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Sheraton Guilin Hotel, Guilin, Guangxi, China
See other hotels in Guilin
Dragon Boat at Elephant Trunk Hill
Guilin Street Market
Just Before Christmas at the Sheraton
Li River
Detail of room
Li River Theatre (no photos allowed)
Hotel garden
2nd floor breakfast area
Hotel lifts & lobby
Bathroom
Camel Hill, Seven Stars Park
Bathroom
Hotel room
Hotel bar
Another picture of the room
Newly Rennovated Hotel Room
Rainforest Showerhead
Breakfast area
Order your eggs here
Standard Sheraton Toiletries
Address: 15 Bin Jiang Road, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Phone #: 86-773-2825588
Dragon Boat at Elephant Trunk Hill
Guilin Street Market
Just Before Christmas at the Sheraton
Li River
Detail of room
Li River Theatre (no photos allowed)
Hotel garden
2nd floor breakfast area
Hotel lifts & lobby
Bathroom
Camel Hill, Seven Stars Park
Bathroom
Hotel room
Hotel bar
Another picture of the room
Newly Rennovated Hotel Room
Rainforest Showerhead
Breakfast area
Order your eggs here
Standard Sheraton Toiletries
Map of Sheraton Guilin Hotel
The Sheraton Guilin Hotel is located 35 kms from the airport, 2 kms to the railway station, and within walking distance to Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River and Fubo Hill.
The Sheraton Guilin Hotel is located 35 kms from the airport, 2 kms to the railway station, and within walking distance to Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River and Fubo Hill.
The hotel is divided into the east tower and the west tower, boasting a total of 430 smart, spacious, and clean executive suites and standard rooms. There are also computing and internet facilities available in the rooms.
The hotel features a bar and four different Chinese and Western restaurants that serves Cantonese, Sichuan, Korean, Guilin, and Western food. Besides this, there is a small coffee shop on-site. The hotel is furnished with conference halls, a business center, recreation center, beauty salon, swimming pool, water massage pool, fitness center, and karaoke room. This is a very luxurious hotel in the heart of a very beautiful city.
The hotel is divided into the east tower and the west tower, boasting a total of 430 smart, spacious, and clean executive suites and standard rooms. There are also computing and internet facilities available in the rooms.
The hotel features a bar and four different Chinese and Western restaurants that serves Cantonese, Sichuan, Korean, Guilin, and Western food. Besides this, there is a small coffee shop on-site. The hotel is furnished with conference halls, a business center, recreation center, beauty salon, swimming pool, water massage pool, fitness center, and karaoke room. This is a very luxurious hotel in the heart of a very beautiful city.
Postal Code: 541001
The first foreigner-oriented 5-star hotel in Guangxi Province, the Sheraton Guilin Hotel overlooks the beautiful Li River to the east and is adjacent to the charming Xangbi Mountains to the south. The top floor of the hotel offers impressive views all-across the city.
Just moments away from the lively and colorful night market, and other tourist attractions including Elephant Trunk Hill and the Seven-Star Caves.
The first foreigner-oriented 5-star hotel in Guangxi Province, the Sheraton Guilin Hotel overlooks the beautiful Li River to the east and is adjacent to the charming Xangbi Mountains to the south. The top floor of the hotel offers impressive views all-across the city.
Just moments away from the lively and colorful night market, and other tourist attractions including Elephant Trunk Hill and the Seven-Star Caves.
Address: 15 Bin Jiang Road, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionPhone #: 86-773-28255885 star hotel in Guilin
(59 votes)
Ranked #9 out of 34 in Guilin
Average price: $125
Reviews
I had stayed in this hotel several months ago during the renovations. I must admit that I was very impressed with the result now that all is completed. This is certainly the best hotel in Guilin (I have stayed at others) and the location is excellent.
Thay now have a full buffet for breakfast. The rooms are beautiful and the lobby very attractive.
You should be aware however that most rooms are around the atrium. The result is that it can be noisy. In the morning you can hear the rattling of the dishes of the restaurant from your room. I guess there is not much the hotel can do about this but i wonder why they start the music (piano) at such an early time (7am). You can clearly hear it from the room and it certainly keep me awake. If you are travelling there from a different time zone and wish to sleep late, you'd better have ear plugs.
Stayed here for two nights at the Sheraton hotel in Guilin!
I must say that it's a great hotel! Very very well located in the centre of Guilin, nice staff, awesome rooms with some details that I've never seen, super well cleaned!
Ah and the breakfast....divinal!
