Staying at the Dongfang Hotel in Guangzhou, China

Dongfang Hotel, in Guangzhou. Photo / Supplied

Winston Aldworth checks into the Dongfang Hotel in Guangzhou.

Check-in experience: Arriving on the overnight flight from Auckland, we walked into the hotel's foyer at around 6am. The place was eerie and dark with the low light adding an exotic depth to the cool central tree and gold reliefs on the walls — a mighty impact.

We were upstairs and into our rooms pretty swiftly.

Room: We took 2537 and packed our two kids off to their own room a few doors down the hallway.

Service: The front desk staff were fine with English-speaking guests, but there were occasional hiccups when communicating with other staff.

What's in the neighbourhood? Two McDonald's, a Burger King, a Starbucks and a 7/11.

But fear not, we also wandered into a dim sum restaurant serving the best dumplings I've ever tasted — two adults and two kids dined well for about $30.

A 10-minute walk gets you to the Nanyue King Mausoleum, an excavated site displaying the burial chamber and loot of a local king who died more than 2000 years ago. Really cool stuff — though not for the three concubines and staff of chefs and musicians who were buried with him.

The hotel's proximity to some of the city's great tourist sites (a Sun Yat Sen museum is down the way, and the beautiful Yuexiu Park, home to the moderately famous Five Rams Statue is nearby) is a big drawcard.

Wear and tear: This is one of the oldest and grandest hotels in the city, and historic photos of its exterior and impressive foyer dot the walls. But there are definite signs of the amount of custom the place has had — a little crack in a wall here, chipped skirting board there.

Exercise: There's a small, functional gym and a huge outdoor pool, the use of which requires wearing a swimming cap. The one I bought on site made my head look like it was ensconced in a large black condom (see p3). Yuexiu Park is great for joggers.
Online: dongfanghotelguangzhou.com

Final word: A fine stopover point for your next European longhaul.