First look: Doubletree by Hilton Guangzhou
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific recently stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton Guangzhou property.
The hotel opened at the end of December last year, in the Yuexiu district – an area containing government offices, law firms and retail companies.
In terms of connectivity, Guangzhou East Railway station is around a ten-minute drive while Guangzhou Baiyun International airport is 45 minutes away. Guangzhou Exchange Square and Sino Trade Centre are within walking distance.
There are 301 guestrooms, including 25 suites, taking up the 25th to 41st floor. We stayed in a 39sqm Guest Room (the smallest category on offer), which was adequate although not particularly roomy. The room has ample power sockets, particularly in the wall behind the work desk, under the 40-inch TV, and by the bedside. The desk is spacious and the table lamp can be adjusted to three degrees of brightness.
Guest room
Work desk
Socket under TV
Socket at bedside
In-room wifi is available for all guests and conveniently stores log in details, so if users shut down their laptops or tablets to go for an appointment outside the hotel, the system automatically remembers guests when they return and there is no need to login again.
The room temperature was comfortable thanks to an automatic climate control setting, whereby the system subtly self-adjusts the temperature according to the room condition. There is also the option to manually set the temperature if you prefer.
In the bathroom, another LCD TV can be found at the front of the bathtub so guests can enjoy bathing in Crabtree & Evelyn products while catching up with the news or a movie.
TV in bathroom
Bath kit from Crabtree & Evelyn
Bath kit from Crabtree & Evelyn
There are three restaurants and two bars. Open is an all-day dining restaurant with chefs preparing food in the open kitchen. Signature dishes include the Open beef burger and Hainanese chicken rice. Alternatively, Dong Yuan Chinese restaurant specializes in local Chaozhou cuisine with 11 private dining rooms available, while Nodu is a noodle and dumpling restaurant.
For a lighter bite, the Canton Lounge & Bar offers all-day refreshments, cocktails and beers with live music every night, while the Barista Bar features coffee, teas, juices and ham, cheese and pastries. If you are in a rush, there is a Grab & Go counter with freshly-baked takeaway items such as pastries, cupcakes and cookies.
Open restaurant
Food from Open restaurant
For MICE facilities, there are seven meeting rooms that cater up to 700 guests. The boardroom in the executive lounge can accommodate 20 guests and is equipped with wifi, LED projectors and audio-visual equipment. There is also a 430sqm Yuexiu ballroom with capacity of up to 270 for banquets, or theatre-style seating for up to 400. The 8th floor outdoor terrace pool deck is also available for an outdoor BBQ or cocktail reception for up to 80 guests.
The executive lounge, on the 39th floor, is equipped with two computers and offers refreshments. The business centre, open daily from 7am to 7pm, provides printing, copying, facsimile, typing and secretarial services.
Computers at the lounge
Refreshment at the lounge
Recreational facilities include a spa, with treatments ranging from traditional Chinese foot reflexology to rejuvenation pampering, a 20-metre long swimming equipped with water massage beds, a fitness centre with yoga room, plus a chess room, snooker room and mah-jong room.
Swimming pool
You can find feng shui elements everywhere in the hotel, whether its the cotton tree and water fountain at the entrance, the wooden goddess at reception, or the flower and cloud pattern on the floor and the wall. While we aren’t entirely sure what each aspect means, we’ve been told it brings good fortune to the hotel and guests.
Wooden goddess at the reception
Cloud decoration
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific interviewed Chris Roberts, general manager of the property about the local area. He commented that Guangzhou is booming, particularly in the export of domestic products.
Though more and more hotels are springing up in the city, he pointed out that they are mostly centred in the Tianhe District and so are not in direct competition with the Doubletree by Hilton Guangzhou.
Roberts also revealed the hotel group's plan for China over the next few years is to focus heavily on middle-tier hotels, and it is planning to develop the Hilton Garden Inn brand across the country.
Visit doubletree3.hilton.com
Valerian Ho