Highly recommended!
at first i was mortified when i saw the outside. the place looks like a tacky 70s experiment gone wrong. but once you get inside its all change, plush, old meets new interior, open spaces, grand inside area that you can see from all over (like the pyramid hotel las vegas). the rooms are very nice, ours wasnt huge and it had an aweful view, so ask for the river view if poss. this didnt deter us though as the whole place had a touch of class. even the bar that sits at the side of lobby is a very nice and relaxing experience. didnt try the dull looking restuarant, but the room service menu was amazing. i thought it was some way out of central Guilin but in fact it backs onto the centre of town, so a great spot.
I would give it 3 and half stars. I realize that this is the top choice for hotels in Guilin, but it's not super. We stayed two nights at the Sheraton after one night in Sofitel Xian (which was way better). However, having visited the other "five-star hotel" (Waterfall), I must say that the Sheraton looks way better.
The lobby is very nice and bright. There is also a free internet station for guests to use. The rooms, however, were on the small side. With the two single beds and a few chairs, there is not much room for anything else. Having read some of the other reviews, I realize that there are different rooms. The room we stayed in had a tub/shower whereas other reviews mentioned separate tub and shower facility. The breakfast buffet was good, and the dinner buffet looked good also and was quite reasonable at RMB 168 or something like that. I also ate at the Cathay restaurant, and the food was good and reasonably priced (for American standards).
The location is excellent. The hotel is located right across from the Li River, and right next to Pedestrian Street with a ton of restaurants and shops. There are also multiple salons where you can get your hair washed and blow dried for RMB 12-15.
Overall, this is the best choice for Guilin, but don't expect to be on par with 5 star hotels in America or in major cities like Hong Kong or Beijing.
We stayed here for one night. It's been undergoing rennovation and open about a week when we arrived in May. In China, that's bad news. Rule of thumb is to let the finished building sit for about 2 months with the windows open due to the use of volatile chemicals in the paint, adhesives, furniture, carpeting and finishes. As it was, the A/C was full on to dull the stink. Our room looked out over the pool courtyard. Ha ha, the pool was being constructed so we go the usual work crew outside our window. The good news, they didn't go at it 24/7 like they usually do. Hotel services were limited and there was only one bar and one restaurant open. I'd wait to see some more recent reviews before booking. The location is excellent so once they get the services in order, it's probably a good bet.
The upgrades to this hotel have made it an attractive top-of-the-line hotel in Guilin. The public areas were truly modern and the rooms and the amenities in them first class. Separate shower and tub, piped music in bathroom, itron boards, safe, robes, coffee maker, internet, etc.
Breakfast had great choices including fresh croissants served at your table. Pleasant bar/lounge to spend some time at night.
Located right on river and one block from pedestrian mall street.
Very odd that their two stores did not carry any olmpic souvenirs.
Box breakfast that they gave us for our early departure lacked a little- like a spoon to eat yogurt with and some coffee!
I got a room on the 5th floor (SPG Floor) and the room was recently refurbished and well worth its money as the breakfast. Its still some ongoing work in the hotel but it should be ready withting the coming months and i did not get disturbed by the works. Now to the negative things, the concierge service is really bad and they can basically just do two things: Give you an umbrella when it rains and tell you what time it is. If you ask them if they may give you some advise about a nice restaurant for first they will hardly understand english and then second they will recommend you one of Sheraton's restaurants, otherwise they do not know anything. I also asked for a late check out at 2 pm(since i had a late flight and the hotel was far from full) and they told me that 1 pm was ok and that they had to charge me for each hour after 1 pm which felt kind of cheap.
The hotel is located on the banks of the Li River, so try to get a room with a view.
It is handy for the Li River Theatre, and a visit to the Minorities show during your stay is highly recommended.
The rooms and lobby have been recently refurbished, however, the pool area and main restaurant are still closed due to the ongoing work.
The check-in was friendly and efficient, the rooms were clean and comfortable. Internet services are provided at no extra charge. The breakfast buffet had a wide selection of dishes to suit most people.
Great Hotel in a Great Location in Guilin. The Hotel is very clean with a nice large atrium. The rooms are refurbished and are beautiful. The beds are clean and the bathrooms are spotless. Definately should be a 4 or 5 star hotel. The staff is very friendly and accomodating. The breakfast buffet is amazing. The hotel is still undergoing rennovations to their restaurants, so we ate in their conference rooms. But once the renovations are completed in the next few months, it will be very nice. The hotel is also within walking distance from the downtown shopping streets and restaurants. It is a great location for your Li River Cruise which is a must do. I would also recommend staying a night in Yangshou (which is at the end of the cruise) if you can as it is better than the cruise.
