Fodor's Expert Review White Swan Hotel

Editor's Note: This property is currently undergoing renovations.

Occupying a marvelous site on Shamian Island, beside the Pearl River, this huge luxury complex—at 27 years old, one of the most established modern hotels in Guangzhou—has landscaped gardens, two pools, a jogging track, and a separate gym and spa. Its presidential suite is just that; reserved for heads of state, it has been occupied by such "luminaries" as Richard Nixon and Kim Jong-Il. Its restaurants are second to none; the windows of the elegant lobby bar and coffee shop frame the panorama of river traffic.