High quality at a fair price”

White Swan in GZ offers international standard facilities and service. The room was clean, tidy and spacious (deluxe) with a great view of the river. The bed was huge and very comfortable. Staff were helpful and could answer questions about where to visit, organise taxis and help post postcards. The White Swan is in a charming area of Guangzhou and it's lovely just to wake up and have a walk about it. We did the buffet dinner which was fairly priced (excellent steamed crab) but the cut off end of 9:30pm was a bit early. The bar has a nice view and they do a range of drinks there. Only downside is the TV - there is one movie channel in English and no Demand options. At least not below the 14th floor - which is ridiculous. So if you are stuck in your room on a rainy day you had better either know and love Mandarin speaking TV or adore Bloomberg. I highly recommend this hotel!

Beautiful Place. Great Location”

We had 4 nights at the White Swan and overall were very happy. It is on Shamian Island which is a little sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of Guangzhou. There are restaurants and coffee shops scattered within walking distance. I recommend finding them as the prices in the hotel are a bit ridiculous. ($19AUD for a bowl of cereal, $11AUD for a cafe latte). The hotel itself is beautifully maintained. The staff are very good with a fairly high level of English which took some of the stress off little things like communicating. The staff were also extremely helpful. The site has excellent facilities but I can't abide rules for the sake of rules. I was planning on using the pool but was put off when I was told that I would have to wear a swimming cap that I would have to pay for (I am bald why would I need a swimming cap). Given the price I paid for a room and the price in the restaurants, having to pay to use the pool seemed to be going a bit far. There are multiple places in the hotel to eat. Oddly for a number of them, the location changes but the menu doesn't. As with most 5-star hotels in China you are paying for the surroundings rather than the food. It wasn't bad but is definitely not worth what they charge. With all that being said I would consider staying here again but would not bother eating on site as there are plenty of other options available within a few hundred meters

White Swan still the Grand Dame!”

The White Swan Hotel is still the Grand Dame of Guangzhou- it's beauty a tad dated but still very impressive. We reserved 2 river-view rooms and they were worth it as it is a nice view at night. The rooms were immaculately clean and they were some of the best beds we slept on, during out 2 weeks trip to China & Hong Kong! Unfortunately, it rained during our stay so we couldn't use the pools. We enjoyed an impressive "tea time" afternoon "snack" upon arrival which was a terrific value. The selection of food choices was diverse and fresh. We would definitely return to this hotel and would recommend it to a friend. I hope that they finish the restorations around the hotel soon, because it would be a more pleasant walk around the grounds and towards public transportation.

Best service in China”

Stupidly, because of China's obsession with new is great and old is not, this beautiful hotel is being closed for a year while it is probably gutted and replaced by a shiny, aluminium and concrete monstrosity. I have used the White Swan all year as a home away from home and I cannot fault the place. The rooms were comfortable, well-appointed and clean. Breakfast, without being as exceptional as the China Hotel in Guangzhou, was still a very nice experience with a good choice of Asian and Western cuisine. Whoever looks after staff training at this hotel should be given the job of being in charge of the hospitality industry in China -- it certainly needs someone.

white swan october 2009”

We stayed at the White Swan hotel from 15 Oct 2009- 21 October 2009 for the adoption of our son. There were many adoption families from all over the world which made it a very comfortable stay. The room was adequate and clean. Water was provided daily. The pool was very nice and clean. We enjoyed the hospitality of the staff. Our only complaint would be the cost of the restaurants. We chose not to eat any meals there because we felt the price was too high. There was an international trade fair going on, so maybe the prices were inflated because of that. I think $34 per person for breakfast and $54 per person for lunch is a bit high. So, other than the cost of food, we would definately stay at the White Swan in the future. There are plenty of other great eating establishments on the island.

2009 Oct. Canton Fair”

We stayed at the White Swan in Oct. 2009 during the Canton Fair, and we generally was very pleased with our stay. The hotel has their own ferry to take you to and from the Fair, which was great because the traffic in Guangzhou is terrible. The rooms are nice and clean. They have a great variety of restaurants and "good" buffets, but a bit on the expensive side. The dinner buffet was $80 per person. The hotel is located on a small, sort of pictoresque island, and it was nice to go jogging in the mornings. It has a good gym with free access. The staff is courteous and helpful.

