The Mayland Resort and Hot Springs, Guangzhou, China

One of the best things about living in Southern China is the large amount of natural hot springs that have been developed into extremely luxurious resorts.  One of my favorite students, a beautiful and ambitious woman, recommended a number of the best in Guangdong for me to visit.  She knows what she’s talking about.  Her husband actually works in the industry as an engineer for the developers.  I was not disappointed. 

Building:

Location:  About a 30 minute (with no traffic) drive to the north from the city center, the Mayland development here is massive.  It’s a large community situated off one of the countless toll roads that crisscross the province.  Here, you’ll find the resort, a golf course, endless streets of single-family homes, and a rather unique shopping district that has architectural elements spanning from ultra-modern to traditional European.  It’s quite a remarkable area, anchored by the hotel itself.  However, if your intention is to use this place as a base camp while you explore outside the development gates, you’ll find yourself quite isolated. 

Facilities:  The hotel itself has a Mediterranean architectural feel that is popular in new Chinese developments these days.  Indeed, aside from the signage and guests, I didn’t feel like I was in China at all.   A midrise property that engulfs the pools and hot springs area and then surrounded by a sparsely populated commercial area.  The wings of the hotel were almost too long.  Of course, the privacy this offers being so far from the lobby and spa facilities can be quite nice, but it borders to excessive. 

Amenities:  As a true 5-star property, the amenities were endless.  If you have children, they definitely won’t be bored.  Ample playgrounds and gaming areas are easy to access and a lot of children there.  Even the hot springs themselves have family friendly areas so the little ones can tire themselves out on their own. 

Décor:  Again, Mediterranean feel all around.  The courtyards just outside the rooms and gardens were a nice touch, when you wanted to leave the room in the first place.  It’s traditional, maybe even a bit too conventional as to not offend anyone.  Nice, but not dramatic.  

Service

Staff:  During my stay, the resort was quite busy.  The staff, although ample, were slightly overwhelmed by the crowds but not to the point where they lost their demeanor.  It was obvious to see they were well trained and in the midst of their Superbowl moments… this is what they’d trained for.     Never did I feel left out, pushed aside.  With just a little patience waiting for my turn, the smiles came out and all our needs were satisfied. 

Food:  The food at this resort is far above average.  The breakfast buffet was a welcome treat in the morning and left me full and in a state of relaxing; ready to go sit in the hot springs.  At night, I sampled the fine dining option.  It was a Chinese restaurant but the food was just fair.  Again, nothing amazing or memorable, but good enough to fill my belly and leave me wanting more of the hot pools around the corner.   Don’t forget to try the afternoon tea options; it’s worth the break. 

Cleanliness:  For a hot springs resort of this caliber, you would expect cleanliness to be at a superior level.  For most people, there wouldn’t be any issues, but for my trained and hawk eye for details, there was room for improvement.  But that I mean, the room itself (and most importantly the bathroom) was spotless.  And the pool area was kept free of clutter and random used towels.  But again, it’s the attention to the details and I was slightly turned off by the dirty water stains on the balcony and the eves surrounding my room. 

Experience

Comfort:  It was comfortable.  Period.  The bed was huge, soft and I didn’t want to get out of it.  After a few hours of soaking in the hot springs, it was such a welcome place to come back to, relax on the sofa in the descending living area which had its own TV, put your feet up on the railing of the very private balcony while my guest soaked in the giant bathtub on the other side of the room, and forget about your worries. 

Uniqueness:  The thing that makes this place unique is obviously the quality of the natural hot springs.  Truth be told, resorts like this are abundant in Guangdong.  I’m starting to get the feeling that every resort hotel with a golf course has the same décor and architecture and you can’t tell one from another.  It’s reminds me of the resorts near my hometown in South Orange County, California.  Nice, beautiful even. But, same.

Value:  If you utilize everything this resort has to offer, the value can be found.  Between the hot springs, the size and comfort of the room, the level of service provided by the staff, and the intended purpose of putting the world back in the city in the back of your head for a weekend, the Mayland Resort accomplishes all of this at a price, although not cheap, is not expensive.  You get what you pay for. 

Rojo Rating:

Location:  5

Facilities:  8

Amenities:  8

Décor:  6

Staff:  7

Food:  7

Cleanliness: 7

Comfort: 8

Uniqueness: 5

Value: 6

Total:  67/100

At the end of each day playing in the hot springs, playing on the golf course, or playing in the shopping areas, the resort offers an oasis surrounded by an oasis.  It’s a great all-inclusive area that you can hide for a weekend and recharge your batteries.  For what it promises and what it delivers, It’s par for the course.  And that’s a good thing as this course they’re playing on is highly competitive in the region.