We stayed here for one night and the hotel was in the process of major renovation about which we had been warned by a phone call from the hotel. The receptionist who dealt with our check in was pleasant, friendly and efficient and spoke good English. Our room was excellent, recently refurbished, a decent size, well furnished and clean. The bathroom was well supplied with toiletries and towels.
I had arranged for the hotel to collect us from the airport and we were given a guided commentary of various sites on the drive back to the hotel plus a brief resume of the activities in the area around the hotel, which is situated on the banks of the Li river.
Our brief stay at this hotel was very enjoyable and, when the renovation work is completed, it should be an impressive place to stay.
We were skeptical about staying in this hotel in the midst of its renovation, which will be completed later this month. However, we were very satisfied in all respects. The staff is operating out of a makeshift lobby while the main entrance of the hotel is closed and the pool is also being renovated. The rooms in the west wing that are open were renovated last year. Our room was a bit small but clean and well-appointed. The staff could not be friendlier or more helpful and the general manager was standing in the lobby in the evening to welcome guests and offer assistance. The concierge actually escorted us to a restaurant a couple of blocks away that had air conditioning. This will be a truly great hotel when the renovation is complete.
We stayed there two nights and the hotel was average. The rooms were a bit dated. The breakfast was good and the room rate was okay. We organized our river ride through the hotel and that part was great. Really impressive going up the river.
Nothing special but okay if you just need a hotel for a night or two on your trip.
Sheraton was a disappointment after the other hotels in China;definitely not 5 star whilst the renovations are taking place;building work woke me at 7 in the morning;the lobby is small and quite busy,the entrance outside the hotel was muddy;on the positive side the room and bathroom were of a good size and well furnished and the staff were attentive and helpful
The Sheraton Guilin is very conveniently located and the front desk staff were pleasant and helpful. It was easy to get a taxi if you wanted one. It's also easy to walk to the river and around the nearby area of town.
The concierge staff happily helped us send some mail and arranged our Li River cruise for us and we had no problems meeting up with our guide the morning of the cruise.
We had no real problems with the hotel, although the restaurants were mediocre. We always found things to eat, but neither of our breakfasts or our one dinner were particularly good.
Our room was clean and in good shape, but in no way luxurious. This is a fine tourist-class hotel, but there is nothing very interesting or cool about it. It's just a clean place to sleep at night.
Stayed at the Sheraton Guilin for 4 nights (22/2-26/2/08) and very much enjoyed the stay. While we were there, the east wing of the hotel was being renovated. To compensate us, the check in staff upgraded our room and provided us with a free buffet breakfast for every day of our stay. Renovation work was only done during the day and even then was barely audible. I believe the area of the room we were staying in had just been renovated and the room show it- it was great, one of the newest, nicest rooms i've stayed in. Overall the staff was friendly, the location central and free mandarins in the lobby! Can definitely recommend the Sheraton Guilin.
We stayed in the hotel on 10th Feb 2008 for 1 night and left the next day for Yangshuo. We were back in the hotel again on 14th Feb 2008 (Valentine's day).
We knew the hotel was under renovation from the numerous reviews we found on the net. However, we still decided to take the risk to try out the hotel as we got a pretty good rate at about RMB600 per night, considering it was the peak season during the Spring Festival in China during this time.
The was a small reception area for check-in guests with an uninspiring facade. Check-in was smooth and the check-in receptionist made me felt very welcome to the hotel. She said that the hotel was under renovation and as compensation the hotel was giving us complimentary full breakfast. She also said that since I was a starwood member, they had prepared a fruit platter in my room.
The room was not very big as what we had expect it to be. The room had been recently renovated and was clean and very well appointed. The only complaint I may have is why stick to an old CRT TV in a renovated room.
There is a glass panel that separates the bathroom with the bedroom such that while bathing, you can look through to TV console in the bedroom. For couples who feel shy, you can roll down the blind in the bathroom. The bathroom was very clean with a rainforest shower head. There is no separate shower area and bathing area in the room we stayed.
We were out touring most of the day and when we returned to the hotel in the evening, we did not hear any renovation noise.
Breakfast the next day was at the 2nd Floor. There is an area manned by a chef that you can order any types of eggs, a hot area, a salad & cold cut area, a cereal area and a bread area to cater to their mostly international clients.
You can also book tour packages in Guilin with the hotel. They offer packages such as the expensive Li River Cruise at about RMB550 as well as day tours in Guilin and nearby attractions.
