The Kempinski Residences Guangzhou opened in December 2020 as the first property in the city for the prolific German hotel group. Located in the historic Yuexiu District of central Guangzhou, the hotel comprises 261 suites housed within a relatively low-rise, 23-storey building. The interiors were conceived by Hirsch Bedner Associates, who were also responsible for the design of Amara Singapore. The design blends local Lingnan elements with European influences, resulting in a contemporary yet classic look. From the outset, the property was designed as a serviced residence, well-suited to the predominantly residential character of its surrounding neighbourhood.

Booking Kempinski Guangzhou

I booked my stay at the Kempinski Residences Guangzhou through Trip.com, which I often find to offer lower rates for various hotels in China. For my three-night stay, I paid a tax-inclusive nightly rate of CNY 628, equivalent to USD 90 or GBP 67. While this only booked me into an entry-level Superior Room, it was undoubtedly an incredible rate which seemed almost too good to be true. Although there was a minor caveat attached to the low price, it ultimately had no impact on my stay.

Location

As mentioned earlier, the Kempinski Residences is located within Yuexiu District, one of Guangzhou’s older neighbourhoods, characterised predominantly by residential buildings. Unsurprisingly, the hotel’s immediate surroundings feel quiet and slow-paced, especially when contrasted with the gleaming skyscrapers of the modern Tianhe District, where most of the city’s luxury hotels are concentrated.

That said, there is little of note within walking distance, aside from the Guangzhou Museum of Modern History and the Garden Hotel – one of Guangzhou’s three legendary hotels. The nearest metro station is Taojin on Line 5, located roughly a ten-minute walk away. Restaurants and shops, mostly catering to the neighbourhood’s residents, are plentiful, however. I’ll also note that the hotel’s location on Google Maps is inaccurate, something worth keeping in mind when navigating to the property.

Check-in

I arrived at the Kempinski shortly after noon, having taken a DiDi ride from Baiyun International Airport.

After being ushered in by the greeter, I approached an empty counter to check in. Shortly after, I was politely told to move to the neighbouring desk, as that counter did not handle check-ins. Fair enough. It did not take long for an agent to become available. She was friendly and well-intentioned, welcoming me on my first visit to Guangzhou. Despite some language barriers, she made a genuine effort to engage in small talk.

While waiting to be registered, I took in and observed the design of the hotel’s compact lobby. The high ceilings lend the space a sense of grandeur and airiness. That said, I did find the lobby to feel somewhat cluttered. The mix of textures and maximalist adornments fills much of the open space. If anything, I was glad the room design takes a far more understated approach.

After handing me a pair of ice cream stick-sized keycards, I was led to the lift lobby, hidden behind a partition opposite the reception desks. As mentioned earlier by my agent, I was assigned a Superior Room on the 19th floor, which is relatively high up in the 23-floor building.

Superior Room

As an all-suite property, the Kempinski offers separate living and sleeping areas; this is true even in the entry-level Superior Room, despite its moniker. At 43 sqm (462 sq ft), the suite is relatively generous by city-hotel standards. However, I will note that the way the room is set up makes the space feel rather cramped. Regardless, I liked the room’s soft colour palette and understated decor, which I found to be elegant yet comfortable.

Living Room

Upon entering, you are greeted by a living area with a lounge and a small kitchen. The lounge area is furnished with a sofa, an ottoman, and two coffee tables facing the wall-mounted television. While I appreciated the variety of seating options, the amount of furniture made the space feel constrained and slightly stuffy.

Meanwhile, the kitchen features a small dining setup comprising an island counter and two bar chairs. Apart from the full-sized chiller, the kitchen is complete with an electric cooktop with an oven, and a Nespresso machine. Despite the comprehensive setup, cookware and most cutlery were noticeably absent.

For one, the full-sized kitchen feels unnecessary, given how much space it occupies. A compact kitchenette would have been more appropriate for a room of this size. As a result, I struggled to lay down my full-sized checked suitcase without obstructing the walkways.

Bedroom

Moving on, the bedroom is separated from the living area by sliding doors that retract into the wall. Like the living space, the bedroom feels somewhat cramped. This is unsurprising given that the designers had stuffed a work desk, a closet, and a king-sized bed in this small footprint. That said, the bed itself was very comfortable, and I slept well throughout my stay.

I’ll also add that universal power outlets are scattered abundantly around the bedroom, which is certainly much appreciated. Other comforts like WiFi worked seamlessly throughout my stay as well.

Bathroom

Tucked into the corner by the entryway, the bathroom occupies a relatively spacious, marble-clad space. Dark stone walls paired with soft lighting lend the space an intimate yet elegant atmosphere. A large sink and vanity run along one wall, offering generous counter space and storage. The bathroom is also fitted with a wall-mounted toilet equipped with an electronic bidet, similar to the TOTO Neorest toilets you often find in Japan.

