CLUB MED GUILIN UNVEILS A HIP CONTEMPORARY RESORT SET AMID THE
BEAUTIFUL KARST LANDSCAPES IN CHINA
The new Club Med Guilin Resort brings contemporary design and modern art to the
picturesque karst landscapes of Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of
southern China. The 46-hectare resort pioneers new levels of design sophistication
and premium all-inclusive, upscale hospitality in this untouched region revered as
both ‘China’s Most Beautiful Natural Landscape’ and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Club Med appointed Paris-based Studio Marc Hertrich & Nicolas Adnet to give the
pre-existing resort a stylish Club Med makeover, expanding the hotel facilities and
elevating it to the highest Club Med standards. French interior designer Marc Hertrich
has created exceptional designs for Club Med resorts in Cancun Yucatan (Mexico),
Agadir (Morocco), Ixtapa (Brazil), La Plantation d’Albion and Villas (Mauritius),
Phuket (Thailand) and Bali (Indonesia), along with Swiss luxury hotel Le Richemond,
and high-end boutiques and restaurants across Europe.
“Our design for the new Club Med Guilin pays homage to the magnificence of nature
and the magic of its incredible Sculpture Park created by a family of art aficionados. It
also reflects Club Med’s focus on even greater levels of comfort, innovative newconcept venues and a relaxed holiday ambiance,” says Marc Hertrich, Director of
Studio Marc Hertrich & Nicolas Adnet.
The contemporary resort occupies an idyllic rural setting embraced by 50 limestone
peaks, making it one of the most spectacular Club Med locations in the world.
Furniture, fixtures and lighting throughout the resort have been specially designed for
Club Med Guilin by Studio Marc Hertrich & Nicolas Adnet combining local materials
and cultural motifs with a chic French touch. Many of the artworks are also specially
commissioned from local artists.
“With this project we wanted to create a new contemporary identity but at the same
time retain the beautiful existing architecture. The new personality of the resort has
been inspired by the culture, history, minority crafts and architectural language of this
unique region China,” says Marc Hertrich.
WELCOME CENTRE
Upon arrival, guests travel down a long driveway lined with native trees and bamboo.
A large curved red wall and staircase lead to the Welcome Centre where the mythical
panorama marked by rocky outcrops is fully revealed.
The Welcome Centre features Reception services, plus a Discovery Centre, Club
Med Boutique and an Art Gallery. The design of the Welcome Centre contrasts
polished black granite with splashes of red lacquer and gold metal. The main focus is
a huge glass window encompassing the picture-perfect karst and garden scenery
that appears like a traditional Chinese painting.
ART AND COMFORT COMBINE IN LUXURIOUS GUESTROOMS
The expansive resort features 330 elegantly appointed guestrooms spread across
two distinctive hotel wings. The new Courtyard building, with its bamboo printed
façade, offers 284 contemporary guestrooms styled with dark woods and natural
tones, offset with vibrant flourishes of colour. The Courtyard also comprises a
dedicated Lounge, Tea House, Library and a Noodle Bar that is open for late
afternoon snacks and after dinner until late for guests’ convenience.
Guests can choose from classical Red China or Tribal Aqua (blue-green) room colour
themes, the latter inspired by the traditional costumes of the local ethnic minority
tribes. Artistic touches in the guestrooms include a custom-made feature headboard
inspired by an oversized traditional Chinese pattern. The desk/dressing table is
embellished with carved drawers and lacquered detailing, while the TV becomes an
art piece when framed with a traditional block print design. A large black and white
mural of the local scenery by a Taiwanese painter who lives on the site stretches
across an entire wall of each guestroom.
INNOVATIVE SPACES TO DINE, LOUNGE, MEET AND PLAY
The Atelier is the social heart of Club Med Guilin Resort. A former artists’ workshop,
the building is imbued with creative passion and its unusual architectural spaces
have been reimagined as unique venues to dine, socialise, meet and play.
The Atelier comprises the following social areas: The Lounge is an invitingly
theatrical space with a red and gold mosaic carpet representing an unfurling dragon.
This leads through to the 626-seat Theatre complete with an indoor flying trapeze
and a mezzanine lounge, which hosts Club Med evening shows and other gala
events and meetings. The mixed-use Bar is a convivial spot for relaxing and meeting
new friends, incorporating a giant central bar, private KTV and mahjong rooms, plus
a dance floor. Colourful lanterns and oversized birdcages add to the cool circus vibe.
The international buffet Restaurant allows guests to choose their dining ambience
from different themed pavilions – the Painting Lounge, Folk Songs House and
Sculpture Garden with an alfresco dining area.
ENTERTAINMENT AND FUN WITH A SENSE OF CULTURE
All kids are VIPs at Club Med and the designers have created a children’s
wonderland inspired by different aspects of local Guilin culture in the four age-defined
Kid’s Clubs. Thematic settings matched with age-appropriate activities include
‘Osmanthus Flowers’ (Petit Club 2-4 years), ‘Wildlife and Watercraft Along the Li
River’ (Mini Club 4-7 years) and ‘Cormorant Fishing’ (Mini Club 8-10 years). The Mini
Club also incorporates Club Med’s first-ever ‘0-depth’ Pool and Water Fountain
Playground.
Embracing nature is an integral part of holidays at Club Med, and Guilin’s pleasant
year-round climate is an added bonus. Integrated into the natural landscape, guests
have a choice of three swimming pools including a peaceful adults-only Zen Pool
beside the lake and a 1,800 sqm Natural Pool. The temperature-controlled Indoor
Pool is styled in shades of emerald green, turquoise and blue with traditional Chinese
beds and a wall mosaic made up of thousands of pieces of porcelain.
Club Med Guilin Resort has been designed by Club Med’s appointed French design
specialists to blend perfectly with the magnificence of nature and Guilin’s
breathtaking karst landscape. Guests can look forward to the latest comforts and chic
style as they enjoy Club Med’s premium all-inclusive holiday experience.