Short Cuts: Guangzhou

ROOM AT THE INN There are no hotel bargains to be had during Guangzhou's trade fair. Showing their entrepreneurial best, the city's hoteliers routinely double prices through the fair weeks, at the end of April and October. That said, rip-offs come in varying degrees. Among the handful of five-star hotels, the elegant White Swan on colonial Shamian Island has rooms from $290 a nightcall (86-20) 8188-6968 for reservations. Accommodation at the China Hotel, a mere stone's throw from the fair site, starts around $300; call (86-20) 8666-6888. Closer to the city center and most nightspots is the Garden Hotel, tel: (86-20)...