Guilin Royal Garden

I booked this hotel because of the swimming pool and restaurants, but the pool was closed for winter (it was just autumn and very hot) and didn't look like it had been used for a long time. The restaurant that was stated open all day was closed when I went at 2pm, nobody interested in explaining to me why!! Room was good, views from room excellent, but best thing I found was the massage, my masseuse was excellent, never had a better massage, had to go back for a 2nd a few days later.

We booked a tour package and we were given this hotel as they told us it is 4-5 star hotel. When we arrived, the whole place was very gloomy and dimmed. IMHO, this hotel need a makeover / revamping. The whole hotel vicinity look depressing and just to walk to our room, it was a spooky experience. Pros: facing the famous Li River. Our second day staying at the hotel, we get the river view. Basic amenities are provided. Room was clean and the cigarette smell was not so bad. Cons: hotel need to revamp and maintain. Don't even bother about the breakfast part as this hotel only caters for local tourist. I asked for a fork and a knife for me to eat my bread and egg but one of the staff just ignore me and mumbles in Mandarin. Thankfully, one lady came after she watched the male staff ignored me and brought our fork and knife.

This hotel is extremely dated is most definitely not a 5* hotel. The location is excellent on the riverside, but that is about all there is positive to say. The carpets looked like someone had defaecated on them, and had clearly not been vacuumed for some time (see pictures) and the bathroom tiles were filthy. The fixtures in the room are extremely dated, looking like something from the 1920's, and there was only 1 plug point. Despite requesting a non-smoking room, the room absolutely stank of cigarettes. The gym was not open during out visit. The mini bar was an empty fridge, nothing in it. The bar service was extremely poor. I would only stay here again due to the location, for no other reason at all.