Business Traveller (Middle East)
LN Garden Hotel, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
BACKGROUND LN Garden Hotel, Nansha, which opened in August 2018, is the sister hotel of the older LN Garden Hotel located in nearby Guangzhou’s city centre. In April 2019, the hotel became a member of the Worldhotels Elite” collection of the independent hotel alliance Worldhotels.
WHERE IS IT? Inside the Nansha Coastal Park in Guangzhou’s southern Nansha District, part of a pilot-free trade zone in Guangdong province. The local business district in Nansha is 15 minutes away by car, while the city centre is around 75 minutes away.
The hotel is a 10-minute drive from Nansha Passenger Port, which provides a 90-minute ferry connection to Hong Kong (China Hong Kong City in Tsim Sha Tsui), and a 70-minute ferry ride to Hong Kong International Airport. Shenzhen Bao’an airport is one hour away by car.
WHAT’ S IT LIKE? From a far, the hotel resembles a luxury cruise ship, which echoes Nansha’s historical role as a fishing port and an important passenger and cargo port today.
The Level 2 lobby is spacious and features a pendant artwork called “Echoes of a Light Second” in the central atrium. The artwork is made from more than 1,600 transparent acrylic triangular rods hanging from the roof. When natural light pours in from the glass roof during daytime, the prisms placed at different angles create a variety of light and shade effects.
ROOMS There are 365 guestrooms and suites, all with private balconies.
I stayed in a 55 sqm Executive room on Level 8 with a king-size bed. A pair of Chinese type sockets, a USB port, and an Olixar Qi-Tone alarm clock and Bluetooth speaker can be found above the bedside table near the bathroom. There’s also a small living room area.
In front of the bed is a wall-mounted TV and another small round table with two chairs and a lamp.
The minibar and Nespresso machine are next to the lamp. Besides complimentary teabags and Nespresso coffee capsules, there are also some other chargeable beverages and snacks. The bathroom area is separated from the bedroom with a sliding concertina curtain. The bathtub is just behind this.
LOUNGE The Level 8 executive lounge is open to guests in Executive rooms and suites. At 204 sqm, it can accommodate up to 56. Services include private check-in and checkout, breakfast for up to two, evening cocktails and snacks (6pm-8.30pm), and soft drinks and refreshments ( 7am-10pm).
FOOD AND DRINK The hotel has five dining venues. Café Flora is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant on Level 1. The two-storey Peach Blossom is a Chinese restaurant. Grill is a speciality restaurant with barbecue food for dinner on Level 2. The lobby has the Seed patisserie and a lobby lounge for afternoon tea and drinks.
LEISURE On the ground floor are a 24-hour gym and two pools. The hotel also offers bike rental. Rates start from $7 per hour. Other recreational facilities include a billiards room and a children’s play centre, plus a tennis court that can be booked for RMB80 (US$11.4) an hour.
VERDICT While better for leisure than business, it’s still a decent choice for corporate travellers with business in the local business district. Since it’s situated in a coastal park far from the city centre, it’s good for those who want to escape the busy city life and enjoy some fresh air and the lush greenery surrounding the hotel.
It’s good for those who want to escape the busy city life and enjoy some fresh air and the lush greenery