The Garden Hotel Guangzhou, WorldHotels Luxury

I am writing to share my disappointment with the service experience at Sultan Restaurant, located inside The Garden Hotel Guangzhou. My wife and I stayed at The Garden Hotel Guangzhou from 5–7 September and again from 9–12 September. On 11 September, my wife dined at Sultan Restaurant and paid the bill with a 100 RMB cash note. When she handed over the note, the cashier spent some time examining it and then took out another similar note from the cashier counter to compare with ours. We were unsure what she was checking. I explained that the RMB note was exchanged at a money changer in Singapore before our trip. The way the situation was handled made us feel uncomfortable. If there was any concern or doubt regarding the banknote, we believe it could have been handled in a more professional and discreet manner, with a clear explanation to the guest rather than creating uncertainty and discomfort. As repeat guests of The Garden Hotel Guangzhou, staying multiple times during our trip, we were also given complimentary and discount vouchers for hotel facilities and restaurants. Therefore, this experience was particularly disappointing and unexpected from a 5-star hotel restaurant. We hope the management will review this matter and provide better customer service training to ensure all guests are treated with respect, professionalism, and understanding.

My first visit to the Garden Hotel Guangzhou was in 1985, and my most recent visit was in April 2026. Remarkably, after more than 40 years, walking into the hotel lobby still gave me exactly the same feeling of being stunned and amazed as it did on my first visit. The lobby deserves a special mention. It is quite simply breathtaking. From the moment you walk through the entrance, the sheer scale, elegance and grandeur of the space are immediately striking. There is something very special about standing in that lobby — it has a sense of occasion that is increasingly rare in modern hotels. When the hotel opened in 1985, it was an exceptionally well-designed and impressive property that set a very high standard for other hotels to follow. More than four decades later, it still retains that same sense of quality, grandeur and high standards that, sadly, many modern competitors no longer seem to offer. Although the interior layout has naturally evolved over the years, the Garden Hotel has retained many of the qualities that made it special in the first place — excellent restaurants, well-appointed rooms and, above all, attentive and professional staff. My favourite restaurant is the excellent Cantonese restaurant, Lai Wan, which I cannot recommend highly enough. The food and overall experience make it a destination in its own right. For anyone visiting Guangzhou, I would highly recommend staying at the Garden Hotel. Even if you are not staying there, it is well worth visiting simply to admire the magnificent lobby and enjoy a meal at Lai Wan or one of the hotel's other excellent restaurants. A truly iconic hotel that has stood the test of time — and, in my opinion, remains one of the finest hotel properties in China and Asia.

Stayed for a couple of days. Nice hotel, cozy room, nice area. We were able to do many things around thanks to Brescia, the woman in the front desk who was very helpful and had nice suggestions. Recommended!!

‏Amna was phenomenal and super nice. She is very professional at her job. She deserves all the success and happiness. Wishing her all the best. To management. You have absolutely an amazing hard-worker. She loves what she does, and she deserves everything good. Best regards.

I was impressed with the hospitality of one of the staff her name is Emna and I would like to thank her.

I would like to give a special thanks to the best staff in the hotel her name is Emna the Tunisian for her warm welcoming and her professionalism and hospitality she helped me alot during my stay and she solved a huge problem for me. See you soon

Emna one of the best, warm and helpful

I visited LN Garden Hotel and had a wonderful experience. A special thank you to Staar, who was so welcoming and friendly. She took the time to show me around, explain the beautiful architecture and history of the hotel, and answer all of my questions. Her professionalism, knowledge, and warm personality made my visit truly enjoyable. Thank you for such excellent hospitality!

I'm currently staying at LN Garden Hotel Guangzhou and have had a wonderful experience. The staff are friendly and professional. I'd especially like to thank Staar from Guest Relations for her warm hospitality, excellent service, and genuine support. Highly recommended!

