Hotels in Guilin

Most tour groups stay at the Sheraton, 15 Binjiang Rd. (tel. 0773/282-5588), which was fully refurbished last year and is obviously trying to keep up with the Waterfall. Even so, the Sheraton is still poor value if you are a walk-in guest. Smart travelers know that the Royal Garden, 186-1 Linjiang Rd. (tel. 0773/568-8888; www.glroyalgarden.com), on the opposite side of the river, is much quieter and only half the price. At the other end of the spectrum, many hostellers enjoy the friendly staff and lively communal areas of the rather difficult to find Guilin Flowers Hostel, 6 Shangzhi Lane, Block 2, South Zhongshan Rd. (tel. 0773/882-2538), but complain about the size and cleanliness of the rooms. Some are so tiny that you might break the window when you put the key in the door. A better option is the Xiao Yang Lou Hostel, 110-25, South Zhongshan Rd. (tel. 0773/516-51978), especially if you can snag one of the river facing rooms.