Alila Yangshuo

Just outside the famous Yangshuo West Street by the Li River, you’ll discover a rich history at the wonderfully luxurious Alila resort, which has been beautifully renovated from what once was a working sugar mill.

The hotel is an architectural masterpiece; a modern retro resort that uses a stylish simplicity to instil a sense of tranquillity indoors, perfectly matching the picturesque setting of greenery and dramatic karst mountains that surround you.

In keeping with the natural world around it, the main guestroom building uses a combination of local stone and bamboo. Meanwhile the 117 rooms and suites feature large open spaces with simple colour palettes and bathrooms boasting rain showers and twin bathtubs, perfect for achieving true relaxation.

The outdoor centrepiece is undoubtedly the hotel’s large pool, which beautifully reflects the mountains and the hotel lights come evening.

For dining, be sure to head to the historical Sugar House restaurant, housed in the old sugar pressing room. It features an outdoor dining terrace surrounded by lush greenery and offers a seasonal farm-to-table menu that uses fresh, local ingredients. A stay here is not complete without a visit to the 1969 Bar, which boasts its own-house rum distillery and its own unique cocktails focused on the theme of sugar and rum as a nod to the hotel’s past.

Or why not head down the stone spiral staircase to the underground Spa Alila, which has been inspired by Yangshuo’s karst caves and uses local ingredients in a wealth of rejuvenating treatments?

Also be sure to enjoy a range of fitting activities here, from yoga to rock climbing and even handmade syrup making, to truly get a taste of Yangshuo.