Renewal for Guangzhou's renowned Garden Hotel

Recently renovated landmark property is one of only three platinum five-star hotels in the nation, Xu Jingxi reports from Guangzhou

General Manager Franco Io has marveled at the large gold-foil and marble mural in the lobby from the very first time he walked into the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou.

Recapturing the glamour of 12 beauties in the ancient land of Jinling as depicted in the classic Chinese opus Dream of the Red Chamber, the mural makes a memorable statement about the hotel's cultural roots.

It left a greater impression on Io than all the chandeliers and oil paintings commonly seen in other five-star hotels.

When it opened in 1985, the Garden Hotel was one of the first five-star properties in the capital of Guangdong province.

It is honored by the national tourism administration as one of only three platinum five-star hotels in the country. It is renowned for its fascinating showcase of Cantonese cultural heritage and the personalized service with attention to details provided by its experienced staff.

Opposite the gold-foil mural is a white mural depicting the waterscape and lifestyle of people living along the rivers in Guangdong.

The hotel's 10,000-square-meter back garden has frescos, rockeries, an 18-meter-high man-made waterfall, pavilions and greenery.

The delicate arrangement is a representation of the gardens of the so-called Lingnan area, which covers today's Guangdong and Hainan provinces, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Hong Kong and Macao.

Restaurants in the hotel are among fans of Cantonese cuisine, including the Peach Blossom modeled on another great Chinese classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, with two murals depicting scenes from the novel at the entrance.

Another of the hotel's restaurants, Lai Wan Market, uses litchi and banyan trees, sampans and food stalls to reproduce a night market scene where foodies can enjoy a variety of dim sum.

It has become a family tradition for some locals to spend weekend mornings in Lai Wan Market, eating dim sum and sipping tea, says Io, a savvy hotel industry veteran who was appointed general manager at the Garden Hotel last year.

"Just as wine deepens with aging, the flavor of the Garden Hotel becomes richer as time goes by, carrying the memories of the customers it has received over the past 30 years," he says.

"Only a hotel with a long history like the Garden Hotel can carry on its connection with customers from generation to generation."

He notes it is "interesting and can be emotional" to host your wedding in the same ballroom where your parents were wedded 30 years before.

"We are proud of but not locked into the glory of our past. We will keep on innovating and upgrading our facilities and services," Io said.

"The Garden Hotel will celebrate its 30th birthday in the coming year and I consider it the start of the next 30 years. With the experience, we will make new achievements."

The 300 newly refurbished Premier Rooms unveiled in October are part of the hotel's big upgrade of facilities.

The design of the new rooms is full of details reminiscent of the area's Lingnan heritage - pendant lamps put inside birdcages, Guangzhou porcelain plates and ink paintings - completed with 21st century technology.

To enhance the sense of style and quality, the rooms are furnished with smart, contemporary fittings including a screen shared between mobile devices and the TV, and an eco-friendly air purifier.

"New five-star hotels are springing up in Guangzhou and we need to upgrade our facilities to provide state-of-the-art products to maintain our competitiveness," Io said.

The Premier Rooms were opened in time to attract participants in the autumn session of the annual China Import and Export Fair, or Canton Fair as it is known.

Located in the heart of Guangzhou, the Garden Hotel has always been a popular destination for business visitors because of its easy access to the city's transportation system.

It is a stop on the shuttle bus between the urban area and the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and for the express buses to and from Hong Kong and Macao. The Taojin Metro Station is at the entrance to the hotel's front garden and it is only two metro stops from the Guangzhou Railway Station.

The Garden Hotel is in the business district on Huanshidong Road, where shopping malls and restaurants serving exotic cuisines provide recreation.

"The Garden Hotel is growing as the Huanshidong business district develops," Io said. "We will continue to support the development of Huanshidong community."

Sophisticated service

The hotel has been a low-profile but dedicated participant in community charity services. It has been a tradition of more than 10 years for the hotel to invite a group of children from orphanages in the city to attend its Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

A 42-year-old nurse from Nashville in the United States, who asked to be identified as just Stephanie, was staying at the hotel for a second time. She and her husband watched the lighting ceremony together their children on Dec 5 last year.

"The room is spacious and the staff are kind and accommodating," she told China Daily.

"They gave us gift bags for our children and tourist booklets so we could take the kids on a tour around town before we took them to our country."

Contact the writer at xujingxi@chinadaily.com.cn