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White Swan Hotel

No.1 Shamian South Street, Guangzhou 510133 China
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Traveler (524)
Room & Suite (196)
Dining (59)

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About

#18 of 1,894 hotels in Guangzhou
Location
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Service
Value
Majestically overlooking the scenic Pearl River from its location on historic Shamian Island, the White Swan Hotel is an oasis of tranquility amid the hustle and bustle of the city. As a welcoming entrance, the impressive Atrium lobby is an indoor microcosm of the lush landscapes of Southern China with a cascading waterfall over spectacular rockery. First opened in 1983, the White Swan Guangzhou is one of the most recognized five star luxury hotels in China. Over the years, the hotel has received many heads of states, including Queen Elizabeth II, and is renowned for extending exceptional service to every guest. As White Swan Hotel is newly renovated, the hotel in Guangzhou features 520 luxurious rooms and suites, over 2500 square meters of well appointed meeting and conference space, a two-level fitness center, a heated outdoor pool, an exclusive Spa sanctuary, designer shops, and a variety of excellent restaurants, bars and lounges.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Bicycles available
Aerobics
Books, DVDs, music for children
Electric vehicle charging station
Paid public parking nearby
Wifi
Hot tub
Swimming pool toys
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Heated pool
Yoga classes
Yoga room
Fitness / spa locker rooms
Fitness classes
Personal trainer
Sauna
Coffee shop
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast in the room
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Complimentary welcome drink
Happy hour
Snack bar
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Aerobics offsite
Bicycle tours
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Karaoke
Patio
Table tennis
Tennis court offsite
Walking tours
Nightclub / DJ
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Airport transportation
Shuttle bus service
Car hire
Taxi service
Business Center with Internet Access
Conference facilities
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Photo copier / fax In business center
Spa
Couples massage
Facial treatments
Foot massage
Full body massage
Hand massage
Head massage
Massage
Neck massage
Salon
Rooftop terrace
24-hour security
Baggage storage
Concierge
Convenience store
Executive lounge access
Gift shop
Newspaper
Shared bathroom
Shared lounge / TV area
Shops
Sun deck
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun terrace
Sun umbrellas
ATM on site
Butler service
Doorperson
Umbrella
24-hour check-in
24-hour front desk
Express check-in / check-out
Private check-in / check-out
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
Ironing service
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Room features
Blackout curtains
Air purifier
Air conditioning
Additional bathroom
Coffee / tea maker
Cable / satellite TV
Sofa bed
Walk-in shower
Bathrobes
Desk
Dining area
Housekeeping
Interconnected rooms available
Room service
Safe
Seating area
Separate living room
Sofa
Telephone
VIP room facilities
Wardrobe / closet
Bottled water
Clothes rack
Iron
Laptop safe
Private bathrooms
Tile / marble floor
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Minibar
Refrigerator
Electric kettle
Flatscreen TV
On-demand movies
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Mountain view
City view
Landmark view
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Smoking rooms available
Pool view
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Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
5.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Harbor View
City View
Languages Spoken
English, Chinese
298Reviews5Q+A38Room tips
Traveler rating
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Chris wrote a review Oct 2023
40 contributions23 helpful votes
+1
The room was super comfy and breakfast was great. Being along the Pearl River provided an excellent place to run off all the food. It's in the old commercial hub of the city, so, there are some nice buildings and walking places with interesting sculptures.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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midnight_warrior wrote a review Oct 2023
Cronulla, Australia59 contributions61 helpful votes
+1
White Swan is a destination of its own right. We booked two deluxe river room for our family. When we entered the rooms, we were greeted with sweeping view of the Pearl River. The room was large and bright, the decoration was model and sophisticated. The bathroom was huge with a bath also overlooking the river. The amenities are top notch. The pool was great for kids and adults alike. The gym spread across two floors with a large changing room with relaxing area. It also has a large sauna, steam room and indoor jacuzzi. Then there was daily evening live performance at the bar on the ground floor with great cocktails. Overall highly recommend.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Yan C wrote a review Jul 2023
Hong Kong, China866 contributions270 helpful votes
A large, beautiful hotel located in a historical part of the city - Shamain. It is a five star plus hotel, no doubt of it. The rooms are spacious and command an excellent view of the neighbourhood. The hotel is well equipped with all amenities. The service is efficient and polite. What I like it most remains the location. It is not a resort hotel. The nearby subway station is within ten minutes’ walk but it is far away from the crowds. A stroll in the morning or evening in the neighbourhood, through the well preserved historic buildings is quite enjoyable.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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John Smith wrote a review Jun 2023
5 contributions2 helpful votes
+1
I went a few years ago, but that option is not avilable. Staff friendly but constantly watching you and intercepting you if they think you are going somewhere they don't want you to. Many Americans there adopting Chinese babies.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Henry P wrote a review May 2023
2 contributions
Great hotel with lots of history. Good breakfast and staff is very helpful. Nice clean rooms and comfortable beds. Shamian island is a fun place to walk around and people watch. Close to subway stop to get you to other areas of Guangzhou.
