Parkside Hostel

The staff create a family atmosphere, sharing food, advice, music and fun. Both me and my mother were amazed by the level of service (having both traveled extensively) and it is by far better than any of the five star hotels we have stayed in. The rooms were perfectly clean and serviceable, my mother's being quite beautiful. We ate, drank and had a great time their for three nights and received all the help we needed to enjoy our daily excursions. Their are restaurants just meters away but we chose to wine and dine at the hotel. Just 5 to 10 minutes in a taxi from all the attractions. Couldn't have been happier!

Parkside Hostel provides a comfortable and clean accommodation for my stay in Guilin. The place offers room service, a bar, pool table and restaurant. The room have tea/coffee making facilities, bottled water, slipper, aircon, bathroom have a great rain heater shower with a hair dryer, nice bed , very entertaining TV programmes and with good wifi. There are a small eatery just out of the hotel and a few local eatery plus a local market just on the opposite of the main road. Guilin Department Store, Seven Star Park and Elephant Trunk Hill are also very nearby within walking distance. Staff speak english and they are very helpful but their tour price is a bit on the high side...you can walk around the area and check before you book with them. A very pleasant hostel and is really clean and neat all the time.

Our room (a private double) was on the top floor, quite large and very clean with air con and mosquito nets on the windows so no problems with the bugs! The bathroom was lovely (though as with many places in China there's no shower curtain so it tends to get a bit wet). The staff were really helpful and spoke nearly perfect English. The shared areas were clean and there were always people hanging around when we were there (a good sign of a good hostel). The washing machine is free (as is the detergent) and the drying area on the top floor is large and not at all cluttered (as we've seen at other hostels). The breakfasts are cheaper than in other hostels too, but still no fresh juice. The outings proposed by the hostel seemed expensive but do save a lot of hassle in trying to organise things yourselves. It's a little walk from the city centre across the bridge (10-15 minutes from the Walking Street), but we enjoyed the disgestive stroll and got to see lots of locals (there's a Chinese banjo teacher one block up from the hostel who gives lessons in the street and it's wonderful to hear!!). We will choose the same hostel on our next trip to Guilin. No hesitation.