Outstanding in all respects

We stayed in the White Swan for almost 2 weeks with our kids that were adopting a baby in China. It was a truly outstanding hotel. Room excellent[a bit small but fine], service outstanding and food very good. I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Guangzhou.

Truly the Worlds Leading Hotel!

I just recently stayed at the White Swan Hotel and it is hands down THE BEST hotel I've ever stayed at. The services there was extordinary and far beyond my exceptation. Everyone there was so nice and willing to help. I HIGHLY recommend staying at the White Swan---you won't be disappointed and you'll understand why I recommend this hotel. Beautiful rooms, excellent service, and a great price---what more can you ask for?

The White Swan was nice!

The White Swan was beautiful. The hotel was very clean, our Executive Suite was beautifully appointed, and the service was impecable. If anything, we found the service became a bit much after the first few days of our stay. Sometimes, our room was made up more than once in one day. Overall, our every need was met, and although it is pricey, we found it worth the money.

White Swan - Great Service

White Swan is excellent in all areas. Rooms are well appointed, bars and restaurants are first rate with a wide variety of foods. Situated in the old foreign quarter of Guangdong, the White Swam is loacted on an island which is very secure and one can walk the river front or local streets in complete security and comfort. The only draw-back, White Swan is not central located but this is part of the hotels offering to the international traveller. Prices inside the hotel are high, for all foods and services, for every block you walk from the hotel, prices are reduced.

I have stayed at the hotel three (3) times in the past 12 months and have not be dissappointed by the White Swan Hotel.

Better Then Most

I agree with one of the other posters: the food is expensive. But, don't forget that you're in this beautiful enclave known as Shaiman Island. With wonderful and MUCH less expensive places within a five minute walk. Lucy's down the street and the noodle shop right outside the front door were great. Loved the pool. They definitely cater to the adoption crowd and we made use of the game room that was as nice as any day care center I'd ever seen. FYI: the shop across the street that has the "going out of business" sign? That's a ploy. They've been going out of business for ten years. We did treat ourselves to an opulent, expensive and delicious last night's dinner in the main restaurant with BEAUTIFUL night-time views of the Pearl River. A nice way to end an arduous journey.

Great place to stay for a special treat

This is a very nice place to stay if you want to insulate yourself from Guangzhou. The hotel is nice, staff is accomodating. Rooms are very nice. It is pricey, though.

The locals call it the Baby Garden, because of all the people staying there to buy/adopt babies and that is a little disconcerting.

But it is a nice place to stay if you want a treat. The restuarants are good, but expensive and there are plenty better in the city. Shamian is a nice little enclave from the hustle and crowds of Guangzhou. And you risk your life every time you cross the street.

A pleasant stay

The White Swan is one of the best hotels I've stayed at in southern China. My last visit was September 1999, and although some parts of the hotel are mid-80's, it's still a luxurious hotel with excellent access to the rest of the city. Surrounding hotel is the old factory section that's more like old Europe than the dichotomy of modernism and shacktown-ness of Canton.

Rooms are serviced as soon as you leave the room, and the understated inlay furniture and chinese artwork make this a pleasant stay, but be sure to upgrade from their basic room packages. Believe it or not, the locals still use squat toilets in their homes, so its a nice retreat to come back to after a day of chaotic traffic, pollution, and searing city humidity.

Guards keep the city riff raff out, and the amenities are modern. The locals line up hours for dim sum, but hotel guests go to the front of the line, a nice touch.

If you need to buy anything, try to avoid the shops inside. Considering a nightly stay costs as much as a local's monthly income, there's no reason to pay retail.

The White Swan is is now an ugly duckling

During November, 1992 I stayed at the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou and thought it was a grand and beautiful hotel. In March, 2004, I returned to the White Swan and found it to be a fading beauty in dire need of a makeover. At the present time, the White Swan is living on its reputation as a great beauty. It is sorely in need of better maintenance and a facelift. In my recent visit I was appalled by the fading white stucco facade of the building exterior. The tall marble lobby with the cascading waterfall that enchanted me in 1992 looks dated today.

Nice, but not great

We stayed here in November 2003 to adopt our daughter. The rooms are nice but not great. I was disappointed because of the wonderful things I had heard about the service at the White Swan. I didn't think it was better than the average three star hotels in the United States. My one issue was the crib latch didn't properly work. They didn't replace the crib, but taught us how to rig it closed. It wasn't good that we couldn't lower it to put our daughter in the crib because my wife has back problems.