Where to stay in Guilin & Yangshuo
Written by China On Arrival Editorial Desk · Research basis: Editor research, fact-checked, last verified 2026-09-29 · Prices are tiers, not quotes — live rates on Trip.com · double-check = reconfirm foreigner booking before paying
The short answer
Elephant Trunk Hill & Two Rivers Four Lakes (象鼻山 / 两江四湖 / 杉湖北路) is the default first-timer base. Karst scenery on the Li River; Yangshuo's countryside is China's most rewarding slow-travel region.
Elephant Trunk Hill & Two Rivers Four Lakes 象鼻山 / 两江四湖 / 杉湖北路
| Hotel | Tier | Why it works | The honest trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn Express Guilin City Center桂林中心智选假日酒店 30 Yiren Rd — walk to Elephant Trunk Hill, the Li River and the central square | Under ¥300 double-check | IHG Express in the old core; free laundry and a made-to-order rice-noodle breakfast | no pool; street-side rooms run noisy (pick the rear) |
| Lijiang Waterfall Hotel桂林漓江大瀑布饭店 1 Shanhu North Rd — 100m to the lakes, 290m to Elephant Trunk Hill | Under ¥600 | details being verified | some corridor-facing windows; hardware aging |
| Sheraton Guilin Hotel桂林喜来登饭店 15 Binjiang Rd, on the Li River, 200m to Zhengyang street | Under ¥600 | the international brand in the river-front C-position; 408 renovated rooms | a 1998 build; soundproofing average |
Old Town (Central Square & Zhengyang Street) 中心广场 / 正阳步行街 / 东西巷（十字街是旧称）
| Hotel | Tier | Why it works | The honest trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| JI Hotel (Guilin Elephant Trunk Hill Jiefang Bridge)全季酒店（桂林象鼻山景区解放桥店） 48 Qixia Rd | Under ¥600 double-check | the city's best-rated JI (4.9 from 2,189) | large gap between low- and high-season rates |
Yangshuo (West Street area) 阳朔西街 / 荆凤路一带
| Hotel | Tier | Why it works | The honest trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| New West Street International Resort Hotel阳朔新西街国际度假酒店 33 Jinfeng Rd, 1.5km from West Street, free shuttle | Under ¥600 | 60 acres of gardens, a pool and tennis — the family resort of the karst side | shuttle-dependent; the older wing only refreshed in 2025 |
| Yangshuo Sugar House阳朔糖舍度假酒店 102 Dongling Rd, 2.4-3.4km from West Street | ¥1000+ | a 1960s sugar mill rebuilt by Vector Architects; a Michelin-listed restaurant (independently run since 2020 — no longer an Alila) | taxi-only to West Street; big seasonal swings |
Who should not stay where
- If karst scenery is the whole trip, skip Guilin hotels entirely and go straight to Yangshuo.
- Light sleepers should not book mid-West-Street in Yangshuo — the bar street runs to 2am; families do better with the garden resorts.
- Guilin has no metro — all positioning here is walking-distance logic, bus lines fill the gaps.
- West Street's party strip and the tea-houses of the old town are 25 minutes apart by high-speed rail — many travelers sleep in only one of them.
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