Hyatt Xian REVIEW - MASTER THREAD - NO LONGER HYATT 7/1/11
 

I asked over on the Starwood forum about the Sheraton Xian and got a recommendation for the Hyatt Xian. Anyone had any recent experience there? I have no Hyatt status, but I am Hilton Diamond. Will Hyatt comp me status on a stay so I can get lounge access, breakfast, etc.? Thanks.

Hyatt will comp you to Diamond access. Their RC lounge is very nice, and the location is good. You'll enjoy your stay if you check-in as a Hyatt Diamond.

HR Xian Report
 

I stayed at this property last week and can second the generally excellent recommendations it has received on this board. I have a few comments that may be helpful for those considering a trip to Xian.
Xian is a walled city with the ancient city walls still intact (restored, and worth a visit while you are there--you can rent a bike and ride atop the length of the walls if you wish). However unlike many European walled cities with which you may be familiar, Xian's walled section is quite large (nearly 10 miles in circumference!). Thus, even if the HR wasn't reputed to be the best hotel in town it would be worth staying there for the location as it is the only elite property "inside the walls." From any hotel outside the walls it is way too far to walk to the sights of the old city.
As for the HR--if you are not eligble for an automatic upgrade (I am not) you still can book an RC room on the Hyatt web site for only a little more than the price of a regular room. Our room last week was $129 including tax and service for a room on the Club floor with all the amenities. The breakfast alone is worth it. Also, during afternoon drinks the lounge is frequented by expats who live in the hotel during their business stints in Xian. The hotel maintains a dozen or so apartments for this purpose; the expats are a great source of info about the city.
Finally, if you have the time by all means don't just visit the terracotta warriors while you're there. Xian is worth an additional full day as it is a very interesting city including a large Muslim population. The Muslim quarter/market street (near the Drum Tower--ask for directions as it's tricky) is something one expects to find in the Middle East rather than in China. The Shaanxi History Museum is first rate, some say the best museum in China, and contains excellent English descriptions of every item it displays. Xian was the ancient capital of China long before Beijing and retains a sense of its history much more than Beijing or Shanghai IMHO.

Hyatt Xian - will you pay 200 yuan for breakfast?
 

I searched the past Hyatt Xian threads but no details on breakfast costs..

So, would like to hear from FTers - would you pay $598 (yuan) for room only, or opt for the $798 for room + breakfast for two?? I read good reviews about breakfast at Hyatt Xian, but just wonder if there's also another options nearby (within one-two blocks) for breakfast?

Also, do anyone knows how much the hotel charges if order airport transfer from them??

thanks, Helen

Never stayed at the Hyatt Xian, but you can probably get a decent local breakfast for 10 Yuan per person if there's any local eatieries around.................but it almost certainly wouldn't be the Western breakfast that you'd get at the Hyatt..........

"Never stayed at the Hyatt Xian, but you can probably get a decent local breakfast for 10 Yuan per person if there's any local eatieries around................."

Feel the same way.. but just not sure if there's any local eatieries around the hotel area??

And, regarding hotel car transfer, I found out the answer - it is 450 yuan (one way) if you book a car directly from Hyatt Xian. Too expensive when taxi is around $150...

I'd never book a car theu a hotel in China. Even after the cab driver tries (and even if he/she succeeds) to rip you off, you'll still pay less than half for a taxi than a hotel car..............

I stayed at this hotel in May and thought it was great (we were upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite). We ate breakfast in the lounge but the main restaurant on the ground floor was very good when we had dinner there. 200 RMB is only about $25, and I would think the breakfast at the Hyatt would be worth $12.50 a person. There is quite a lot nearby (the Hyatt is in a great location) so you should be able to find good, cheap breakfast outside the hotel if you want.

As for transportation to/from the airport, we booked a van at the airport (there's a kiosk just as you're leaving the baggage claim area). I forget exactly what the rate was, but it was quite reasonable. We used the same van service to take us around Xi'an as well.

Thanks, Johnep1! We will check out the van/car kiosk you mentioned in the airport.. and after thinking it over, we opt for the rate w/ breakfast (so one less thing to worry about).

Does anyone have any recent experience with this hotel? Looking for any tips or comments that might make for a better trip. Thank you.

This hotel is in the absolute center of town. There are a zillion local eateries within a 5-10 minute walk, including a number just across from the hotel.

as mentioned from several posters, the staff is very nice and I just simply love their RC! Fantastic staff and good choices of food.

The only downside which I can find from this hotel is that it's pretty old now and the bed is.. well, pretty hard for my taste. I have started to go to hotel all over the world with the best quality of beds.. After all, I don't spend a lot of my time in the hotel room BUT certainly will sleep there.. So the quality of beds are becoming more and more crucial!

For some reason, the beds in more than one China Hyatt are really hard. I think it's by design! In at least one hotel, I've requested for it to be softened and they bring in an extra foam thingie. Try asking next time, it might work.

It's not just Hyatt - the beds in China in general tend to range from hard to cement slab-like.

We stayed mid-May 2009 and had a very good stay.

The best thing about this hotel is the location - as others have said, you can walk to a number of shopping locations, restaurants (including the Hui (Muslim minority) restaurant Lao Sun Jia, Defachang dumpling restaurant, the bell tower, etc.) You can easily walk to the nearest City Gate (and if you want to tour is, as others mention it is HUGE - about 2 miles per side, so use the bicycles available for rent, or use the golf cart service.)

I am unsure about the rates, as we were with a National Geographic Expedition (some of the perquisites included lecture by the Curator at the Terra Cotta Warriors in the VIP salon, use of the VIP viewing platform and access to the restoration platform - walking among the warriors is quite a thrill!) I would also recommend visiting the tomb of Qin Shihuang, to see another take on terra cotta company for the afterlife .

The rooms are normal sized, and spare - almost ascetic - with firm beds and good HVAC and amenities. HSIA is via Ethernet and CNY 80 per 24 hours, lighting is decent but not remarkable, electricity operation is using a master switch you insert a card in (or, a folded bit of cardboard or heavy paper... ;)) All the mold cons were provided, including ironing set, and laundry was speedy. Of course, the minibar was overpriced, but this is a hotel.

Service was excellent, the restaurant was quite good (breakfast buffet quite well done,) and the shops are unbelievably pricey - get souvenirs elsewhere (one of our party chose to purchase a full-sized terra cotta replica of a General - he was able to get it to CNY 1,800 at the TC Museum, including shipping to Seattle and insurance - the hotel wanted nearly CNY 8,000 for the same; another indicator is as we stopped to glance, three staff descended on us!)

If I were visiting Xi'an, I would stay here again in a trice, and would not hesitate to recommend it to others.