A great example of a luxury Chinese hotel, this hotel was built in the 1980s by a consortium of government and private investors. It has until recently been the premier hotel in Guangzhou. Conveniently located in the original city center, 35 kms from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, the hotel was awarded the Platinum Five-Star Award issued by the China National Tourism Administration in 2007, one of only three hotels in China to receive this award.
The enormous lobby is meant to impress and it does. The monumental ornate design is classical Chinese. A beautiful marble painting depicts "The Dream of the Red Chamber" with over two kilos of gold foil. Other decorative elements in the lobby include a beautiful wooden spiral staircase and many works of classic Oriental art. Beyond the massive lobby there is a Chinese-style garden with a waterfall, wooden bridge and other decorative elements. The staff speaks English and is able to handle enquiries efficiently.
The lobby-level Cascade Cafe offers light snacks all day; the breakfast-only Lotus Pond serves from 9 am until 1 pm; a Tea Lounge offers coffees, pastries, and tea; and the Tavern Bar is the hotel's homage to
an English Pub. On the second floor Cantonese snacks are served all day in the Lai Wan Restaurant, while Japanese cuisine is on offer for lunch and dinner in the Furusato Restaurant. The third floor houses Peach Blossom, the hotel's Chinese restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and Connoisseur, a formal dining room featuring French and Continental dishes for dinner only. The Roof Garden on the fourth floor has a health food outlet called Long Life which is open for lunch and dinner. Finally on the 30th floor, the Carousel Buffet offers Western breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet-style with a view.
A variety of leisure amenities include an outdoor swimming pool (closed in winter); a children's pool; gymnasium (operates 24 hours a day); steam and sauna rooms; and tennis and squash courts. An outlet of the famed Angsana Spa is on the fourth floor. The spa has 13 treatment rooms with signature "high-touch, low-tech" services using fresh botanicals. Other facilities and services on-site include a hair salon, medical center, post office, travel agent and bank, high end retail outlets, and concierge services such as limo and tour services.
Extensive meeting 
facilities accommodate 1,200 theater-style or up to 85 banquet tables featuring an LCD projector in the largest facility, the Garden Ballroom, multimedia projector, overhead projector, slide projector, portable simultaneous interpretation system, wireless microphones and video recorder with TV. The business center located on the third floor is open from 7 am until 11 pm. The hotel offers shuttle services from the Guangzhou Baiyun Airport as well as the railway station.
Guest rooms are a mixed bag depending on the renovation date. Superior rooms are in the process of being renovated. They feature cable and satellite box-style TVs with 30 channels, high-speed wireless Internet access (free) and in-room safes. The bland decor is pleasant but could use a facelift.
Elite Rooms are the same size but have undergone renovation and feature a more contemporary decor as well as a mini sound box. Mattresses in these rooms are extra firm as suits the Asian tastes.
Generously sized deluxe rooms feature a sitting area and extra features such as 
coffeemakers and DVD and CD players.
Executive level rooms are the same size but offer Executive Floor benefits which include buffet breakfast, afternoon tea and cocktails, complimentary use of Executive Floor meeting room for two hours daily, complimentary shuttle service to the airport or train station and complimentary laundry service.
Rooms on the lower floors tend to be noisy form traffic and construction. Room service and butler service runs 24 hours. Thirteen floors are smoke-free and there are two handicap accessible rooms.
The Garden Hotel is a fine property that has held up very well overall. Its beautiful public facilities and location have kept this hotel a favorite for over 20 years. With the growing competition from newer hotels like the Westin, Shangri-La, Ritz Carlton and Hyatt they will have to work hard to keep their loyal clientele but the tried-and-true staff seems up to the job.
