One hotel was not quite as strong as the others, but overall the accommodation standard was excellent. What I appreciated was that AVIORA clearly cared about the relationship between hotel location and the daily itinerary.
We often saved time simply because we weren't staying somewhere inconvenient.
The guide was also very engaging. He didn't just tell us facts but helped us understand how the history connected with present-day China.
Most importantly, the trip never felt like a checklist. We could spend more time in places that interested us and move on when they didn't.
The flexibility gave the whole holiday a very different character from the organised tours we've taken in the past.