Southern Club Hotel Guangzhou

“Very pleasant”

This hotel was perfect for us as we were working with the university and it was very convenient. The room was very comfortable if a little worn. The food was excellent (including fresh milk at breakfast) and the whole ambience was very pleasant. They are happy to lend adaptors for gadgets and the w… more

This hotel was perfect for us as we were working with the university and it was very convenient. The room was very comfortable if a little worn. The food was excellent (including fresh milk at breakfast) and the whole ambience was very pleasant. They are happy to lend adaptors for gadgets and the wifi was good although you might need to reconnect each day. The bath towels are in drawers in the bathroom cabinet.

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“Quintessence of 80s communist design, great for a morning jog”

My first visit to China was in 1987. This hotel is a nostalgia trip for those of us who visited the Middle Kingdom in those long-gone times. The immense entry hall, marble everywhere, and a desk (now unstaffed) on every floor where a receptionist would gruffly refuse you entry to any floor but your… more

My first visit to China was in 1987. This hotel is a nostalgia trip for those of us who visited the Middle Kingdom in those long-gone times. The immense entry hall, marble everywhere, and a desk (now unstaffed) on every floor where a receptionist would gruffly refuse you entry to any floor but your own all brought back memories. But the hotels I was at in the 1980s were designed and maintained by people who did not understand comfort or cleanliness. The Southern Club is the epitome of this class of hotel: straining for 5 stars through the use of volume, polished stone, and spotlessness. There is a gym, but I went for a jog at dawn the one morning I was there, along the nearby branch of the river. The air was clean (I was lucky), and the island is nearly devoid of vehicles early just after dawn so it was peaceful and pleasant. I saw and heard a number of songbirds and, astonishingly, watched mesmerized as four bats hunted acrobatically to snatch a few flying treats before returning to their roosts. For nostalgia, and the bats, I give it four stars. The nitty gritty: as others have noted this hotel is astonishingly remote and inaccessible considering its location in a giant megacity. Breakfast is a bit hit or miss, but you can, with a bit of imagination, put together a satisfying repast. My room was gigantic, with a marvelous bathroom, but note the glass wall! There was a blind, but it wasn't particularly solid. Stay alone, with a partner, or with your small children. Don't stay with a business colleague or teenagers: there lies the route to awkwardness. I had business at one of the nearby universities, was driven to and from the hotel by my local host, and stayed only one night. If you are visiting the University island this is the place to stay, but make sure you arrange transport. If your business is elsewhere stay closer to where you want to be, unless you are desperately poor--you get a lot of square metres for your yuan here.

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“Fairly typical Chinese business hotel near to the University area”

This was my 2nd visit to this hotel, work took me to the Sports Centre at the Education Mega Centre nearby. Standard Chinese business hotel, massive room with decent amenities, bed fine, shower fine. Typical buffet food for breakfast and dinner. Edible but not something that you look forward to. No… more

This was my 2nd visit to this hotel, work took me to the Sports Centre at the Education Mega Centre nearby. Standard Chinese business hotel, massive room with decent amenities, bed fine, shower fine. Typical buffet food for breakfast and dinner. Edible but not something that you look forward to. No sign of any coffee at breakfast (I take a cafetiere with me whenever visiting China). No bar as such but can buy a local beer when eating and the lobby staff will arrange for beer to be brought to you room. But no real bar.

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“Far as in far”

One oomplaint probably is that, its too far from everything. But the surroundungs are clean and green. Rooms are okay, brdakfast spread is repetitive and when youre staying for more than a week youll get tired eating the same thi g everything, even coffee is not good. Courteous staff but cant spea… more

One oomplaint probably is that, its too far from everything. But the surroundungs are clean and green. Rooms are okay, brdakfast spread is repetitive and when youre staying for more than a week youll get tired eating the same thi g everything, even coffee is not good. Courteous staff but cant speak and understand english.

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“Nothing around...”

Stayed there for a night due to a mistake when the reservation was done. Absolute "wilderness"/ nothing around, with the entire area being a university. Unless you have business/ things to be done really close to the hotel, otherwise would really even suggest just staying at one of the many hotels … more

Stayed there for a night due to a mistake when the reservation was done. Absolute "wilderness"/ nothing around, with the entire area being a university. Unless you have business/ things to be done really close to the hotel, otherwise would really even suggest just staying at one of the many hotels near the airport (at least those are closer to the airports)

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