Opposite the vanity and enclosed behind a glass door is the wet room, which houses a walk-in rain shower and a generously sized bathtub. Water pressure and temperature were excellent, though filling the large tub understandably takes some time. Interestingly, a television is mounted beside the bathtub, although it was not functioning properly during my stay. Bath amenities were provided by Elemis, which I quite like, though the familiar scent was an unmistakable throwback to the British Airways Galleries Lounge I often used to pass through in London.

Observations

As you may have surmised from the photos above, there is ongoing construction of a new subway line in the immediate vicinity of the hotel. This is the caveat I alluded to earlier when explaining the exceptional room rates. That said, I found the sound insulation in my room to be excellent, and I was not disturbed by construction noise during my stay. It is worth noting that while the hotel clearly discloses this construction on its own website, the same notice is noticeably absent from most online travel agent listings.

As our stay coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival, the hotel also provided a box of traditional mooncakes, which was a thoughtful touch. For me, it was a convenient excuse to indulge in a dessert I rarely partake in, not least because of its famously high calorie count. Still, when in Ro–Guangzhou, right? 😉

Furthermore,

The Motion

Located on the third floor is The Motion, the hotel’s fitness and wellness facility, which comprises a swimming pool and a fitness centre. Notably, however, the property does not feature a spa, a decision that is perhaps unsurprising given its serviced-residence positioning.

Fitness Centre

The fitness centre is fully encased in glass along one side, offering views over the adjacent swimming pool. The cool, air-conditioned space houses a compact yet comprehensive selection of cardio and weight-training equipment, along with a free-weight area at the far end.

Given the hotel’s late-2020 opening, it is unsurprising that the equipment is modern and well maintained. Even so, this small fitness centre stands out as a genuine strength of the property in my book!

Swimming Pool

The centrepiece of The Motion is undoubtedly its 25-metre indoor heated swimming pool. Set within an elevated, covered terrace, the pool is flanked by neighbourhood views on three sides. Two outdoor terrace areas sit at either end of the space, though they appeared largely unused. As for the heated element, it feels somewhat more like a gimmick in subtropical Guangzhou, albeit a pleasant one.

A few mosaic tile-lined loungers are positioned at either end of the pool, complemented by several sofas and daybeds along the windows. Unlike the pool itself, these loungers are not heated, so settling onto them can come as a rather cold surprise. Bottled water is also provided free of charge at a counter near the entrance to the pool area.

Adjacent to the pool is a compact yet powerful jacuzzi, positioned by the windows and overlooking a neighbouring commercial building. While the jacuzzi itself was enjoyable, it was the sculptural feature at either end that caught my attention.

On closer inspection, the sculpture is composed of interwoven miniature fans – fans that bear a suspiciously striking resemblance to the Mandarin Oriental logo. Curiously, I later encountered a similar sculpture in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou during my stay there, which only added to the amusement of it all. Hmmm… how did these find its way to a Kempinski? 😛

Changing Room and Sauna

Adjacent to the pool area are a pair of gender-segregated changing rooms, each equipped with lockers, showers, and a sauna. Guests are not typically issued a separate locker key, as room keycards are intended to be used to reserve and lock a locker. In practice, however, I encountered some difficulty, as several lockers failed to recognise my room key, requiring a trip back to reception to obtain a physical locker key.

The sauna is located at the far end of the changing room corridor, near the door leading back to the pool. As expected, it was fully functional and still felt very new. While the facilities themselves are not extensive – unsurprising for a relatively small property – I was particularly impressed by how clean and well maintained the area was, especially when compared with the often untidy changing rooms found at other upmarket hotels in China.

Service

Overall, I found the staff to be attentive and genuinely friendly. While many team members had a limited command of English – very much the norm rather than the exception in China – the quality of service at the Kempinski still stood out. Beyond being warm and well-meaning, the staff were notably proactive; for instance, after noticing that we had enjoyed the mooncakes, they arranged for an additional box to be sent to our room without prompting. The same level of attentiveness was evident at the pool, where the lifeguards were cheerful and consistently greeted guests with bottled water.

Concluding thoughts

Despite its many quirks, I had a thoroughly enjoyable stay at the Kempinski Residences Guangzhou. While its name does not suggest a traditional hotel, the property nevertheless lives up to the Kempinski brand in practice. Although it may not be the most polished hotel in the city, I was consistently impressed by the hospitable staff, the comfortable accommodation, and the well-maintained facilities. Ultimately, I would argue that it is perhaps the best hotel option on the western side of Guangzhou, short of staying at one of the city’s three contemporary grand dames: the China Hotel, the Garden Hotel, or the White Swan Hotel.

Read more from this trip here!