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An Abandoned Sugar Mill Becomes China’s Latest Luxury Resort

The glamorous hotel with retro touches makes use of the dramatic scenery in the Chinese countryside

By Lucy Rees
Fall 2017
Outdoor pool with lounge chairs and umbrellas, surrounded by lush greenery and rustic architecture in a mountainous setting.
The pool at the Alila Yangshuo, China’s latest luxury offering. Photo: Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo

Staying at the Alila Yangshuo is like being inside a classic Chinese scroll painting, with its jagged karst topography and misty rivers, but with all the amenities of a modern luxury resort. A former 1920s sugar mill that was left in ruins after decades of turmoil, the 117-room luxury hotel is situated on the Li River near Guilin and preserves elements of the heritage buildings to dramatic effect. The former pressing room, its concrete mounting intact, is now a bar specializing in rum cocktails. The subterranean spa, in the former molasses tank, offers a variety of sugar scrub treatments. And most stunningly, the outdoor pool is framed by the steel columns that once formed the mill’s sugarcane loading area. A salvage job has never been so sweet. alilahotels.com

Industrial building with brick chimney and lit windows at night, mountains in background, reflected in calm water surface.
The hotel, housed in a 1920s sugar mill, illuminated at night. Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo

Modern hotel room with large bed, seating area, TV, and glass doors opening to a view of lush green forest scenery outside.
A refined guest room. Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo

Spacious living room with red circular seating area, high ceilings, and large windows. Person standing at a desk.
A sunken seating ring adds panache to the reception area. Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo

Luxurious resort pool with loungers and umbrellas, surrounded by tall pillars and mountainous landscape at dusk.
Set within the compound’s former sugarcane loading dock, the pool boasts enchanting vistas of the dramatic topography. Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo

Luxurious modern living room with glass table, leather seating, and warm lighting set against exposed brick walls and wooden beams.
The retro living room in one of the “Heritage” suites. Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo

Person ascending a spiral staircase inside a modern, concrete building with dramatic architectural features.
An ultra-modern spiral staircase descends into the subterranean spa, created with volcanic rocks unearthed during the resort’s construction. Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo

Outdoor seating area with large cushions on a wooden deck overlooking a serene lake and misty mountains in the background.
Materials like bamboo were deployed throughout the compound to create a link to the surrounding landscape. Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo

Sunset over a tranquil river with silhouetted mountain peaks and a hazy sky in the background.
A spellbinding sunset in Giulin. Courtesy of Alila Yangshuo