On the last night in the hotel, we were offered a cute traditional Guilin Doll instead of the fruit platter.
Overall, I find the staffs very friendly and helpful in many ways. The on-going renovation in the hotel did not at all cause us any inconvenience.
My husband and I are Starwood members and stayed at the Sheraton Guilin for 3 nights. We have nothing negative to say about this hotel. Apparently, they were under constuction renewing and expanding the hotel but we were never inconvenienced and did not hear any of the construction noises from our room. Upon arrival we were greeted with a warm cup of tea at check in. We had a complimentary basket of fruits delivered to our room when we went up to the room. Everything looked brand new and freshly remodeled in the room itself. Jan is a very COLD time of year in Guilin, and it was so relaxing to come back to our clean warm room after a busy and tiring day of sightseeing. All of the tours we went on picked us up from the hotel lobby every morning. Unfortulatley the weather was very bad and rainy while we were in Guilin, so even though we went on an excursion to see the terraced rice fields we couldn't see anything because of the heavy fog. But the gorgeous mountains in Guilin are a MUST see. The breakfast buffet at the Sheraton was great! It was included with our room and they offered western food as well as local Chinese specialties (like my favorite rice noodles!) We stayed at this hotel for about $120 US a night, and it was worth every penny. We definatley reccomend this hotel to anyone who wants to stay in a 4 star hotel for a 2 star price!
If you want to compare this Sheraton with any Sheratons in US or Europe, there is nothing that stands out. But if you compare this with any 5-star hotels in china, especially in the Southeast region, this is a gem!
The hotel is going through a major renovation, and they only open the west wing, which has been renovated. As a compensation, we got free breakfast, which is really excellent and great value, and fruit basket and a box of choclate. The hotel room is clean (not easy in that part of China, which has a lot of dust). The location is excellent. But what makes this hotel stand out from the rest of the 5-star hotels in China is the service. They really understand service. Just that fact that you can check in and check out in less than 5 min is already quite amazing. The porter is very responsive and helpful. The staff are polite, helpful without being intrusive. On this trip, we went through 4 cities, and this one is by far the best 5-star hotel we stayed in.
I am not saying that this is the best hotel in the world by an absolute standard. But put it anywhere in the world, I would be satisfied with the treatment I received. And that is already saying a lot about this Sheraton hotel (which by the way, I usually try to avoid Sheraton hotels).
As at Dec 2007, the hotel was going thru various renovations - I was woken at 4.30am with drilling!
I would check with the hotel before booking.
Stayed here for three nights on our grand China tour. We had a standard room for our first night & upgraded to a river view room for the remaining two. It was a typical Sheraton no different from the one in the next city, country or continent. It did look a little tired I hasten to add. I didn't like the fact that the tourists were crammed into the coffee shop for breakfast which was draughty too. The location couldn't be faulted the river to the front & two minutes walk behind the hotel and a lovely paved shopping & eating area.
As to the excursions well the Rice Terraces are a must & well worth seeing. The Li River cruise on the other hand is a bit of a drag. The water level is low, huge cruise boats full of tourists in convoy. After about an hour (& another five to go) total boredom had set in so it was time to catch up with sleep. Don't bother spending your money in the market at the other end when the boat drops you off, the same stuff is much cheaper back in Guilin
I would probably only stay here again at the Sheraton Guilin if it had been refurbished.
Rated 5 star locally, this is really a decaying 4 star hotel badly in need of updating, new furniture (a seat collapsed under me - dried rotted wood and old glue were the causes) and better food. The reason to come to Guilin is the spectacular landscapes along the Li River here, but with the water so low in the river, it is disappointing. The scenery is spectacular, though.
A nice vintage Sheraton with large atrium. The corridors could use renovation, but our room was spacious, attractive, quiet and comfortable, facing a side street so we had to keep curtains closed. Location on the Li river is convenient for city walks and restaurants.Runs along the river, left from the front entrance, revealed the rich early morning life of the city: Tai Chi, walking, badminton, ballroom dance on the upper level promenade; swimming, fishing, walking and running, and even a man doing calligraphy with a giant brush and water on stone.
The coffee shop provided a nice late meal on our arrival—glad to have it available. Breakfasts were fine, and fresh-brewed coffee is available if you request it. With our morning runs, we never tried the health club. Laundry service was prompt. Room had the usual selection of toiletries, safe, iron, hair dryer, robes and slippers. The Sheraton accommodated us with a late checkout for our evening flight, a service we much appreciated.
