Yangshuo Rivertimes Inn

There’s no elevator, so be ready to take the stairs. We had a suite with a small balcony, which was a nice extra, and views of the river and mountains from the hotel’s spot right on the riverbank. The ground-floor restaurant serves nice food, and breakfast was good too. You can choose your breakfast in advance.

The street sounds carry up to the room, including the fruit stall calling out “Papaya!” and the restaurant activity below. Our third-floor room also had mosquitoes, and there was no mini-fridge or cutlery. There’s no elevator, though staff carried our bags up at check-in, so checkout is when you need to handle them. Bring repellent. Even with those hassles, we had a pleasant stay: the balcony view was amazing, the room was beautiful, and the staff were friendly. We skipped the restaurant for street food, though it smelled great and was always full. The location was convenient.

The location worked well for walking to restaurants and bars, but the river view claim didn’t match what we saw: tall trees block the view from the hotel and rooms. There was a dead cockroach, some towels were dirty and old, and the room wasn’t cleaned very well. The shower swung between too hot and too cold. A heavy bamboo smell, a bit like urine, reached our room even on a higher floor because of the ground-floor restaurant. The place felt more focused on money than guest satisfaction, which was unlike our experience elsewhere in China, where people had gone out of their way to make our stays pleasant. Keep walking down the street with the river on your right and you’ll find two much better places to stay, though I can’t remember their names.

The reception staff were friendly and helpful, and the restaurant on the hotel's first floor served very good food at reasonable prices. It was usually full, but we never waited long. We stayed three nights, and the location was super convenient. West Street nearby was nice for strolling, shopping, or just relaxing. There are plenty of pubs with live performances, mostly Chinese songs. I’d definitely recommend staying here.