On the winding banks of the River Tse, in and amongst undulating karst mountains, stands an old sugar mill, its structure ominous and imposing, and breathtaking. From the river, where bamboo rafts drift to and from nearby Yangshuo, the mill’s cluster of 1960s buildings look as if they’re lost in time, framed by what’s left of the industrial truss, with a tall brick chimney no longer puffing out smoke and a watchtower keeping no guard. Come closer though and the mill’s revival by Beijing-based Vector Architects and interior firm Horizontal Space Design becomes evermore apparent, now making this one of China’s most architecturally spectacular hotels. 

Alila Yangshuo opened in 2017, with 177 contemporary suites that have been designed to at once contrast and compliment the heritage buildings and their natural surroundings, blending the old with the new. Locally reclaimed wood and concrete, floor-to-ceiling glass windows and large balconies give the bedrooms an indoor-outdoor feel, absorbing the towering mountains outside. They are housed in a newly-built building that’s angular shape reflects that of the original Sugar House, home to the restaurant (serving an east-west culinary fusion), gallery and cinema room, that has been carefully restored to make the most of its scale and striking brickwork and beams. Bar 1969 occupies the old pressing room opposite, its sunken bar and double height ceilings giving dramatic effect.