We arrived at the Sheraton Hotel in Guilin quite late in the evening. Our room #1451 was on the back of the hotel facing the pool. We understand that the rooms on the front facing the river are better, but we were too tired to try to change. It was a typical Sheraton "anywhere in the world" room -- nice, but nothing special. It took about an hour for our luggage to get to the room. Then later there were knocks on the door twice trying to find and/or place stray luggage.
We used the door card to order breakfast from Room Service. The following morning we found the door card still on the door and upon calling found that the hotel did not offer Room Service breakfast (but still left the door cards in the rooms).
The breakfast buffet served on a balcony overlooking the lobby atrium was fine with a wide selection of American breakfast foods.
High-speed internet cost 50rmb for 24 hours. Laundry service seemed good and reasonably priced.
Guilin deserves a better 5-star class hotel than this place (if this hotel is indeed 5-stars). The front desk staff is excellent and efficient but the hotel lobby is very smokey. The Chinese restaurant on the ground floor is ugly, badly lit, and smells rancid from all the smoking. Try getting them to serve you the Chinese menu on the mezzanine. One time they cooperated and we had a pleasant dinner. Another time they fought us on this request and the dinner was not so good. The smell of the omelette station during the frenetic breakfasts start to permeate the atrium-facing rooms.
There must be a better place in this lovely city.
We enjoyed our two days in GUilin especially the boat trip on the river Li which all tourists seem to do. A long but good trip.
Sheraton Hotel excellent
I stayed here for three nights and knew what I was getting in terms of hotel: tourist parade, bland room, exorbitant food prices. What I was shocked to just realize is that the Sheraton profitably converted my visa bill on checkout.
I paid with my ETrade ATM, as I'm expat in China and am wary of additonal visa conversion fees (this card only passes on the Visa 1% and not the extra 2% that other cards do).
Anyhow I couldn't understand why ETrade had incorrectly converted this transaction until I went back to my hotel visa receipt and noticed the fine print courtesy of Sheraton "I declare that I've been offered a choice of payment currencies and my choice is final. I understand that the currency conversion is not provided by VISA." Well, hmmm, no the woman behind the counter certainly did NOT offer me any choice at all. What a total rip off! An extra $11! Even if I had noticed the print, I wouldn't have had a calculator on me to perform the calculations as I was rushing to get to the airport at 6am.
(The USD amount I would be charged is printed directly under a line that gives their RMB-USD rate and blatantly states "NO ComissionFee". That's funny because usually when I'm traveling in a foreign country I know the USD-RMB amount, so it's clearly a shady attempt to foil their unsuspecting guests.)
Geez, after 3.5 years living in China this is a first. It's also a last as my family and I won't return to Sheraton when there's so many other choices!
We spent a few days in this hotel that was nicely located. The staff were ok but not overhelpful. The pool looked lovely - it was very blue. So blue that it tanspired it was full of blue dye and out hair and skin tunred blue. It di wash out - however we think it was short of chlone as two of us got infections within 48 hours - after we had left.
Restaurant ok - but one of them very chinese - lots of offal - so depends on what you are willing to eat.
Overall ok
did spend 3 nites at the sheraton,great location ,best in town .this hotel is facing the LI RIVER ,nice for a walk along the river . walking distance of everything(shopping,4 lakes&food).
reading some of the previous reviews,people are always complaining about"nobody speak english" is NOT true, everybody were helpful and try their best to speak english!! i bought a book and i try to speak chinese ,so much fun and made many friends.they were doing some rooms renovation when i was there ,but this hotel was not noisy .the staffs were so nice and helpful (5 stars),but the rooms( 4 stars).the brkfast buffet has some continental ,american and chinese foods(130yuans/$15)which was great.
LI RIVER cruise was the best (450yuans/$60) for a 4 hrs cruise and bus back to hotel w/lunch.this was the highlight of our trip.(picture perfect !!) .in yangshuo you have to see the impression show ($25/$90)which is around 7 pm, if you buy the ticket from the tour guide in the boat ,they will take you there and wait for you and drive you back to guilin .all this tours are cheaper at the airport(@the c.i.t.s counter !!.(all the tours take cash only)... enjoy your trip ;)
I stayed two nights at the Sheraton Hotel Guilin, and even though it's surely not a five stars hotel, it's a 4 stars one.
The hotel is very clean and ongoing renovation. We reserved a standard room, but at check-in the (very friendly) employee offered us a renovated room for just 80 RMB more per day (total: only 630 RMB per day!).
