ My Hotel Pick in Guanyinqiao: Hyatt Regency Chongqing — Click here for rates and availability.
If I were staying around Guanyinqiao, I would pick Hyatt Regency Chongqing.
The hotel is close to Paradise Walk shopping, roughly half a kilometer from Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street, and around a ten minute walk from Ninth Street’s nightlife area. Hyatt also puts Jiefangbei and Hongya Cave at roughly a ten minute drive under favorable traffic conditions.
That makes it a really good fit if shopping and nightlife are a major part of your trip.
Best for: Shoppers, foodies, nightlife, couples, and repeat visitors.
5. Shapingba: Best for Ciqikou and Better Value
Shapingba would not personally be my first choice for a first Chongqing trip.
It is farther from Jiefangbei, Hongya Cave, and many of the major attractions most first time visitors will want to see.
But it makes more sense if you are prioritizing Ciqikou Ancient Town, traveling by train through Shapingba Station, or looking for more affordable hotel options.
This area also has a younger, more local feel because of the universities nearby.
⭐My Hotel Pick in Shapingba: Holiday Inn Express Chongqing Ciqikou Ancient Town by IHG — Click here for rates and availability.
For this area, I would choose the Holiday Inn Express Chongqing Ciqikou Ancient Town by IHG.
The biggest advantage is the location. You are right in the Ciqikou area instead of having to commute over just to explore it, and the hotel is also close to the Jialing River and within walking distance of a Metro Line 1 station.
I think this makes much more sense for someone who wants a quieter stay, plans to spend more time around Ciqikou, or simply wants something more affordable than the luxury hotels around Jiefangbei.
I still would not choose Shapingba over Jiefangbei for a first trip focused on Chongqing’s major sights, but if Ciqikou is one of your priorities, this is the hotel I would look at first.
Best for: Ciqikou Ancient Town, better value, quieter stays, and travelers who do not need to be in the middle of Jiefangbei.
What About Staying Near Eling or Liziba?
You can absolutely stay around Eling or Liziba, especially if you want a quieter, more residential part of Yuzhong.
This puts you closer to things like Eling Park and the famous Liziba monorail station.
But personally? I would visit this area rather than stay here on a first trip.
You are going to spend more of your sightseeing time around Jiefangbei, Hongya Cave, Chaotianmen, and the rivers, so I think staying centrally makes more sense unless you specifically want something quieter.
Which Chongqing Area Would I Choose?
If you are still deciding, this is how I would narrow it down:
First trip: Jiefangbei
Luxury + Raffles City: Chaotianmen
Skyline views: Nanbin Road
Shopping + nightlife: Guanyinqiao
Ciqikou + better value: Shapingba
For me, Jiefangbei wins by a lot for a first trip.
We could leave our hotel and immediately have shopping, food, and things to do around us. And because Chongqing can be exhausting to navigate, I appreciated that convenience even more by the end of the trip than I did when we first arrived.
So, Would I Stay at The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square Again?
Absolutely.
If anything, traveling around Chongqing made me appreciate our hotel choice even more.
I loved being able to walk to so many major attractions. I loved having endless shopping and restaurants nearby. I loved that we could come back to the hotel during the day without feeling like we were crossing the entire city.
And I am still thinking about that breakfast buffet.
If someone asked me where to stay in Chongqing for their first trip, The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square would be one of the first hotels I would tell them to look at. Click here for rates and availability.
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