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Campsay upon Crooked wrote a review Oct 2021
Houston, Texas678 contributions55 helpful votes
+1
Inside the gallery of White Swan Hotel hung a picture taken when Queen Elizabeth picked White Swan as her accommodation during her visit to Guangzhou. I can only think of two possible reasons behind the queen’s choice. It is either because there was no good hotel in Guangzhou at that time so the queen could only choose the slightly less terrible one, or because it was the good old day. I will write this review in a descending order, from the most satisfying aspect of the hotel to the most intolerable. The best experience I had was, without a doubt, to have the honor of meeting Ben at the reception desk. I believe there is a dilemma before all male hotel professionals in East Asia: if they serve so softly, some guests, referring to the conventional gender stereotype, may find them so girly and weird. However, some guests may easily find them rude if they serve so masculinely (masculine according to the conventional gender stereotype). It is a very hard balance to find. Therefore, if I use this conventional stereotype to review a reception desk, which is common in East Asia, I would say I have only encountered three gentlemen who managed to serve elegantly. One is from Morpheus Macau, another is from Four Seasons Guangzhou, both the top hotel in their respective cities. The last one I have encountered is Ben. Ben is a polite and warm gentleman, who manages to get the difficult balance to the right point. I believe Ben is not only a role model for hotel people but also a definition of a gentleman. Thank you so much, Ben! Ben is fantastic, so is the landscape inside the lobby. Many years have passed, but the waterfall and the little garden at the center of the lobby still remain impressive. A beautiful, astonishing, and refreshing Chinese-style lobby indeed. Unfortunately, I do not find this beautiful lobby, which is supposed to be a pleasant place to stay, a pleasant place to stay. This is because it is always so crowded. The crowdedness is severe to the extent that it turns the lovely garden into something like a people's park. So many people shouting around and so many people laying indecently on the lobby sofa. Such a setting makes it impossible for one to calm down to appreciate the sound of the waterfall. This is a shame to such an adorable interior design. The lobby is beautiful but not somewhere to stay, nor is the room. I stayed in two rooms throughout my room (there is a terrible story behind, as I will reveal later). The first one is the deluxe room. I only spent three hours there, so I cannot remember its details, but I can still clearly recall that its interior design is so old-school. Consequently, that room suffers from being highly depressing, a common problem among hotels with an outdated design. That room is just like a bigger and cleaner room in a four-star hotel. The second room I stayed at was the club deluxe room, which is less depressing but too hard. I use the word "hard" since coziness is never a thing there. The room made me feel so bounded instead. A potential reason is that the room basically does not have any soft materials, like carpet; everything is bamboo, wood, or marble. It is hard to relax in a place decorated all with these materials. The sleeping quality at White Swan is thus the worst among all the premium hotels I have visited. However, the two problems I have mentioned so far are still trivial or, I would say, within an acceptable range. What comes next is the intolerable bit. The first issue is that the hotel was well informed about my room preferences but just disregarded them. I told my travel agency to notify the hotel of five points of room preference of mine one day before my arrival. Shockingly, when I checked in, I was told that the hotel was only aware of two out of the five points. I was mad not because I could not get the room I preferred but because I thought my travel agency did not do its job to forward my message to the hotel. I immediately contacted my travel agency about that once I arrived at my room. After a very efficient investigation by my travel agency, they told me that they were 100% sure they had already notified all my five points to White Swan. They were so sure because they recorded down every conversation they had with any hotel. Only then did I realize I was blaming the wrong person: it was not my travel agency not doing its job; it was someone in White Swan whom my travel agency communicated to omitted over half of my preferences by not entering them into the system! This is exasperating: why did he/she do that? I can only think of two explanations. Firstly, he/she just forgot to enter my preferences. This is unacceptable as it means he/she could not fulfill his/her duty even if what he/she was asked to do was just to type a few simple lines into the computer. If it is the case, given that the staff at White Swan failed to do even such a simple job, there is no reason for any guest to believe we can rely on the hotel on anything. The second possible explanation is that he/she personally thought more than half of my preferences were silly. Hence, he/she made the decision to ignore them. This is even more problematic. It implies that White Swan would only do what it thought essential and would ignore all other things even if they were important for the guests. This is arrogant and rude. If it is the case, then it means the White Swan philosophy is more like a military school one than a hotel one: do what I think is good for you, instead of what you think is good for you! I do not believe that one can enjoy a comfortable stay in such a hotel. However, this is not the end of the story. Once my travel agency identified the problem, they immediately contacted the hotel about