The upgrade was worth it, as the renovated room was spotless and brand new. There's no flat screen in room, ok, but the bed was comfortable enough to have a decent sleep and the room had all the amenities you expect from a Sheraton, including slippers, bathrobes, combs, etc.
The downside of the room was the bathroom, which was really small! I've hardly seen such a small bathroom even in two star hotels! Even though it was new, it was really too small!
The buffet breakfast - 130 RMB per person - is a must! There's a great variety of Mediterranean, English, American, Chinese and Japanese food, and the quality is excellent! It was the best buffet breakfast I had during my entire trip to China!
Staff was always polite and ready to help. I was surprised by an offer from the hotel: 120 RMB, and you can wash everything fitting into the laundry bag! Call it a bargain!
The real plus of the hotel, anyway, is the location: it's right on the riverside, and just meters away from the main pedestrian shopping and entertainment streets of Guilin! Really, Sheraton's position is unmatched by any other hotel in town!
If you stay here, I'm pretty sure you will be satisfied!
Rate: B+
Rumors circulate the hotel stating this hotel as a 4 or even 5 star hotel, neither of which are true. However, great hotel overall, the breakfast buffet was very good and reasonable. If anything stay at this hotel for the cheap laudry service, i think it was 100 yuan for as many clothes you could fit into the laundry bag. Great overall experience. I would suggest registering as a starwood guest before staying - express checkin line and a few complimentary items - register online, takes only a few minutes/ Staff was very accomidating, we booked all our trips via the hotel however i think you can save money by directly going to the river rather than thru the hotel
Hmmmm.....this place has seen better days. It's obviously one of the only upmarket places in town but it does have a very damp and musty odor to it. Lighting is too bright throughout, decor is very dated. It needs a face lift. It is in a good location however, and staff is helpful and friendly.
The Sheraton in Guilin looks and feels exactly like every other Sheraton around the world - you could plunk it down in Chicago, IL or New York City and not skip a beat. We enjoyed the Sheraton amenities, from the solid breakfast, to the helpful staff, to the spacious clean room. The location is good as well. While there's not much local character here at all, it was a very pleasant place to stay.
Guilin was probably our favorite city in China. Very green and beautiful and one a more moderate scale compared to Beijing, Shanghair, etc.
The Sheraton is probably the best hotel in town. Right on the river. (ask for a room with a view).
We were able to walk to Elephant Park and to a few local shopping market area. Most of the hotel was tourist or foreign business travellers.
Not 5*, but comparable to a Sherton in the States. Average size room, adequate bathroom. Clean. Friendly service. No complaints, but nothing extraordinary either.
The reviews on this hotel seem to be mixed and best I can tell this is due to a wide variety of expectations. The Sheraton is a 5 star hotel if you compare it to the other hotel options in Guilin. It is a 3 or 4 star hotel if you compare it to other hotels worldwide. If you are expecting 5 star treatment like you get at the Four Seasons in New York City you will be sadly disappointed. The Sheraton in Guilin is similar to what you might find at an average or slightly above average Sheraton in the United States. While it is not perfect it could very well be the nicest large hotel in Guilin.
The Sheraton is in a great location. The River is right across the street and Elephant Trunk park is a short walk away. The hotel is a rectangle shape and one of the long sides of the hotel has views of the river. Be sure to get a waterfront view room. The Sheraton is also right next to all sorts of shops and restaurants.
They have a big western restaurant on the second floor with western (high) prices. They have a breakfast buffet and dinner buffet. The food was great at the dinner buffet but it was very expensive. The breakfast buffet was included in our package.
The swimming pool was outdoor which was a bit of a surprise. I'm not sure the pool was heated which was OK since it was hot while we were there. If you travel during a colder period don't count on being able to use the pool. Foot massages were very inexpensive.
Be sure to check out the waterfall show at the Waterfall Hotel which is a short walk from the Sheraton. Each night for about 10 minutes one side of the Waterfall Hotel becomes a huge waterfall. it is pretty cool.
Guilin is a pretty town but there are nicer towns nearby like Yangshuo and the Longji Terraces in Longsheng County. If you are visiting China I'd recommend only spending a day or 2 in Guilin. The Sheraton is probably your best bet in Guilin but don't expect a 5 star room or service.
I booked this on the Starwood website, and as an SPG gold status member, I got a GREAT deal. The base rate was 500 RMB/nt, (around $66 complete) and for this rate, I got upgraded to a 6th floor junior suite, with included fruit bowl and chocolates, and turndown service.
