Accommodation And Getting Around
This Guangzhou layover guide shares our unexpected two-night stay in this buzzing Chinese metropolis, caused by a cancelled flight from Phuket to Guangzhou before heading back to London. If you would like to read the China Southern Airlines economy class reviews, then you can find them here, whilst the Guangzhou airport lounge reviews can be found here (under the ‘Lounge Review-Asia’ section).
Getting to our hotel was straightforward in theory. It was just a £3 (28 Yuan) taxi ride from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), but the reality was a bit more chaotic. No one spoke English and we quickly realised we had no idea how the local payment system worked. You can’t use your card or cash like you would at home. Instead, everything runs through Alipay, which links to your debit card and works by scanning QR codes. We were completely lost until a lovely Chinese woman, who spoke perfect English, came over and helped us set up Alipay. She honestly saved us as we could have been struggling for a while!
Top tip: make sure you download and set up Alipay before you arrive in China or you’ll be in for a confusing start.
We checked into the Swisstouches Guangzhou Hotel Residences, a bizarre but kind of charming hotel styled like a Swiss alpine ski resort. Yes, really. Think snowy mountain murals, antelope sculptures and cowbell decor, all right next to one of the world’s busiest airports. For just £60 total for two nights (£15 per person per night), it was clean, quirky and felt like an absolute bargain. The place was a complete ghost town, eerily quiet yet spotlessly maintained. We made use of the gym and pool during a quiet afternoon at the hotel, although a security guard came to supervise us, which added a slightly intense vibe to what was otherwise a chilled morning in the hotel.
Sightseeing On Our Guangzhou Layover Guide
Despite the culture shock, we decided to explore the city using the metro system, which thankfully had English names under each station. That was a huge relief. One of our main stops was the Taikoo Hui shopping centre, which sits near the iconic Canton Tower. At 604 metres (1,982 feet) it’s currently the second tallest tower in the world and ranks as the fifth tallest freestanding structure overall. If you wanted more structured guided tours of Guangzhou, then please head over to GetYourGuide.
We almost went up the tower, but at £30 each and with heavy smog that day, it didn’t feel worth it. The view from the ground, especially from the Taikoo Hui area, was just as impressive. This city felt like a modern metropolis on overdrive. I would liken the place to Dubai, but even more intense.
Dinner that evening was a real highlight. We headed to Patina, a European-style restaurant on the 95th floor of the Rosewood Hotel. The views were absolutely unreal, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Guangzhou’s glittering skyline. The food was great, but honestly, the atmosphere and view were the real reason to go. The bill came to 904.82 Yuan (£92 for both of us), which felt like a bargain considering what you’d pay probably 3 times more for the that experience in Europe or America.
Guangzhou isn’t somewhere I’d plan a full week-long holiday to, but for a 48-hour layover, it was the kind of unexpected adventure that makes travel so fun and exciting. Modern, surreal, overwhelming and totally different from anywhere we’ve ever been. If you ever end up here, you’ve got to get stuck in and go for an explore!
If you would like to explore our ever growing list of destinations on a budget challenges, you can find them here.
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