It's a good experience especially with Rescia service she is so awesome, friendly and helpful

One of the best Hotels in Guangzhou, China. Top-notch service. I wanted to plan a surprise for my partner's birthday before check-in and the hotel arranged it accordingly. They were highly cooperative and helped me arrange everything exactly the way I wanted. Especially, Brescia Villanueva, she went above and beyond to make the surprise happen. Besides the check-in staff were highly accommodating as well. All the staff communicated English which made it easier. Location is perfect because it has many halal restaurants nearby. The hotel also has in-house halal Turkish dining. Breakfast was spectacular. Rooms were spacious. I loved my stay! Looking forward to stay here again.

I had a very disappointing experience at Garden Hotel Guangzhou. During my stay, some of my electronic items were stolen from my room, and the hotel management showed no real interest in helping or taking responsibility. I also sent multiple emails afterward regarding my invoice correction request, but nobody responded and they still did not send the corrected invoice. The prices are very high compared to the service quality, and security is a serious problem. If you value your belongings and expect professional customer service, I would strongly recommend staying somewhere else.

We were a group of 9 people in Guangzhou for a business trip and we definitely made a great move by choosing Garden Hotel for our stay. It's a traditional and not very new hotel in the city but it is very well maintained and keeps a good standard. Rooms were spotless and housekeeping staff were great and very attentive. There were delicious complimentary desserts every day in our room. Breakfast had a good variety and the lobby restaurant/bar has a good ambience for some drinks after work. We used also the tennis courts that were in a very good condition. Special thanks to Gina, Chef Edgar and Vivian who were always making sure that our experience was good (from our arrival and check-in until our departure), and it was much greater because they always went the extra mile to make us feel comfortable, reassuring that we were catered properly, helping us with some reservations and always with a great attitude. We will surely come back to Garden Hotel for our next trip.

Very good hotel, Excellent location, tasty breakfast, renovated rooms, room with tub, comfy bed, good Cantonese restaurant, good gym All the basics checked and more, recommended

Verry, verry nice hotel, clean, perosnal is the best and food note 20, the best and most varied breakfast of all the hotels I ve been. Gorgeous garden, I have no words to describe this garden beauty.

