Southern Airlines Pearl Airport Hotel

The rooms are beautiful, but the internet is awful for overseas travel and getting connected is complicated. Staff couldn’t help us, and some didn’t seem genuinely happy to. They couldn’t even speak basic English.

There were bugs and flies everywhere, and getting on the airport shuttle felt like a battle royale because people here apparently haven’t discovered lines yet. The included buffet was a joke, just four trays of cold food that looked like leftovers from the proper buffet beside it. You can’t use a credit card anywhere, and the nearest ATM is back at the airport. I ended up here because my flight was cancelled, not by choice. The room was OK, but the service was garbage. The employees seemed like teenagers who had no idea what was going on. They were sitting at the front desk on TikTok while I tried to get their attention. I guess writing a review isn’t worth much since you probably didn’t choose to end up here either, but here it is.

There isn’t much to see or do nearby, though the hotel is very close to the airport and makes for a quick transfer. Staying in the main city area would mean about an hour’s travel instead. I was here through China Southern’s overnight hotel layover program. The rooms smelled strongly of smoke and felt outdated. Staff were polite enough, but slow to follow their own procedure.

There’s no pool, and the gym is tiny and always packed. The hotel offers few foreign food choices, and the staff don’t speak English. It’s far from sights, shops, and restaurants, and hard to get to them, so you feel stuck here. The hotel used to be a COVID lockdown center for travelers. I didn’t come by choice, and hope I won’t have to come back.