When I inquired about extending my stay one night, they indicated that for the room I was in, I'd need to pay the rate of around $200/night to keep this same room, so obviously, it was a substantial upgrade (I ended up not extending, as I spent the extra night in Yangshuo down the river - in a perfectly pleasant small 200 RMB/nt place on the corner of West Street).
I have no idea what the $66 lowest cost room looks like if you are Joe Blow off the street, however - it surely is not the suite I was upgraded into.
Overall, I certainly have no complaints about the service I got, nor the location of the hotel. And their upgrade policy to Starwood Preferred Guests is as generous as any I've seen, so if you are an SPG member, this place is a great deal. But for the hoi polloi, who knows?
We stayed at 5 hotels on our trip to China and would place this a commendable second. We were fortunate to be placed in the better rooms on the 5th floor (which had a balcony), but our daughter's "ordinary" room was also good. Only caveat might be the large contingent of spanish on a group tour, but they were given their own room for breakfast and dinner.
Attentive management and staff, in fact the Irish manager, who was charming, spoke to us.
We used the chinese restaurant which was fair value and of good quality. The hotel is well placed for walking into the city or along the river.
We found it difficult to find restaurants in Xian with English menus and were a bit put off by the strange things in bowls outside which we didnt fancy eating. So this hotel with its welcoming and clear menu was a relief.
All in all a very good base when staying in this attractive city.
From what we could tell after staying at this hotel and seeing other options in town, this is one of the top choices of places to stay. It is in a good location. The rooms were clean. The beds were comfortable, and they had decent room service for breakfast. We didn't have a river-view room, but didn't feel like we were missing much since we were only in our room after dark. The cafe was passable, but we don't recommend ordering a coffee latte unless you are accustomed to having egg in it. My first sip resulted in a string of raw egg white hanging from my mouth. After hearing and having images of the locals hacking loogies (phlem) all day, it was an alarming consistency to drink. The management quickly changed our drink order to cappuccinos which we were reassured didn't contain egg. The staff for all our interactions were very helpful and spoke English well. For local tours we recommend CTIS a couple doors down. But be aware of factory tours they take you on but don't tell you about until you think you are headed home to your hotel. The quaint bohemian-like town of Yangshou at the end of the river cruise is a gem we wished we would have stayed in for part of the trip. In fact, we bailed on the tour bus back to Guilin in order to spend the rest of the day there. After enjoying the rest of the afternoon, we took the last local bus of the day back to Guilin which cost just a few USD. From the bus station we took a taxi back to the Sheraton.
We stayed at this hotel during a tour of China with Ritz tours in September.
It is an older hotel, but still quite nice. Rooms are OK, nothing special, but comfortable.
The pool is really wonderful. Food in the breakfast buffet is good. Guilin is a beautiful city.
I was truly surprised at how nice this hotel was considering the reviews on this site. We stayed in a beautiful room overlooking the Li River. It was clean, had all the amenities you want (modern bathroom, new furniture, etc.). The food in the hotel was very good and the service was excellent. We had spent a few nights at the Waterfall hotel and there is no comparison, this hotel is cleaner and the staff is much more attentive. If you are going to Guilin..this is the place to stay...One point, I did hear that some of the rooms are older..so that might influence some of the reviews, but if you request a newer room overlooking the Li River you won't be disappointed.
Some very interesting reviews about the Sheraton Guilin on the web. Very interesting to see that many of them are decidedly mixed. Having just spent "Golden Week" at this Hotel we are firmly of the opinion that the Sheraton is complacently resting on its position as being the only "western" hotel in the City. This manifests itself in over-pricing, inattentiveness to customer care, negligence and in the case of its Western Restaurant "The Atrium" food that is inedible.
Other reviews have pointed to the tiredness of the hotel decor amongst other things. Little has changed since these reviews were posted last year. In addition we had to carry our own luggage to our room because no staff volunteered to do this on our behalf on arrival, our electronic door key failed repeatedly, having to be replaced three times, and we were surprised to find that the sum of 920 RMB we paid nightly did not cover breakfast which was charged at 259 RMB for two people...
I could go on with the negatives (and indeed will be taking things further with the Sheraton's Head office.) Needless to say, the Sheraton Hotel does not offer 5 Star service (as this and other reviews testify) and certainly does not offer value for money. Indeed, Holiday Inn, Zhuhai, offering rooms at 600 RMB last Christmas should put Sheraton Guilin's thirst for profit motive into perspective as should their sister hotel's Golden Week rate of 700 RMB nightly - charged by The Sheraton Tianjin currently advertised on the web.
