Which hotel in Kunming and Xiamen?
 

Anyone here with suggestions of an IHG, Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt Hotel to stay in Kunming and Xiamen? I'm not familiar with either cities. Ideally, the hotel should be close to transit/subway and not difficult to get to the airport. I also wouldn't mind if the hotels are close to the airport.

Thank you.

Many good hotels in XMN, but my go-to is the Sheraton. Good location ( for me) , less than 15 minute 25-odd yuan ride to airport,
excellent lounge, and never missed a suite upgrade ( in 30+ stays).

If going as a first-time tourist, you may want to stay on Gulangyu, but the city is compact enough that you can stay anywhere and get around easily.

Sorry, never stayed overnight in KMG, only day transits so no recommendations.

Yea, I read about Gulangyu, but I really don't know much about XMN. I'll be "nearby" since I'll be in HKG. I want to visit for a day or two. How did you get from the airport to the Sheraton? I'm assuming taxi? Does XMN have a subway system? If so, I'm assuming they have their own fare card as well?

I use taxis exclusively in Xiamen - cheap and no rip-off drivers ( just have the address written in Mandarin).
There is a subway system, but it just opened in the past year or so, and I have not had the opportunity to try it.
Taxis are cheap and plentiful.

Although I have never been to XMN before, I've had nothing but bad experiences with taxis. They're all looking to rip me off and make money. That's why I avoid them unless I absolutely need them.

If you're worried about taxis using rigged meters or taking circuitous routes (I'm not worried about this myself), why not use Didi instead?

I never used it in China before (believe it or not). Can I set it up with a foreign credit card like Grab?

Yes.

I stayed with my wife in the Hotel Indigo, Xiamen last September and it was fine. Very close to the sea front and also convenient for the airport (via a very long tunnel). With regard to Gulangyu, it is very Chinese and not so easy for Westerners to get to because of restricted ferry access. I also would not want to take heavy baggage onto the island as it is primarily traffic free. Much better to visit Gulangyu as a day trip.

Can you elaborate on that please?

The shortest ferry ride is only five minutes but that is only for Gulangyu Island residents until after 7 pm. Everyone else has to use the Dongdu international cruise ship terminal and this is a 20 minute trip. Apparently it can be very crowded and so may not have same-day tickets available. Having said that, when we were there in September we just went to the terminal around 10 am and were able to buy tickets for the next sailing. Note that you will need your passport to buy a ticket, unless you are a Chinese citizen.

Is there a reason why going to Gulangyu is this difficult? I think I'm going to heed your advice there. I don't want to be dragging my 28" suitcase to Gulangyu.

The more convenient Gulangyu ferry hauls a lot of freight during the day. Many locals depend on it for their livelihoods, carrying literally chickens and vegetables on their shoulders to the markets on both sides. IIRC, the locals' fare is only about USD$1 roundtrip. I surmise that tourists are required to use the other ferry to reduce the traffic bottleneck as well as extract more money from them.

I enjoyed Gulangyu immensely, but only because I wanted 2 full days of quietness and it was the perfect place for it. In the evening and early morning, you can really feel to have the island all to yourself -- and the cats. There are lots of them on the island.

Stayed at the Sofitel in Kunming this week. Positive experience all around and I recall the price wasn't bad either. Staff were really nice. Worth noting they have a decent gym as well. I guess Sofitel doesn't meet the criteria above but in any case I liked the hotel. Ride to/from airport was around 30min I recall. Joy City mall was around 20min walk from the hotel.

Have stayed at the Crowne Plaza City Centre a few times as well. Perfectly fine but a little less polished than the Sofitel. Perfectly adequate but more patience required... Nice area for walking in my books. Again, car to/from airport around 30min.

Just checked into the Sheraton Xiamen - it was a 10 minute 23 RMB taxi ride in heavy traffic.
First time I've stayed here and not gotten a suite upgrade - they cite heavy occupancy.