Boutique & Design Hotels in Guilin & Yangshuo
8 Stays Where the Design Is the Point — a Converted Sugar Mill, Qing Houses, an Old Tea House

We open the design list with the genuine architectural icon of the area — Alila Yangshuo scores 9.6/10 from around 2,043 real guest reviews. It's a five-star resort converted from a 1960s sugar mill on the Li River in Yangshuo, designed by Vector Architects, who kept the mill's raw brick-and-concrete shells and layered contemporary work over them until the architecture became the draw in itself, with a swimming pool set on the old sugar-conveyor platform looking out at the karst peaks. Guests say the same things over and over: the design is striking, the atmosphere is calm, the service is good, and the mountain-and-river views are worth the trip. The honest catch: it's in Yangshuo, about 65km from central Guilin (a ~1–1.5hr drive), so it's not the pick if you mainly want to see the city of Guilin, and it's design-resort pricing.

This is the design-villa resort that ties for the top score, and it has the biggest review base of the Yangshuo group — Banyan Tree Yangshuo scores 9.6/10 from around 5,138 real guest reviews. It's a five-star villa resort in southern-Chinese style that sets its architecture to sit with the water and the karst, on the Li / Yulong rivers at Fuli Town, Yangshuo, with karst peaks on three sides; the rooms are villas looking out over the river and the peaks, and there are top-tier villas with a private pool. Guests love the privacy, the villa design, the mountain-and-river views, and the Banyan Tree-level service. The honest catch: it's in Yangshuo, ~65km from central Guilin (and Fuli Town is further out again from Yangshuo town itself), it's not the pick for seeing the city, and it has the highest from-price on the list.

This is the most interesting of the in-town design group — Aroma Tea House scores 9.6/10 from around 139 real guest reviews. It's a small art hotel / boutique converted from a Qing-dynasty tea house (around the 1820s), on Ronghu Lake in central Guilin, where every room is individually decorated with Chinese art, paintings, calligraphy and antique pieces, and there are calligraphy and tea-art courses for guests to try. Guests praise the genuine character you don't get from a chain, the lakeside location that walks to Central Square and the Zhengyang pedestrian street, and the English-speaking staff who look after you the way a small place can. The honest catch: it's a small property with only a handful of rooms and none of the facilities of a big hotel, the old building feels classic in parts, and its total review count is lower than the big chains (though the score is high and steady).

This is the village boutique with the highest review score on the whole list — Secret Garden Yangshuo scores 9.7/10 from around 126 real guest reviews. It's a boutique converted from 6 Qing-dynasty-style houses in the old Jiuxian village on the Yulong River, by an architect-artist who kept the old house frames and made them into 17 individually designed rooms, with a café, a library and a garden to sit in. Guests praise the calm setting among the rice fields and karst peaks, the meticulous conversion, and the warm, personal service of a small place — it's a real favourite for anyone wanting to escape the bustle of West Street. The honest catch: it's out in Jiuxian Village, a fair way from Yangshuo town (about 20 minutes), so transport isn't as easy as in the city, it's a small property with limited facilities, and you should arrange a transfer with the property ahead of time.

This is a riverside boutique guesthouse that reviews single out especially for its service — Yangshuo Tea Cozy scores 9.6/10 from around 91 real guest reviews. It's a small Chinese-style boutique with a garden, on the Yulong River among the rice fields and karst peaks, once written up in Lonely Planet, with warmly decorated rooms looking out over fields or hills, and owner-staff who speak English and help with everything from painting and calligraphy courses to renting bikes to ride the fields. Guests say the same thing again and again: the personal, helpful service is the part that sticks with them. The honest catch: it's on the river, ~15–20 minutes from Yangshuo town / West Street, it's a small property with limited facilities, and you should arrange the transfer with the property ahead of time.

This is a timber-and-bamboo design stay by the river with the biggest review base of the Yangshuo boutiques — Yangshuo Mountain Retreat scores 9.2/10 from around 748 real guest reviews. Its design leans on timber framing and bamboo furniture, set on the Yulong River at the foot of Wanggong Mountain, looking out at the karst peaks and the water; open since 2001, it's a place foreign travellers have known in Yangshuo for years, with free bikes, a riverside restaurant, and English-speaking staff who help arrange tours and rafting. Guests praise the lovely riverside setting, the calm, and the helpful service. The honest catch: it's about 20 minutes from Yangshuo town, not handy if you want to wander West Street every night, it's a small property with basic facilities, and you should arrange the transfer ahead of time.

This is an in-town boutique with a particular edge on the view — Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel scores 9.5/10 from around 3,472 real guest reviews. It's a compact boutique that sits facing Elephant Trunk Hill on the Li River, on Binjiang Road in Xiangshan district, and what guests rave about most is the morning view of Elephant Trunk Hill from breakfast and the river-facing rooms; the location walks to Central Square and the lakes, and the rooms have more character than a chain. Guests talk about the lovely view, the handy location, and the attentive service. The honest catch: the rooms with the Elephant Trunk Hill view are limited and cost more than the city-view rooms (specify when booking), it's not a big property, and the riverside area is busy in high season.

We close the list with the most accessible design pick — the one for anyone who wants good design on a midscale budget, right in the city centre — Atour Hotel (Zhengyang · Two Rivers Four Lakes · Elephant Trunk Hill) scores 9.5/10 from around 2,330 real guest reviews. It's an Atour-brand design midscale that sells its clean, warm-toned room design, with the brand's signature beds, scent and reading nook, on the Zhengyang pedestrian street in the city centre, walking distance to Elephant Trunk Hill and the Sun & Moon Pagodas. Guests praise the easy-on-the-eye design rooms, the comfortable beds, and good value in a central spot starting around ¥360. The honest catch: it's a midscale with no pool or river view, standard rooms are compact, and it's on a pedestrian street that's busy in the evening (street-facing rooms may get noise).