My wife and two children have stayed here many times over the last several years, most recently a couple of weeks ago. The foreign owners are friendly and helpful, and the place is clean.

They are not a hostel, but more like a Bed & Breakfast, which is better for families or couples travelling, or even company retreats. Having stayed in other guesthouses in Dali when Sleepyfish Lodge was full, I can say that they aren't the cheapest option in Dali, but they are certainly among the best values, especially if you consider the relatively soft beds and the overall relaxing atmosphere. We also really enjoyed eating in the SleepyFish Cafe because their soups and fresh breads are a nice taste of home. Oh, and if you happen to overlap with one of their well-attended wood-fire pizza nights, you won't be disappointed — some of the best pizza we've had in China!

Anyway, we would recommend them to anyone visiting Dali.

My initial experience with Sleepyfish was negative. Over the phone, they told me that I had reserved a large, private room for two people. Upon arrival, it was a smallish room with a single bed. They also wrote my name down incorrectly in a manner that no English name would ever be.

Second, I knew that the room did not have its own bathroom — I agreed to that, so no problems with that concept. But the whole hostel has just one small public bathroom that is the shower and toilet together. So if you have to get in, and someone is showering, let's just say that you will have to wait a very long time with a full bladder.

The redeeming qualities were the friendly foreign girl who works at the desk, as well as the dogs. The two labs are the sweetest dogs in the world, and they certainly made my visit much better.

The grounds are lovely, and the bed was comfortable objectively, but not so much with two people crammed into a single bed. But, I am willing to give them another chance.

Great place to stay, stayed there every time I visited Dali. Rooms spacious, beds comfy, staff are very helpful and friendly, food is excellent and really peaceful place to stay.

Very friendly place, with comfy rooms and nice little balconies overlooking a courtyard. As the previous reviewer mentioned, the noise from nearby construction and an overzealous rooster in the neighboring courtyard brought down the ambiance slightly, but overall I would highly recommend this place to other visitors.

This is a grea, cozy guesthouse and the women at the front desk are very helpful. Right now (May 2012) there is a lot of construction going on nearby but it should be finished soon.