Frequently Asked Questions

Location

Where are you located?

We are located at the Li River end of Die Cui Road .

Our prime location is just moments from the hustle and bustle of West Street and a few steps from the Li River.

We have vehicle access to our front door and regardless of how you arrive in Yangshuo we have the convenience of being easy to find.

• 5 minutes walk from the bus station
• 2 minutes walk from the Li River wharf

Noise

Many people may have read feedback from previous guests commenting that noise is a problem for Magnolia. Of course our prime location in the heart of Yangshuo does bring with it all the vibrancy of the hustle and bustle of the area and if you have traveled in China you will understand that it is quite a noisy country.

What have we done about it?

Double glazed all our guest room windows. This has assisted to significantly reduce ambient noise and it also helps keep us energy efficient.

We have also been proactive in petitioning the local government to enforce noise laws in the local area. Unfortunately, as with many laws in China that struggle to be fully or partly obeyed by the community, the policing of noise laws is sporadic here in Yangshuo. Our commitment here is ongoing and we continue to lobby for enforcement on a regular basis.

Stairs & Elevators

Why doesn't Magnolia have an elevator?

We understand that not having an elevator may cause some inconvenience however at the time of renovation the capacity in Yangshuo to add an elevator was non-existent.

Guest rooms are located on the 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th floors. Please note that in China an American style floor numbering system is followed. This means that the 1 st floor here in China is actually referred to as the “ground floor” in England and Australia .

In an effort to overcome any inconvenience you may experience:

• We are happy to provide assistance to all guests in carrying luggage to and from your room

• We are happy to accommodate requests for rooms on a lower floor if stairs are likely to be a concern for you

• We have telephones installed in all our rooms enabling you to conveniently contact reception should you have questions or require assistance

Hot Water

Why isn't the hot water in the shower scorching hot?

We use a solar hot water system at the hotel with a circulator to reduce the time the hot water takes to reach your room. A back up boiler system is also used to ensure all our guests get a hot shower, however you may find that the water temperature of the solar water varies and is possibly not as hot as your water at home.

Laundry

Where can I do my laundry?

A reasonably priced, one hour express laundry service is conveniently located opposite the front door of the hotel.

Internet

Why is the internet so slow?

We subscribe to the standard broadband internet service provided here in China . You may however notice it may not be as fast as it is back in your home country or even in the major cities of Beijing or Shanghai .

In terms of size, Yangshuo is a very, very small dot on China 's map. It is a small county village in a developing country. Having said that, the telecommunications network and level of service has experienced massive development and improvement over the past 10 years. There is also an increasing level of demand on internet services from China 's tech savvy youth and society as a whole with more and more Chinese becoming internet users.

It is also likely you may have read about certain restrictions on various information that you are able to access here on the mainland. This process of monitoring and sheer demand on the network tends to mean the service you receive on some days may not be as fast as others.

Why can't I connect to the Wifi signal?

The problem may relate to the settings on your laptop or internet device as some workplaces have specific server addresses to enable internet access.

Star Rating

What is your star rating?

We don't have a star rating.

The star rating system used in China is quite different in terms of categories to those used in most western countries. For example, you may find a 3 star Chinese hotel who plans to increase its star rating by making their lobby larger without actually making any upgrades to rooms or services.

We remain focused on offering the right combination of services for the right price.

Beds

Why are the beds so hard?

Yes, our beds are very firm however they are not the rock hard style that is commonly found in standard Chinese hotels.

Furniture and bedding in China tend to be hard, that's the way most Chinese traditionally prefer. The lack of additional padding also assists in keeping mould at bay in the many months of super high humidity. This mix of preference and practicality means that availability of anything rather than hard is very limited.

Activities

I was talking to someone on the street, at a restaurant or another hotel who said that I was being charged too much for the show, guide, bike ride, taxi etc?

This is not an uncommon comment around town for any guest of any hotel or hostel.
Yangshuo is a tourist town and many people here earn their income from selling services to tourists.
We strive to keep to our philosophy of providing value for money while maintaining a quality product.
We provide the ability to book these additional activities and options as a service and convenience for you. A couple of key points:

• You should never feel pressured to book an option or activity by our staff. (if this happens please immediately speak to management)
• We always try to deal with people we know and trust, however we are unable to guarantee their service to you
• We do not claim to have the cheapest prices in town but we are very competitive
• If you have the time and energy to shop around for the best deal then please feel free to do so

And remember, with a price or deal anywhere – if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is!

Problems

Should you encounter any problems while staying with us, please tell us!

While there are some things we can do absolutely nothing about, some things we can fix or hopefully provide a suitable alternative.

As mentioned earlier, Yangshuo is a very small dot on the China map - a small county village in a developing country. Sometimes things just don't work as we want them too, but it is not for lack of trying.

As each year goes by our infrastructure continues to improve but please remember that sometimes looks can be deceiving. Take for example something as simple as flushing toilet paper down the toilet. At home you would never consider any other alternative. Unfortunately, here in Yangshuo and most other places in China you will find the paper immediately blocks the archaic sewer system wreaking havoc.