Guangzhou's urban development has consistently progressed from west to east. As the formerly foreigners-only Baiyun Hotel opened to overseas guests, the area around Huanshi East Road and Taojin gradually came to life. Today, The Garden Hotel Guangzhou stands as a widely celebrated landmark, a symbol of the city's collective memory from a defining era. In the early years of China's reform and opening-up, Liao Chengzhi, then Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, invited Legislative Council member and Hysan Development Chairman James Henry Mason Lee to invest in a five-star hotel on Qingcai Gang, directly opposite the Baiyun Hotel. The cooperation also followed the BOT model. The Guangzhou side provided the land, while Lee, together with Lee Shau-kee, Kwok Tak-seng, Huang Qiu, and Yee Mou-tsun, secured funding and took charge of construction and operation. After 20 years, the hotel would be returned to state ownership. Yang Shangkun, then Vice Governor of Guangdong, laid the foundation stone, and Deng Xiaoping, then President of China, inscribed the hotel's name. However, compared to the China Hotel, the journey to create The Garden Hotel was more challenging, even reaching the brink of collapse. Initially, James Henry Mason Lee invested HK$100 million to begin construction. Shortly after work started, the project faced setbacks due to an economic downturn in Hong Kong and uncertainties surrounding the 1997 handover, leading some investors to withdraw. This resulted in a funding shortage, and even attempts to secure loans from Chinese banks were unsuccessful. For a time, construction was forced to halt. Later, with coordination and support from the Guangzhou authorities, bank loans were finally secured, allowing construction to resume. Just as work restarted, James Henry Mason Lee passed away suddenly in 1983, leaving the project leaderless. After discussions between Lee's wife and Chinese representatives, Mrs. Lee agreed to take over as Chairman of The Garden Hotel, shouldering the responsibility of resolving the financial crisis. Through persistent efforts, The Garden Hotel finally opened in August 1985, becoming a beacon for Guangzhou and the national hospitality industry. With the completion of The Garden Hotel, the Taojin business district entered its golden age. Guangzhou Friendship Store and Lippo Plaza moved in, together forming the city's first true luxury shopping hub. High-end brands gathered here, with labels like Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, and Cartier, as well as top watchmakers such as Vacheron Constantin, Piaget, and Chopard, opening counters or flagship stores. Taojin became the heart of South China's luxury retail landscape. Even before the hotel was fully completed, the Japanese Consulate-General was the first to move into the office tower. Subsequently, consular offices from various countries, including the Cultural Office of the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou, set up operations here, making The Garden Hotel the most concentrated location for consulates in Guangzhou at the time. Multinational corporations like HSBC also established offices, further solidifying its role as a center for international exchange and business. Although some consulates have since relocated, the consulates of Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka remain in the hotel today, making it, alongside Zhujiang New Town, the hotel with the highest concentration of consulates in Guangzhou. The architectural design of The Garden Hotel's exterior was created by the Chinese-American master architect I. M. Pei. This is the only work in his hometown by this world-renowned architect, who was born in Guangzhou. Pei designed a distinctive arched canopy for the main entrance, featuring an interlocking metal grid with glass bricks set into each section. Sunlight or artificial light refracts through the glass, creating a shimmering, radiant effect. The main structural design was carried out by Hong Kong architect Szeto Wai, appointed by Pei. Building on Pei's modernist style, the hotel features two Y-shaped towers inspired by the kapok flower. The Y-shape not only symbolizes “youth” and hope but also maximizes room capacity, provides expansive views, and achieves an efficient, compact layout. For management, James Henry Mason Lee initially planned for his own Lee Gardens Hotel team to take charge. However, after the success of The Peninsula Hotel's management of the Jianguo Hotel in Beijing, he reconsidered and entrusted The Peninsula Group with the operation just before opening. What remains most memorable is the transitional concierge lounge in the hotel's front area. Its low ceiling creates an intimate, serene welcome atmosphere, with colorful beams shimmering in the light. Passing through this space, guests step into the grand, soaring lobby—a sudden expansion that delivers striking visual impact. This progression from restrained to expansive mirrors the subtlety and grandeur of traditional Eastern hospitality. Four decades on, The Garden Hotel still stands tall, retaining its dignified presence. Its lobby remains the largest hotel lobby in China at the time of its opening, and the 3,800-square-meter space continues to inspire awe. The golden murals in the lobby, as radiant as ever, are led by the magnificent “Dream of the Red Chamber—Grand View Garden” mural facing the front desk. Inlaid with over 200,000 gold leaf pieces, it is the hotel's most recognizable visual symbol. Above the center of the lobby ceiling hangs the largest “Golden Dragons Playing with a Pearl” caisson in Guangdong Province. Meticulously crafted in the style of ancient Chinese palace ceilings, it is majestic and ornate, embodying the beauty of Eastern ceremonial aesthetics. Every year-end, the Christmas tree in The Garden Hotel's lobby lights up as scheduled. For years, it has been the tallest and most majestic tree in the hearts of longtime Guangzhou residents. Visiting The Garden Hotel became an essential ritual for locals during Chinese New Year and Christmas—not just to witness the spectacle, but to reconnect with the memories of that era. True to its name, the hotel is surrounded by lush greenery, with a total garden landscape of 21,000 square meters and a green coverage rate exceeding 50%. In the rear garden, an 18-meter-tall two-tiered waterfall cascades down, its gentle sound complementing the Lingnan-style pavilions, waterside terraces, winding paths, and corridors. This achieves the vision of “a hotel within a garden, a garden within a hotel.” This building, envisioned by Pei, realized by Szeto Wai, managed by The Peninsula, and borne aloft by the tides of its time, is far more than just a hotel. It is a capsule of memories for Guangzhou's 80s and 90s generation.

