Guangzhou is famous for its food and authentic Cantonese culture (Guangzhou was once called Canton), it’s the third largest city behind Beijing and Shanghai.
As a frequent visitor to Beijing and Shanghai, I admit that I am not even close to being familiar to Guangzhou – the Pearl River crown jewel.
Last week, Dior launched its first Augmented Reality app game with Baidu and it’s only available in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It triggered my curiosity towards Guangzhou; maybe it is more than just a Canton culture and food hub. It was time to act; I took a direct train ride with my friend Vivian from Hong Kong on the weekend two weeks ago. Where to stay? First one popped on my mind was…W Guangzhou!
It wasn’t my first time staying at W Guangzhou, but I guess it says a lot when I decided to stay there again. W Guangzhou is the centre for the hip crowd in Guangzhou, people go there to celebrate Guangzhou Fashion Week, to have a drink (or dance a little) at FEI (THE CLUB in Guangzhou) or to get a glimpse of some international celebrity guests from time to time.
With the Insider service W offers, I felt it was the easiest way for me to get to the heart of the coolest happenings in Guangzhou in a mere of a weekend getaway.
W Guangzhou was the first W Hotel in Mainland China, opened in 2013. It is still relatively new, and has everything you expect from the W luxury brand. Even more…W Guangzhou also has its Residence part that can be bought or rented to more permanent guests on the same premise.
Location
W Guangzhou is situated in the Central Business District in the new district of Guangzhou City. The location is safe and convenient, 20-minute car ride from the train station and 5-20 minutes away from major attractions in the city that are worth visiting.
Fabulous Rooms (24th to 27th floor)
We stayed at the Fabulous Room that is located on the 24th floor with exclusive access to the W Lounge. It is also closer to the pool, gym and spa, which are located on even higher floors; there are few good things about staying on higher floors, better open view and less awkward or often being spotted in our ropes or gym clothes heading up.
The room is 538 Square Feet/ 50 Square Meters with separate water closet and everything you would expect from a luxury 5-star hotel. One thing Vivian asked me to mention is that, the room even has a hair straightener!!! Well, girls who can’t live without a hair straightener and can’t be bothered to carry one with them, this is your place!!!
WET (swimming pool), FIT (gym), AWAY (spa)
The pool is a standard sized indoor pool with a Jacuzzi, it’s great to have some green on the wall and it’s quite relaxing to swim there. We actually borrowed goggles; all you have to do is ask! （But there was no life guard at presence which is a little worrying?）
The gym is divided into 3 parts; it’s not huge but has almost everything I needed. I would recommend to go in the morning as there are not many guests, 2 when I went around 10am. The private trainer is friendly but speaks Mandarin only, not sure if there are English trainers that can be booked in advance.
Also, I noticed a shortage of staff when I visited too. 1 staff, which was also our trainer, had to look after both the gym and the swimming pool. Hence, I only recommend a visit to the pool or gym if you are a good swimmer and an experienced gym goer.
The spa place is tastefully designed but is not the highlight of the hotel, and I feel there are a lot good spa spots in Guangzhou with some highly skillful masseurs. However, the Jacuzzi and the break room in the spa are quite good.
The Dining Experience
The Kitchen Table is the buffet area and it gets busy during breakfast time (expect a waiting time), it closes at 9:30pm which seems pretty early to me. There’s always a noodle and seafood bar, but oysters tend to be finished quickly and they might not refill it closer to closing time unless you ask. I asked and they did opened few more for me.
There’s a Japanese (I by Inagiku) and Chinese restaurant (Yan Yu) in the hotel, and I highly recommend the Chinese restaurant that serves authentic and beautifully designed Cantonese dishes. You can call me shallow, but I feel the look of one dish is as important as its taste. It’s not every day that I see a WOW dish that both looks and tastes amazing. But Yan Yu absolutely delivers! And the chef is very dedicated to healthy eating, hence we didn’t get that heavy feeling after the meal like we usually do after a big Chinese meal. (Each private dinning room contains its own restroom with toothbrushes and perfumes!)
For those who prefer a snack or so, simply order something next to the swimming pool at the WET Bar or at the WOOBAR while sipping cocktails.
The bartender always creates a special cocktail for the festive season, and it’s different each year. We got to try their Christmas cocktail this year and it’s definitely very Christmasy and theatrical.
Nightlife
FEI is a famous club in Guangzhou, and it’s a club that belongs to the hotel. When I asked my friends regarding where they go at night, they usually say FEI. There’s a stage at FEI where live bands, DJs and dancers perform. There’s a second floor where people who are not big dancers can play pool or chill. Light food can also be ordered at FEI if one is feeling too hammered and needs some carb refill.
It’s not rare to see drunken guests checking in the hotel after a big night out at FEI!
One downside for me is the outdated songs and music played at FEI, but maybe it’s what’s trending in Guangzhou?!
The Extra
Each W works with different concept stores or buyers to provide some iconic design products, which can be purchased by the guest. To be honest, I have never had the urge to buy anything from a hotel except this time!!!
The bathrobe is the most comfortable robe I have ever come across and I made the swipe! I also had my name sewed on it too, with no extra cost. (The robe itself is priced at around USD100.)
Try it, and you will understand my excitement.
In the next post, Vivian and I will follow W Insider to go to the coolest art and fashion spots in Guangzhou. Stay curious!
Tags: China, Guangzhou, hotels, luxury, SPG, Starwood, W hotel, 中國, 五星級酒店, 廣州, 酒店
Share On Facebook
Tweet It
