Kempinski Residences Guangzhou

“This Must Be Guangzhou's Most "Unlucky" Luxury Hotel.”

In the Liwan and Yuexiu districts of Guangzhou, the number of newly opened luxury hotels in recent years can be counted on one hand. The Kempinski Residences Guangzhou, located in the Taojin business district, is a new face that only debuted in 2020. However, less than two years after its opening,… more

In the Liwan and Yuexiu districts of Guangzhou, the number of newly opened luxury hotels in recent years can be counted on one hand. The Kempinski Residences Guangzhou, located in the Taojin business district, is a new face that only debuted in 2020. However, less than two years after its opening, the road in front of it, Jianshe Liulu Road, was cordoned off for subway construction. The originally planned three-year construction period has now passed, yet the barriers still stand. What was once an easily accessible area has temporarily become an isolated island. Fortunately, the project is expected to be completed this year, and the comprehensive rail transit network may reawaken this long-silent neighborhood. But Kempinski's "misfortune" isn't just due to the construction noise. Just a few steps away diagonally across the street is the long-renowned Garden Hotel, and on the other side of the road is the more budget-friendly Atour Hotel. Sandwiched between these two, Kempinski still has a tough time. If we rewind the clock twenty years, before Tianhe Road, Xingsheng Road, and Guangyue Tiandi, Jianshe Liulu might have been one of Guangzhou's most chic, modern, and stylish neighborhoods. Street photographers from P1 magazine captured the trendy figures of handsome men and beautiful women on the streets; holding a cup of bEnsHoP coffee slush was the standard for an afternoon; Lippo Plaza and Friendship Store satisfied desires. In Yi'an Plaza, there was the first branch of Lei Garden Restaurant and a Watson's that was not yet widespread. The Good World Plaza gave birth to Guangzhou's first Starbucks, and later, Jianshe Wulu welcomed the then-nationally popular 24-hour Starbucks. Not to mention the Brazilian barbecue at the Latin Restaurant that once led the trend, and the first store of the speakeasy pioneer Happy Monk, which remains a collective memory for many born in the 80s and 90s. Today's Kempinski has seamlessly transplanted German restraint and poetry into the vibrant atmosphere of Lingnan. The owner directly brought in two "Audemars Piguet Grand Clocks" as spiritual pillars—one standing at the entrance, the other hanging in the gym. The "Lady in Red," now rarely seen in China, is still present here, continuing the century-old brand's sense of ceremony. The guest room lines are clean and sharp, the furnishings precise like clockwork, with meticulous details and no redundancy. A single rose leaning on the side table in the living room injects a touch of warmth and tenderness into the space. The accommodation, equipped with a balcony and kitchen, blurs the boundary between hotel and home, making one almost forget they are in a hotel. Upon checkout, the front desk staff handed me a Penhaligon's amenity gift box. Although it was a small gift, it left a lasting impression on me. Although I haven't stayed there again since, those few nights remain in my memory.

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