Beautiful Room with the Pearl River View”

We stayed in the Deluxe room and we just love it! The bathtub with the views of the Pearl River really made it perfect for us since when we stayed at the White Swan. Guangzhou was hit by a typhoon when we stayed. So we can't travel anywhere else. And all the flights and train was canceled. We felt lucky that we stayed in this hotel. You should try the restaurants special with sunflower duck, it's my favorite. And go around in the boutique stores and museums of jade, it is very unique and impressive.

excellent service and great downtown location”

The hotel offers stunning views over the river as well as over the city and is located on Shamian Island, which is one of the very very few historically interesting neighbourhoods left in Guangzhou. Excellent for a stroll to get a feel for China as it was a century ago. The White Swan offers very good dimsum in their Ballroom restaurante. I did not see a non-chinese menu, but for non-chinese speakers, the staff will be glad to help out with suggestions.

White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou”

This is the third time that I stayed in White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou. The hotel has good arrangement for transport to exhibition center and easily available taxi service. The reception and cashier counters work efficiently and checking in and out pose no problem. The room is always clean and the facilities like airconditioning/plumbing/etc are working well.

It deserves to be ranked a 5-star hotel”

We are warmly welcomed by a polite and yet friendly staff at the railway station and are then transferred via the hotel's shuttle bus to the hotel directly. The smiling and welcoming face of the lady at the front desk completely refreshes us after the long journey. The Chinese type of landscaping inside the hotel is very beautiful and special. The room is spacious and the bed is comfortable. Our stay at the White Swan Hotel is very satisfying.

Relaxing Ambience”

It was already back in 15-20 years ago I started staying at the White Swan as I need to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle city of Guangzhou. As a matter of fact, my office was at the Garden Hotel yet, I did not mind traveling for half hour in the traffic . For pleasure trip, I still like to stay at Sha Mian that area with the old western / French style of architech. With the total face lift at the hotel, I highly recommend it with the friendly service at the hotel. It is a treat to stay on the river view side to see the sun rise / set.

Best Hotel Experience Ever !”

The White Swan is the best hotel you can find in Guangzhou. The location is tranquil, the facilities are first rate, and the hotel staff are all friendly, considerate, and dedicated to superior service. There are no language problems here, the facility is spotless, just excellent in every way.

Nice Hotel”

I will sure recommend the white swan hotel, it has the chinese atmosphere, with a fall water inside that makes you feel relax, the check in was quick and the people were very gentle, the rooms are big and clean, i had a wonderful view to the river, the batharoom big, nice and clean i wish i had more time to enjoyed, the hotel is in a good place for to have a walk during the night, the only problem is the language.

White Swan nice hotel in a nice lacation.”

All and all, I think the White Swan is my favorite hotel in Guangzhou. The views of the river and the surrounding area are great. The meals I had were pretty good. I had a salad with duck that was incredible. The bar is comfortable and the music was good. More importantly the beer was good and cold. The other guests were friendly. I look forward to staying there again after all the construction on the island is finished.

white swan guangzhou”

I stayed at the White Swan regularly in the mid-1980s when I was stationed in Beijing and had to travel to Guangzhou frequently on business, and White Swan was one of the very few 5-star establishments in Guangzhou back then. I have seldom been back since then, so this time I wanted to revisit the White Swan to relive my past experiences. I note little has changed regardling the appearance and layout of the hotel, but I am glad to say the level of comfort and welcome I was made to feel at the hotel has not changed.

Pleasant Oasis”

This was my second visit to the White Swan and it is my favorite hotel in China. (I travel to China 3-4times a year). Value for money is very high and everyone in the staff tries to please. A welcome adittion would be a comfortable easy chair in the room. I particularly enjoyed the river view rooms. I cannot see how any traveler, business or pleasure would not find this hotel a pleasant experience.

old hotel but very confortable”

The white swan is one of the best hotel in guangzhou. The location is perfect, beside the river, the view is incredible good. It also very convinient, a lots of good restaurants beside. Good hotel services.

A Pleasant Stay”

We checedk into White Swan Hotel for a few reasons, one of them were to try out the DimSim serve at 玉堂春暖 Restaurant. The verdict is, it didn't disappoint us, the DimSum were really great, some of the best we had ever tasted. We were also very satisfied with hospitality and service provided by the hotel. All in all a very pleasant stay indeed. Will check in again in the future.

A wonderful hotel experience!”

We visited the White Swan on mid autumn festival evening. The hotel was about to close for major renovations. It is a splendid hotel with great staff and facilities. After ther renovation it will surely be one of Asia's best hotels.The executive level provided great food, beverages and breakfast and our suite was beautiful. We relaxed and enjoyed our visit and look forward to another visit after the renovations.

Paradise on the Pearl”

The white swan is a gorgeous high end hotel on the banks of the Pearl River . Shamlian island is a colonial sanctuary away from the bustle of Guangzhou. Riverview definitely worth it. Who needs a TV?