Alila Yangshuo — Guilin, China

While China is not exactly short of a good hotel these days, we can think of at least two reasons to visit Alila Yangshuo. First, is its heritage home within a disused sugar mill and second, is its flawless location – an hour south from the well-worn tourist paths of Guilin– in a remarkably serene slice of countryside.
Embraced by the curve of the Li River, among the region’s dramatic tableau of soaring mountains, deep river-cut valleys and antique villages, the cluster of 1960s buildings have been rescued, restored and revived by Beijing-based Vector Architects and interior firm Horizontal Space Design into a total knockout: a series of lofty public spaces and 177 suites unravel over original brickwork, subtly lit exposed beams and an understated new build that slots seamlessly into its surroundings.
Here, perforated cement screens cast a dappled light onto a clean, tactile interior of recycled timber and a mix of contemporary furnishings – mostly by Chinese designers – from low-slung leather benches by Shanghai-based Maxmarko to PINWU Studio’s layered rice paper and beech wood bucket chairs and colourful paint-splattered coffee tables.
Once a sleepy fishing village, visitors these days come to Yangshuo to explore the wooded glens, rock climb or to simply gaze up at the impressive surrounding peaks. At Alila this is all done in between indulging at the subterranean spa, inspired by the region’s caves, where traditional treatments use ingredients such as local black sugar; grazing on the expertly prepared Chinese and western offerings at Sugar House Restaurant; or sipping on poolside rum cocktails – straight from the hotel’s own distillery – against an evocative backdrop of bamboo-swathed hills and a speckle of cormorant fishermen drifting silently along the meandering river.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Black 11, No, 102, Dongling Street, Yangshuo Town
Lauren Ho is the Travel Director of Wallpaper*, roaming the globe, writing extensively about luxury travel, architecture and design for both the magazine and the website. Lauren serves as the European Academy Chair for the World's 50 Best Hotels.
-
Ed Atkins confronts death at Tate Britain
In his new London exhibition, the artist prods at the limits of existence through digital and physical works, including a film starring Toby Jones
By Emily Steer Published
-
This new furniture showroom is our dream New York loft
Designer Josh Greene designs a jewel-toned New York oasis for L.A. based favourite, Lawson-Fenning
By Anna Fixsen Published
-
Piaget’s new Sixtie watches recall a glamorous history at Watches and Wonders 2025
Piaget draws on historical codes with the trapeze-shaped Sixtie watch collection, revealed at Watches and Wonders 2025
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Prada and Wong Kar-wai dream up a cinematic restaurant in Shanghai
Prada partners with Wong Kar-wai to bring Mi Shang Rong Zhai to life, a dining experience influenced by the arthouse director’s seminal oeuvre
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Enjoy heritage views and contemporary brews at a new Beijing café
JM Café, White Pagoda Temple by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio nods to the history of the Xicheng District while injecting a shot of vitality
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillity
Alila Shanghai, the brand's first urban resort in Greater China, is a serene bolthole amidst the pulse of the Jing'an district
By Daven Wu Published
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Travel back to the Ming dynasty at Beijing’s new Mandarin Oriental hotel
Mandarin Oriental Qianmen merges traditional culture with contemporary needs in a 600-year-old historical building complex
By Kee Foong Published
-
Inside Palazzo Versace Macau, a lavish, mosaic-rich hotel
Palazzo Versace Macau, the brand’s first hotel in Asia, continues to preserve Donatella Versace’s swanky hospitality vision
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
'Retreat and recharge' in Yanbai Villa on a secluded Beijing shoreline
Yanbai Villa wraps guests in quiet luxury, opening its doors on a secluded Beijing shoreline
By Daven Wu Published