We had a very enjoyable and excellent stay. The hotel was most impressive. Mandy the “tour guide” for the hotel took us for a guided tour of the hotel AND the hotel museum. Mandy was exceptional - very professional, patient and friendly. We learned a lot about the hotel from her…. We were most impressed by her knowledge… Aakriti from the Garden Lounge was very nice. She was a trainee from Nepal. Rita from Concierge was helpful too. And Betty from Reception too.

The hotel is very clean l, all the staff are friendly and accommodating. The hotel is very accessible as well to international shops and restaurants. The in -House dining especially the breakfast buffet have a lot of options. The housekeeping staff is amazing, very well organized. They clean the room even though the house keeping switch isnt turned on. Special mention to Shailendra Ranabhat from the HK team, his attention to detail is very much appreciated. This hotel is highly recommended for people who have business in the area.

The hotel has great facilities, friendly concierge staff, and very clean rooms. Unfortunately, a driver from the hotel gate cheated us. I reported it to the duty manager with the driver's photo and car plate, but although he apologized, he didn't offer any real help. Overall, the hotel is nice, but reception should better inform guests about the facilities at check-in.

My first trip to Guangzhou and my first stay in LN Garden Hotel. Beautiful suite room! Had my breakfast at Carousel, 30th Floor, revolving restaurant. Service was great and ample variety of food offered. The Restaurant downstairs is named Waterfall as there is a beautiful garden and of course amazing waterfall! Great experience for me, great service from staff! The number 1 hotel to stay if you are visiting this beautiful city of Guangzhou! If you plan to stay here, ask for Gina, Guest Service Manager, Joceline, Concierge or Melvin Teoh, Director of Operations who will ensure that you truly enjoy your stay!

"I stayed at LN Garden Hotel from July 1-4. The location wasn't ideal for me, but the hotel exceeded my expectations in other aspects. The room was clean, comfortable, and spacious, despite the slightly outdated bathroom fixtures. The hotel's ambiance was elegant and grand, which surprised me given its 40-year history still feels luxurious. I had wanted to stay here 20 years ago, but the location didn't fit my needs back then. This time, I finally got the chance, and I was thoroughly satisfied with the service. From check-in handled by Ms. Winnie Xiau Wei to the friendly and helpful staff throughout the hotel, everything was top-notch. The Chinese restaurant in the hotel offered high-quality food with a 25% discount for guests, and the operator, Ms. Gillien, was very friendly and allowed me a late check-out until 2 PM. This gave me time to enjoy lunch at Lai Wan Market. The concierge service was professional and handled my packages efficiently. What made my stay even better was the reasonable price. I'll definitely come back and recommend this hotel to friends. Next time, I'll bring my friends to stay at LN Garden Hotel again

It's a luxurious and well designed hotel with a charming and welcoming staff. The room service is top notch, the buffet service is top class and the facilities are enormous. From gym, spa and others, you can tell this hotel is one of the best in China.

Large and one of the oldest hotels in Guangzhou. Very grand and due to the Canton Fair going on it was super crowded. But this did not affect their service, must say excellent service from the concierge to the reception desk. Comfortable rooms although a bit confusing layout of the corridors but there was someone always there in front of the elevators to guide you. Good breakfast with a live egg station. Overall a good experience.

The customer service from this gentleman is exceptional. Joshua Khoo was meant for the hospitality business. I'm in customer service having worked in the aviation sector for 14 years now . Keep recruiting individuals who are passionate about their work and do not discriminate any customer. Mr Khoo thank you for your service. I truly appreciate you. You made me feel special at breakfast

Excellent hospitality and attention to detail is what they are about. Right from the way they open the door for you, their beautiful rooms with all you need and their lovely meals. I wish to compliment Housekeeper ELAS who even went the extra step of polishing my shoes, while cleaning my room, and leaving me a sweet note welcoming me to the hotel. Bless you Elas - I was so touched. Thanks.