Resting on the waters of Huizhou West Lake, the Huizhou Hotel occupies a unique geographical and historical position. The complex spreads across Piyun Island and Fubi Isle, its low-rise buildings connected by winding bridges and traditional lake corridors. Visitors walking through the shaded grounds tread on centuries of local history. During the Ming Dynasty, this site was Xixin Garden, the private estate of the scholar Li Xueyi. In 1724, the Qing government erected the Five Gentlemen Shrine here to honor prominent local intellectuals. War erased these original structures in the mid-twentieth century. In 1950, the local government reclaimed the islands, establishing a reception station that eventually became the modern Huizhou Hotel.

The architecture adapts seamlessly to its aquatic environment. Classically styled pavilions—including the Biyun, Xixin, and Wanghu buildings—are scattered among tall palms, osmanthus, and bauhinia trees. The Wanghu Building holds official recognition as a protected historical structure. The designers arranged the complex to capture breezes from the lake, maintaining the area's historical reputation as a natural summer retreat.

Today, the hotel operates as a four-star government reception facility and a public accommodation. Guests and visitors can walk the pathways, observing how mid-century state architecture blends with classical Chinese garden design. The grounds offer a quiet space to reflect on the continuous reinvention of the West Lake islands, from a scholar's private refuge to a modern center of local diplomacy and hospitality.