Yangshuo, China
Renovated
2020
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Design Heritage ResortOutside the door
The house
Aurua ResortsPost-industrial mill resort
A disused 1960s sugar mill is reimagined as a riverside resort, set against sheer limestone karst peaks.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Perforated concrete screens and board-marked gables contrast with preserved 1960s industrial brickwork.
Notable
A decommissioned 1960s state-owned sugar mill preserved with its original steel trusses.
Notable
Limestone cliff rock climbing, river excursions from the dock, and a gantry-framed pool.
What they say
One Michelin Key
Michelin
Concrete never felt as light as it does in these perforated, screen-like structures, which contrast with the weathered brickwork of the original industrial buildings...
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
The grounds line a quiet bend of the Li River, just a short drive from central Yangshuo.
The rooms
Local timber and terrazzo line the rooms, where private balconies look out across bamboo gardens and limestone peaks.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The outdoor swimming pool sits along the Li River bank, framed by the mill's preserved 1960s gantry crane.
The spa
A concrete spiral staircase descends into the subterranean spa, set inside the mill's circular molasses storage tanks.
1969 Bar
The bar occupies the mill's former sugarcane pressing room, shaking rum cocktails sweetened with local cane sugar.
At the table
Sugar House Restaurant fills the former refining room, serving Chinese and international dishes beneath dark timber trusses.
How it began
Beijing studio Vector Architects transformed the decommissioned sugar factory, keeping its original red brickwork and industrial steel trusses.
Good to know
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Sugarhouse
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Yangshuo
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.