Lakeview Hotel

I learned this morning that the Lakeview Hotel in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China no longer exists. The hotel was purchased by new ownership in 2007 who closed the hotel for renovations but then decided to demolish the 4 star hotel instead and replace it with a brand new 5 star hotel.

We first met Emily in the lobby of the Lakeview Hotel in December 2002 before we even had time to check in. I remember trying to deal with check-in paperwork at the front desk with our guide, the orphanage director, and a couple of nannies surrounding us. Susan was already holding Emily by that time. We spent a week at the hotel while working on the adoption paperwork at the province level. The hotel was circular. The walkway on each floor was circular so you could walk one direction away from your room, walk in a large circle, and end up back at your room. The rooms were only on the outer side of the walkway. The inner side of the walkway faced the open center portion of the hotel. Kinda of like a circular version of many Embassy Suites.

Unfortunately, we won’t be able to go back to the Lakeview Hotel when we eventually go to China to retrace our route for Emily’s adoption (San Francisco-Beijing-Nanchang-Guangzhou-San Francisco). This trip won’t be until far into the future (when Emily is an adult and if and when she wants to retrace her route/roots).

Here are links about the demolition of the Lakeview Hotel which happened a few days ago:

http://english.cri.cn/6909/2010/02/07/189s548513.htm
http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-02/504144.html