that. They did it in such a hurry because I told them that I had a meeting in the afternoon and had not even had my lunch yet (at 3 PM!). Nearly three hours had passed but, still, the hotel never got back to my travel agency, despite my travel agency continuously contacting the hotel. Given that the hotel was so disrespectful to guests' time, it is no surprise that no one called me throughout these three good hours to take care of me or just ask me what had happened. Finally, at around 6 PM, my travel agency told me that the hotel was willing to give me another room that matched my room preferences. Interestingly, my travel agency was also very excited, perhaps even they found this waiting journey unreasonably long. However, another very shocking thing happened: no one from the hotel called me to offer the slightest apology, be it for irritatingly omitting my room preferences or for wasting my entire afternoon. Very rude, isn't it?! What was even ruder was that my travel agency told me, "I am really sorry, but the hotel asked you to go down with your luggage to hand them back the old key and pick up the new key." Seriously, White Swan Hotel?! You made such a mistake and wasted my entire afternoon, and then you asked me to go down to pick up your late-coming solution?! I am sorry, but I was, and still am, unconvinced that the hotel was sincerely apologizing, despite how problematic and carking the problems were! It was nearly 6 PM, but I still had not got my lunch. Therefore, I started to feel dizzy and did not even have the energy to talk with my travel agency. I needed to immediately order the ugly-cooked in-room dining to literally continue my life. Then I called the hotel and requested to speak to the duty manager. It was the first time I had a direct conservation with the hotel. Very weird: it was the victim initiating the conversation instead of the wrongdoer, even after three good hours. He promised me that he would send someone to give me the key and would investigate into the issues, which I am not sure whether he did as I still have not got any response from the hotel after nearly one month. Thank you so much, White Swan – I checked in at 3 PM and could eventually settle down at 6 PM. By the time I left my room, the hotel restaurant was already setting up for dinner. I forgot to mention that I needed to cancel my meeting that afternoon to wait for the hotel to give me a new room, which, again, took them three good hours from 3 PM to 6 PM. The last problem is the most problematic one – what’s wrong with your promotion video, White Swan? Let me describe a few scenes in the video before pointing out what is wrong with that: (1) An old white couple taking pictures in front of the lobby waterfall with the Chinese manager of the hotel. (2) The white lady receiving some flowers from her white husband, which a Chinese staff prepared. (3) TWO Chinese staff standing and waiting to hand a towel to ONE white man after the white man finishes exercises. (4) A white man holding his phone in a super cool fashion while leaving White Swan via a yacht. Every scene inside White Swan’s promotion video features high-end white guests and a bunch of Chinese serving them in an extremely inferior gesture, except for one four-second scene in which a Chinese man proposes to his girlfriend. I do not understand why the hotel can be so careless about racial issues. I tried to convince myself that perhaps it is because the hotel is trying to target the international market. However, I fail: if it targeted the international market, where are the Japanese, Indian, African, Arab, Thai, as well as many other races? Why would the promotion video only feature white people? Such a promotion video is ugly and controversial. I understand that the hotel does not do that intentionally. Still, I am very worried that some international guests may just get the wrong meaning and conclude that the hotel, or even China, is racist. The impact of this promotion video can be particularly far-reaching, given many international travelers may still be inclined to stay at White Swan Hotel because of its big name of being full of Chinese characteristics. After staying at White Swan Hotel for one night, here is what I believe White Swan Hotel still has after the glorious years: an amazing Ben, a pretty lobby ruined by the crowd, a not-so-comfortable room, an irritating problem in which the hotel, accidentally at best and intentionally at worst, neglected guests’ preferences, an even more irritating problem in which the hotel wastes the entire afternoon of a guest and shows no intention to apologize for any of the mistakes it made, as well as an unacceptable promotion video. I am worried that I need to say the following: I am sorry I could not experience the true White Swan before it disappears on earth forever.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Rooms
Location
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Victoria Zhang wrote a review Dec 2020
Shanghai, China1 contribution
I was there to see my friend in the beginning, but I am surprised that this hotel is not as old as I thought. Very nice view and great food provided. I love the atmosphere in the hotel, as well as the fountain in the lobby. I always stayed downtown perhaps I will visit when I am on vacation. 我起初是在那儿见朋友的,但是令我感到惊讶的是,这家酒店没有我想像的那么古老。 非常漂亮的景色和美味的食物。 我喜欢酒店的氛围以及大堂的喷泉。 我一直呆在市中心,也许我度假时会去。
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Date of stay: November 2020
Location
Service
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Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip: excellent dim sum
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Larry B wrote a review Oct 2020
Mariposa, California77 contributions21 helpful votes
