We visited Guilin to see the famous Li River and other scenic areas between there and Yangshuo. When we arrived at Grand Bravo Hotel from the train station, about 20 minutes taxi, we were very impressed with the massive and fancy lobby. After check-in, we went to the bar with our luggage and realized no one had asked if they could take it to the room. We went back to the desk and had to ask ourself. The room size and amenities were very ample, but whole hotel is smoking and the rooms smell bad, and the air conditioning in the rooms is mediocre at best. On day 2 we went to the travel agency inside the hotel to find no one that spoke English, and even when they brought someone from the front desk to translate they could not book anything for us. Luckily we met another westerner the previous night who was staying at the Sheraton, and told us his booking was easy and the travel agency spoke great English. We decided to go to the Sheraton and book some tours ourself and it was a breeze. I will say the one 5 star aspect of the grand bravo Guilin is the new Ding Xuan Music Bar. We actually came in one day before their grand opening and they gave us a free beer for being their first customers, and told us to come back tomorrow. Here the staff was fantastic and accomodating. We sang karaoke and hung out with them for hours. Lastly the hotel is a little off the beaten path, but a taxi to town is only a 10-20 yuan, so not a huge deal. Make sure to have a translation app on your phone!!
