Guilin HeShe Lakeside Resort

The location is quiet and very peaceful. It is a few minutes walk to the Reed Flute Cave. The rooms are comfortable, spacious and well appointed, with views of the lake and mountains. They run activities most days such as yoga and tea tasting, and you can book an in-house massage. All staff are friendly and helpful, and can assist with any issue or request, such as booking tickets. This is our second time booking in here, and we loved it both times.

No issues.

Spacious room, excellent breakfast served on the hotel terrace, with wonderful views of the lake, surrounding hills and the nearby Red Flute Cave. A truly peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, with local people occasionally singing traditional Chinese songs in the nearby gazebo, creating a lovely cultural touch. The hotel also offers free laundry facilities, including a washing machine, dryer and detergent – everything you need. A wonderful bonus! Exactly the kind of tranquil getaway I was looking for.

One small observation: I had slightly higher expectations, considering the hotel is part of the HeShe chain. Cleanliness and maintenance could be improved. There was noticeable dust on the shower shelves, the flooring in the room looked quite worn, and the terrace tables were a little wobbly. These details gave certain areas a slightly neglected appearance. Not major issues, but a little disappointing given the hotel’s brand.

The view from our room was fabulous. A small mountain, with a lake right in front of it. Silent, natural and beautiful. Waking up to it every morning felt extraordinary. Truly magnificent. Highly recommend if you want somewhere calm to unwind.

N.a.

The hotel is more suitable for young couples or families with older children. We came with our toddler, and it proved difficult to settle in. For instance, breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. (7:00 a.m. at the earliest upon request). In my experience, many toddlers’ circadian rhythms set their wake-up time between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. Even when breakfast starts at 7:00, the food is not served until around 7:20. Hours of waiting can easily agitate young children. Another difficulty to consider is that, unlike more well-developed and thoughtfully designed hotels (such as the one we moved to after one night at Heshe), Heshe does not provide many kid-friendly entertainment options. It does have beautiful scenery and lovely gardens, which may reasonably appeal to mature tourists. However, the narrow, steep, and uneven pathway leading to the lake, the unprotected footpath alongside the deep water, the tea house, and the calligraphy workshop corner all contribute to a small and peaceful atmosphere suited to adults rather than young children. The curtains inside the room are more decorative than practical in terms of blocking light. By around 5:30 a.m., daylight penetrates the room, making it impossible for children to continue sleeping. Additionally, the air conditioner remote control did not work and was not effectively fixed for about 45 minutes. We had to wait for a solution for more than an hour in unbearable heat (35°C outdoor temperature).

I assume the staff might argue that they sent us messages asking about our arrival time but did not receive a response. My response would be: We were traveling with a toddler who required constant attention. It was not easy for me to frequently check Booking.com or email messages. No one mentioned in those messages that the staff needed our arrival time in order to switch on the air conditioning beforehand so the room would be cool upon arrival. We were only told this after the remote control malfunctioned, when it seemed implied that we should take responsibility for the heat. Even if the staff had switched on the air conditioning during check-in, the room temperature did not change due to the fact that the remote control was malfunctioning and the air conditioner was not working properly. Throughout the entire check-in process (around 20 minutes), none of the staff, including the person handling the air conditioner, noticed that the remote control was broken and that the air conditioning was not functioning correctly. How could we assume the same issue would not have occurred even if they had “switched it on” earlier? After we informed the front desk that we intended to check out before the end of our booking, the manager (I assume) waived our lunch charge in an attempt to persuade us to stay. After understanding her intention, we insisted on paying for the meal and rented our own car, which later proved to be a very prudent decision. Despite all of this, we are still willing to recommend the hotel to its target guests, as most of the staff were helpful and lovely. The views are also beautiful and well-suited for a romantic getaway.