When the taxi pulled up at Oakwood Premier in Guangzhou we couldn’t have been more grateful for their generous offer of hosting us. After navigating the Chinese immigration at the Guangzhou train station, undergoing a border health check for a feverish child and shivering in our summer clothes in the drizzly +13ºC roadside waiting for a taxi, we were ready to call it a day.
Our two-bedroom apartment was huge, with two bathrooms and a modern kitchenette. The kids were sold when they realised there is a television above the bath tub – you can guess where they spent their evening. The adults appreciated the ultra comfy mattresses, luxurious bedding, high-end toiletries and free wifi.
Those beds were so comfortable! Drinking water in the fridge and the daily fruit basket were a great touch.
Food at Oakwood Premier in Guangzhou
Since we were only passing by, we didn’t make use of the kitchen, but ordered food from the room service on both nights since our youngest was still not feeling 100% and it was pouring outside. The food was tasty and fairly priced, and arrived at sonic speed forcing the kids out of their bath cum cinema way too early – from their perspective.
The breakfast was a mix of Western and Asian dishes, with a good variety. It is served in the restaurant, which has nice views over the leafy avenues of Tianhe neighbourhood.
The staff at the reception made our stay very easy in a country that was all new and confusing to us. They spoke perfect English and tirelessly answered my silly questions, gave good advise and filled in these fantastic cards that made taking taxis a breeze.
Although a journey away from many of the sights, the hotel is near two metro stations, and many shopping centres. With my shopping list of warm jumpers and long trousers I headed across the road to Tianhe Mall just to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of this mall – and the fairly upmarket prizes. I accidentally ventured to the basement floor and to my surprise found a labyrinth of tiny shops selling clothes that looked like factory samples and old stock – just what I needed. (Note that you can’t use a foreign credit card in these shops.)
The views from our room are very cool, she said. Well, she whispered – the laryngitis, remember.
The swimming pool looked great but thanks to the weather we didn’t go anywhere near it. Families with toddlers would be pleased with this tidy and light play room:
In a nutshell Oakwood Premier, although obviously a business hotel, is a great choice for families looking for a a bit of luxury and and a relaxed place to stay without an exorbitant price tag. The facilities are great for those staying in town longer.
Read the post on what we did with the kids in Guangzhou here.
We stayed in Oakwood Premier for free but were not financially compensated for writing this post. All opinions in this post are our own.
3 Responses
Hotel looks decent. Not so fond of those polluted skies though.
Ah indeed. The weather was so cold and drizzly that we didn’t pay much attention to the gray skies but yes, it does look gloomy and polluted – and probably is.