Serene sojourn

There are not many places in Dongguan where you can completely escape the Workshop of the World’s noise and congestion. Huying Park’s rest-and-recreation oasis is currently the best of these, and it just got better with the opening of the Sofitel Royal Lagoon Executive Resort.

The 139-room resort hotel is set inside the Hillview Golf Club, the finest public course you are likely to find in China. It is a 15-minute drive from the Sofitel Royal Lagoon, which is under the same management and carries all of the standards expected of its international brand name.

What makes the newcomer different is the serenity of the environment. Each room has a pleasant green view, and is quieter than imaginable in this part of the world. The rooms are spacious, and we particularly enjoyed the big bathroom, which has an entrance from both the foyer and the bedroom. For executives tired after a day full of factory visits, or plain pooped after 18 tough holes, the resort promises a good night’s rest.

There are also nine special “spa” rooms, which are well worth the 1,000 yuan per night price tag. They come with a big bathtub in the middle of a private garden, a small sauna, and a massage table.
Service is still a bit behind what one might expect, but that is usually the case in Dongguan, which has a chronic shortage of English-speaking service-sector workers.

If you prefer a bit more company, there is always the bigger hotel nearby, which has good wining and dining options and a full range of meeting and convention facilities. The Italian restaurant is fairly good, but we preferred the Brazilian barbecue restaurant, where you can gorge yourself on umpteen kinds of meat.

Dongguan Sofitel Royal Lagoon and Executive Resort 东莞索菲特御景湾酒店
8 Yinbin Lu, Dongcheng
东城区迎宾路８号
(86-769) 2269 8888
www.rlagoon-dg.com