Somewhere between a youth hostel and a budget hotel, this place is only worth considering if you’re really keen on staying on Shamian Island. It’s not a terrible option, but the rooms are very pokey and quite dated, while the tiny bathrooms are in the annoying ‘showerhead right over the toilet’ style. But it’s clean and the staff are competent if not particularly friendly. And the location diagonally opposite the White Swan Hotel is excellent. Doubles cost ¥200 ($29), twin rooms are ¥180 ($26) and dorm beds are on offer for ¥50 ($7.30). The bare, simple rooms feature a television, a cable for internet access and not much else. There are a few common areas of sorts, scattered around in little pockets in the corridors. But they aren’t exactly fun places to hang out so the chances of meeting other travelers here is slim. A little travel agency based in the hostel can help with tickets and tours. Irritatingly, it’s impossible to book this place through the internet and there’s a chance there will be no space if you just show up. All in all, Guangzhou Youth Hostel is only worth considering for the location. Otherwise you’re better off at the Riverside Youth Hostel or the Lilac International Suites.