JI Hotel Guilin — Stay Central by the Two Rivers Four Lakes, Clean Design Rooms, Walk to the Lakes
Picture waking up and walking a few minutes to the lakeside in the middle of Guilin, then in the evening strolling into the old-town lanes for dinner and on to the Zhengyang Pedestrian Street — that's the address of JI Hotel (Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes Scenic Area) (全季酒店·桂林两江四湖店), a midscale design hotel from JI (全季), part of the Huazhu group, a Chinese chain known for warm-toned, spotless, good-value rooms. It sits at No.71 Zhongshan Middle Road, right in central Guilin by the Two Rivers Four Lakes (两江四湖) scenic ring. Opened in 2021, the rooms are still fresh, and it scores 9.6/10 from around 999 real guest reviews. If you want a central base where you walk out the door to the lakes, the old town and the food — at a price you can stomach rather than a 5-star riverside tower — this is the name guests talk about most.
The first thing guests agree on is a central location with everything good within walking distance. This JI branch sits on Zhongshan Middle Road, a central artery that runs right alongside the Two Rivers Four Lakes (两江四湖) scenic ring. A few minutes on foot brings you to the shores of Gui Lake (桂湖) and Rong Lake (榕湖), and a little further to the East-West Lanes (东西巷) old town, a quarter of restored Ming-Qing houses packed with eateries and snack stalls, plus the adjacent Jingjiang Prince's City (靖江王府) and Solitary Beauty Peak (独秀峰). The Zhengyang Pedestrian Street (正阳步行街) is an easy walk away too. Reviewers call it a genuinely central address — lakeside walks in the morning, old town in the evening, central Guilin ticked off without needing a car.
One guest recalls: "Great location, central and right by the Two Rivers Four Lakes — only a few minutes' walk to the lakes and to the East-West Lanes old town, and easy to wander out for food at night. The room was clean and nicely done, that simple modern JI style, and the bed was so comfortable. The staff were friendly and helpful, and breakfast even had Guilin rice noodles to try. Really good value — we'll stay here again next time we're in Guilin."
Rooms and service are the other things that lift the score to 9.6/10. JI (全季) is Huazhu's flagship design brand, pitched as a midscale hotel in warm, pared-back tones, and what guests praise over and over is that the rooms are clean and modern — it only opened in 2021 — with easy warm-wood styling and comfy bedding, plus friendly, attentive service that helps with sightseeing and dining tips and keeps everything running smoothly. Breakfast earns its share of praise too, well-made with local dishes including the city's signature Guilin rice noodles (桂林米粉). There's an on-site gym for anyone who wants to work out, and reviewers consistently sum it up as a comfortable, genuinely good-value stay.
A little more on the location: being on Zhongshan Middle Road puts the hotel right by the Two Rivers Four Lakes scenic ring, where evening boat cruises drift past illuminated banks all night, and the Sun-Moon Pagodas (日月双塔) by Shan Lake and Elephant Trunk Hill (象鼻山), the city's emblem, are both in the same central part of town (Elephant Trunk Hill is a longer walk or a short taxi ride). One thing to know up front: Guilin has no metro — getting around the city is by bus, taxi or DiDi. The upside of this address is that most of the central sights are within walking distance, so you barely need a car. For longer hops, Guilin Railway Station (桂林站) is a short taxi ride, Guilin North HSR Station (桂林北站) is further out to the north, and Guilin Liangjiang Airport (KWL) is about 30 km to the south-west.
But let me pass on the gripes honestly, gathered from real guest reviews, because they're real and worth knowing first. The main one, and most important: there's no swimming pool. This is a midscale design hotel built around clean rooms and a great location, with a gym but not the full facilities of a resort — if you've come to swim or use a luxury spa, you won't find it here; look at a 5-star tower like the Sheraton or Shangri-La instead. The second: these are tidy design rooms, not Li River-view or karst-view rooms — the appeal is the walk-to-everything address, not the view from the window; for mountain views from your room you'd want a Yangshuo resort. And the third: it's a city-centre hotel on a busy road, so rooms facing the street can catch some daytime traffic noise — if you're noise-sensitive, ask for a high-floor room not facing the main road.
Standard rates start at around ~¥400 (฿2,000) per night, with a typical range of roughly ฿2,000–3,200 depending on season and room type — excellent value for a central, lakeside-adjacent address, and a fraction of the riverside 5-star towers like the Sheraton or Shangri-La, yet with clean design rooms and a very high review score. Rates climb fastest and rooms fill during China's long holidays — Golden Week (October 1–7), Chinese New Year, Labour Day (May 1–5) — and the summer peak (July–August), when Guilin is a top nature destination for Chinese travellers, so book several weeks ahead and take a free-cancellation rate to be safe. One more reassuring point: JI/Huazhu is a large, reputable Chinese chain that generally accepts foreign passports at check-in, though it's worth messaging the hotel to confirm before you book just to be sure.
The honest summary, friend to friend: JI Hotel Guilin is for travellers who want a clean, tidy design room with friendly service, central by the Two Rivers Four Lakes, where you walk out the door to the lakes, the old town and the food — at a price you can stomach. If you're in Guilin to tick off the central sights — the lakes, the East-West Lanes, Elephant Trunk Hill, the twin pagodas — and to use the city as a base before a Li River cruise or a trip out to Yangshuo (阳朔), this is a design-and-value central pick well worth booking on our list. But if you want a pool, a Li River view from your room, and full luxury service, compare it against the Sheraton and Shangri-La on our list first — or if you want the same midscale design right on the Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, look at the Atour.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Central by the Two Rivers Four Lakes — walk to the lakes
- ✓ Walk to the East-West Lanes old town and the Zhengyang Pedestrian Street
- ✓ Clean, modern JI design rooms — only opened in 2021
- ✓ Friendly service + breakfast with Guilin rice noodles + on-site gym
- ! No swimming pool — a midscale design hotel, not a resort
- ! Tidy central design rooms, no Li River or karst view
- ✓ Central Guilin address, walking distance to the lakeside sights
- ✓ Near the Two Rivers Four Lakes (两江四湖) evening illuminated cruise
- ✓ Great value against riverside 5-star towers that cost several times more
- ✓ Big, well-known JI (全季 / Huazhu) chain with its signature warm-toned rooms
- ! Better as a base to head out from than a hotel to lounge in all day
- ! Rates spike and rooms fill fast during Chinese long holidays and summer
- 💡If you want a pool or a Li River view from your room · This is a midscale design hotel with only a gym — no pool or luxury spa — leaning on clean rooms and a walk-to-everything location · Fix → look at a riverside 5-star like the Sheraton or Shangri-La on our list
- 💡If you want karst views from your room or to lounge and relax all day · The appeal here is out the door into the central city, not the view from the window or resort-style facilities · Fix → choose a Yangshuo (阳朔) resort like Alila or Banyan Tree, set among the karst peaks
- 💡If you're sensitive to traffic noise · The hotel is central on a busy road, so rooms facing the street can catch some daytime traffic noise · Fix → request a high-floor room not facing the main road at booking or check-in, or see Guilin Bravo by quieter Ronghu Lake on our list