This is classic hotel on the historic Shamian island in Guangzhou’s Yuexiu district. The ‘island’ is actually a tip of land at a ‘Y’ intersection of the famous Pearl river made an island in the past by digging a man made canal to separate it from the ‘mainland’. Famous for its past history of serving as home for British and French export businesses, banks and foreign embassies in the 19 century, It is unique in Guangzhou. Old European architecture is preserved throughout the less than one square mile area. The hotel itself is comfortable and elegant in an informal way. The lobby is dominated by a garden koi pond and large indoor waterfall, with beautiful views of the pearl river. The staff are excellent and most speak English fluently, the rooms are comfortable,clean and quiet. The River view rooms are fantastic. If you can upgrade to the deluxe ‘club floor’ rooms you are offered a complementary ‘ high tea’2:30-4:30 and a happy hr 5:30-7:30 Daily on a private comfortable third floor lounge daily. This includes well prepared hors d’oeuvres and beverages ( alcohol wine beer champagne). I really enjoyed this feature and it wasn’t made known to me when I booked the room online( I just wanted a larger room) it was a nice surprise and made the upgrade worth the extra money... The hotel has Three or maybe four Restaurants, two of them are Michelin star I believe. I didn’t eat in them but I’m certain they are top notch. I did eat at the well appointed breakfast buffet, nice selection and preparation. All in all I really enjoyed this hotel and the location as well, it’s near many of the most interesting areas in Guangzhou. If your just visiting Guangzhou for a few days it’s a top choice rather than the more modern and glittery ‘Zhujiang new town’ area which is also fun but much like any other big city destination. Free parking too..
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Daniel wrote a review Apr 2020
Guangzhou, China119 contributions55 helpful votes
The sunflower chicken is one of the signature dishes in this spectacular landmark hotel in Guangzhou. I can not describe how delicious it was. You just have to order it and taste it. It’s so special, so fantastic and therefore unforgettable.
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Date of stay: April 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from WSH_ChrisYe, Guest Relations Manager at White Swan Hotel
Responded Apr 13, 2020
Dear guest, Thank you very much for taking time to give us a detailed impression of your recent experience with us. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay. Thank you for your support and we look forward to welcoming you again as our esteemed guest. Best wishes, White Swan Hotel
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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expat84 wrote a review Jan 2020
Arizona37 contributions36 helpful votes
This is a good hotel, located on the Pearl River in Guangzhou, China. Room and food was very good. The drawback is that this hotel is at one far end of the Pearl, and you cannot have a view of Canton Tower or the main buildings lit at night.
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Date of stay: October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from WSH_ChrisYe, Guest Relations Manager at White Swan Hotel
Responded Jan 15, 2020
Dear guest, Thank you for sharing your recent experience with us at the White Swan. Either super river view or beautiful Shamian island, we hope to create a comfortable environment for you. When you walk along the surrounding of the hotel, you’ll find many historic buildings and tree-lined lanes of Shamian island. If you need to go out, our hotel is only 10 minutes away from bus station, subway and Huangsha pier. Please feel free to consult our Concierge. Thank you once again for your feedback and we look forward to welcoming you again at another occasion. Best wishes, White Swan Hotel
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PRICE RANGE
₱7,843 - ₱9,845 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
广州市白天鹅宾馆, 广州白天鹅宾馆, hotel white swan, white swan guangzhou
LOCATION
ChinaGuangdongGuangzhouYuexiu District / Beijing Road / Haizhu Square / Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Shopping Street / Liwan District
NUMBER OF ROOMS
520
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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WHITE SWAN HOTEL - UPDATED 2023 Reviews & Price Comparison (Guangzhou, China) - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about White Swan Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to White Swan Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Shamian Island (0.2 km), Qingping Medicine Market (0.4 km), and Haizhu Square (0.5 km).
What are some of the property amenities at White Swan Hotel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at White Swan Hotel?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at White Swan Hotel?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at White Swan Hotel?
Yes, free parking and paid public parking nearby are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to White Swan Hotel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Starbucks (ShaMian), LuSi JiuBa Restaurant, and Qiaomei Languifang (Shamian).
Are there opportunities to exercise at White Swan Hotel?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness centre, and a sauna during their stay.
Does White Swan Hotel have airport transportation?
Yes, White Swan Hotel offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are any cleaning services offered at White Swan Hotel?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Does White Swan Hotel offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers a business centre, meeting rooms, and a banquet room.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at White Swan Hotel?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Chinese.