Whilst there are pockets of excellence at Sheraton Guilin - a superb Chinese Restaurant (The Cathay) where food and service is first class - and excellent service at The Camel Bar - the sub McDonalds quality of The Atrium and the attendant "take it or leave it" attitude does leave a very bad taste in the mouth on almost every level.
The reason behind this - is lack of western competition and the fact that on average , western holidaymakers stay at this hotel for an average of 1.8 days before moving on. This statistic we got from the Hotel Manager who despite emollient words, a courtesy bottle of wine and waiving the breakfast charges - still seemed happy with the service being provided.
In Tianjin - staff at the Sheraton were on station in the Hotel forecourt to meet guests and to escort them into the hotel from buses and Taxis in safety. No such service was provided in Guilin - leaving unwary visitors just standing outside the hotel to fall prey to the unwelcome attention of touts and pimps offering massages and sex.
It is also interesting to see that one recent review stated that Internet access at the Hotel was free. This must indeed be breaking news to some of the Hotel Staff as they attempted to charge us a daily rate of 50 RMB for Internet Use in our room - or an incredible 1 RMB per minute if we used their Business Centre.
Guilin itself is probably best seen as a staging post for the superb Li River Cruise and its stunning views. Cruises, incidentally, can be arranged for as little as 200 RMB and not 540 RMB which was the going rate at The Sheraton.
As stated - Sheraton Guilin needs to improve greatly and offer people value for money.
The Sheraton in Guilin is very conveniently located on the bank of the Peach Blossom river and in easy walking distance to the city centre’s main streets. The hotel itself is a bit tired in terms of decor and facilities, but still more than ok compared to most other hotels. The staff is very helpful and friendly. Food and breakfast at the restaurant were excellent. There was free broadband internet access in the rooms, but no safe. The pool and gym looked ok but we did not try them.
This hotel is rated first class but is more like an aging motel in the US. Adequate room sizes but worn. Motel style baths, noisy, very crowded with large groups. Poor service in the dining area. I would say not worth the trip.
We were traveling with a tour group of eight for seventeen days in Mainland China. We arrived at the Sheraton Guilin on June 6, 2006. Guilin is such a beautiful place and the Li River a definite return for us. We have been staying at five star hotels and this hotel was sooooo three star. We took the pretty glass elevator to our room on the second floor and noticed that the elevator did not go to the floor we were on. We took our hand luggage and walked up a small flight of stairs to get to our room. The room was a good size and sound proof, but the carpets, drapes, and bedspreads really need a facelift. We awoke in the morning to find our window all steamed up from the humidity even though we had the air conditioning on. I would have loved to see the river from our window but it was a half view through the trees. The personnel were very nice and accommodating. We did eat dinner and breakfast in the restaurant and found it to be okay. We enjoyed the area mangos and could not get enough, but everything else did not appeal to us. There was not much variety. It would be nice to have an ice cream bar as in the hotel we stayed in in Shanghai. I did read the reviews and hopefully you do not serve dog meat as one reviewer said about Guilin local food. We love dogs, but would rather not dine on them.
The location along the Li River was excellent. The hotel staff was pleasant and helpful but the rooms and bathrooms are overdue for a renovation. The food in the restaurants was better then average and the 100Rmb (about 15 USD) for all the laundary you can fit into the bag is a great deal.
My wife and I, Japanese expatriates living in Beijing, went to Guilin during Chinese Golden Week. There I met more American and European tourists than I expected. Guilin seems to be one of the most popular travel sites among westerners for its magnificent (even mysterious) landscape along the Lijiang river. Anyway, I make it a rule to choose HIlton, Sheraton, or Shangri-la whenever possible when I travel in China for sanitary reasons. I picked Sheraton in Guilin because that is the only one available of the three. I did survive. However, as another review pointed out, bathrooms, furniture, hairdryer, and carpets definitely need thorough renovation. Beds and linens are clean, no bugs, though. Breakfast buffet has American, Chinese, and Japanese (I don't want to call it Japanese) dishes, all so-so. But coffee was good. That was nice considering the fact that there is no Starbucks in Guilin!!! Around US$100 a night for two with breakfast-- still looks a bargain for Japanese. Lastly, Guilin's local dishes are not so great if you do not care much for river fishes or 'dogs'--not hot dogs, but real dogs!
Right on the Li River (great location), very helpful and courteous staff, nice linens and clean rooms overall. That said, it is tired. The hotel is beginning to show it age i.e. bathrooms are dated, carpets are dirty etc... It is time for a fabulous, new hotel to be built in Guilin.