Fabulous
✓ The property itself is set in an older building with traditional Chinese style, right by the city wall, a short walk from Zhuque Gate. Its decor is very traditional Chinese, with inner courtyards, little sitting areas with traditional seating and decorations. The rooms are set up to reflect this connection with Chinese culture, which is part of the reason people come to Xi’an. The lovely reception staff doesn’t have much English but they are very helpful and have no problem with working around the language barrier, especially if you can follow their WeChat which translates messages very conveniently. Some of the house-keeping staff are hearing impaired, so they may not respond to guests that well, but they are really friendly and sweet. They also have a large number of cats that live on the ground floor, and have their own kennel to sleep in at night. Quite a few guests wiled away the time playing with the kitties. The location is also excellent — it is easy to get to many of the attractions such as the Bell Tower, Stele Museum, Wall, the Muslim Quarter, Shaanxi Museum, etc. — from the hotel. There are a lot of restaurants (especially street food and barbecue) nearby, night clubs/bars, and little convenience stores (the neighbourhood kind run by grannies) nearby. If you want a regular convenience store, there is a 7-Eleven about a 10-minute walk away. There is also a great little spa around the corner to the right with a Japanese cat theme, and a lovely little tea house a few steps away to the left of the hotel. Despite the busy nightlife in this area (things stay open late near the wall), noise was rarely a problem after 10 or 11 pm. The only evening where it was mildly troublesome was Sunday night. I quite enjoyed my stay!
✗ Some things that detracted slightly from the property was that the breakfast was extremely basic Chinese buffet style — perhaps one or two more staple warm dishes such as stir-fried noodles or dumplings would help... or some granola and milk or yoghurt for foreigners who might not want to eat Chinese-style breakfast and want more variety than toast. The building is quite old, which means that things like hot water take longer to heat up, and some patience is required. There are a couple of other things that future guests may want to consider. Because the hotel is in an old area of town, the street is quite narrow so it may be a bit difficult for a taxi to get to the front of the hotel, especially during the late afternoon and evening. In the morning, it’s not such a big deal. If you run into a problem, arrange for pickup or drop off at the Zhuque Gate a very short walk away. And of course, if you love cats, stay here. If you are allergic, then you might want to consider another property. To be honest, I’d probably come back just for the cats...
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