grayland

Returning to the topic..... The only rate at the St. Regis (Jan 18-21) for around $165. is an internet only rate..non cancel. I never book these as things do change and I seem to get caught every time.

I have a non-cancel stay booked in Warsaw in March and I am sure it will end up giving me trouble before it is over...but the rate was fantastic.

PTravel

My rate is, indeed, an internet rate, and I didn't see the "non cancel" part until after I confirmed. Fortunately, it's moot for me as it's highly unlikely that I'll be cancelling.

iahphx

Planning a tourist trip to Xian with the family. As a Cat 1 -- with a cash & points option no less -- the Sheraton is almost "free." But I know it's got a relatively poor location. Everyone says the Hyatt is better, and at least location-wise, that's obvious. But I'd have to PAY to stay there (admittedly, Xian isn't terribly expensive, but I might need 2 rooms, and it seems like a room at the Hyatt could cost about $90).

It seem like the choice of visiting a place where you have family in the suburbs (and could stay for free), but it would be more convenient to pay for a room downtown.

Any first hand recommendations on what I should do? Or of a well-located, quality non-chain hotel in Xian that would offer even better value?

AZ Travels the World

I think that's a good way to look at it. As long as you expect to spend a fair amount of time in traffic, you won't be surprised when you are.

Personally, I'd spend the $90 x 2, as the Hyatt is in that much better of a location with much more to see & do within walking distance (vs. nothing, other than local streets at the Sheraton), but that's a personal preference.

Doc Fraud

If you've stayed in the Hyatt Austin TX, then you have stayed at the Hyatt Xian. Obviously there are more Chinese touches, but in terms of layout and room quality they are IMO identical.

Watch out for the air quality in Xian if you are travelling with little ones

DF

ManilaPremEx

We were at the Sheraton Xian in October. Yes, it's a bit out from the downtown - but Xian is not that big, and taxis are cheap. Given the platinum upgrade to exec floor it was a good choice for us.

iahphx

One recent review says the Sheraton Xian has improved, such that it is more competitive with the Hyatt. Any recent experiences to report?

http://frommers.com/destinations/xian/H48216.html

olimaspecto

I stayed here in May and it was a pretty good hotel. The staff was pretty good about helping out though it was annoying that when I had a problem with the cab driver that they did not assist. The hallways and rooms are nice though, and the main restaurant serves a good breakfast buffet.

nymets

My wife and I are doing some extensive travelling and after spending some time at the Westin Tokyo, Le Meridien Grand Pacific Tokyo, Westin Kyoto, we stayed at the Sheraton Xian. After reading some of these posts, I have to admit that I was a little nervous.

During this stay, I was bridging Gold/Platinum status and I decided just to accept the Gold status for the entire stay. I booked a standard room and was upgraded to a deluxe room. The first room they showed us was not renovated and despite being non-smoking smelled of smoke. We were then taken to a corner room on the 6th floor (a recently rennovated floor) and we were extremely impressed. The room was very clean and comfortable. The bathroom was very nice as well.

We booked a 2 night package through spg.com for about $175 USD per night which included breakfast, round trip airport transfer and a full day tour of Terra Cotta Warriors/Hot spring. The airport transfer alone would have cost $41 per person each way if we didn't book with a package! The tour was a private tour with an english speaking guide and we were escorted in a Lexus sedan. Breakfast was pretty good.

Some people complain about the hotel's proximity, but within 15 minutes, we were at the city wall and the cab cost about $1.50 USD.
Anyway, while I haven't seen the Shangri-La or the Hyatt, I would be surprised that a Starwood member would choose one of them over this property. Just my two cents...

iahphx

This hotel gets very mixed reviews. I stayed there last month and thought it was, by the far, the least impressive Starwood property I had stayed in in China. I didn't like the location (although, as you say, a cheap 15-minute cab ride solves this problem), I thought the concierge was useless, and the front desk staff ill-trained.

The rooms themselves are fine, however, and the executive lounge breakfast/evening drinks snacks good. Unlike in some of the better Chinese Sheratons (Suzhou, Beijing Great Wall), don't expect the staff to "go the extra mile" or be creative in making your stay comfortable.

As far as prices go, the previous poster quoted the hotels own transportation rates. At all Chinese hotels -- at least the ones I've stayed at -- booking a car through your hotel is a rip off. For instance, I paid 100 yuan (about $12.50) for a one way taxi ride to the Warriors (lightly-negotiated since it seemed fair, not sure what the meter would have been -- obviously no English-speaking guide, although I suspect most people would find one unnecessary). I recall hearing that a taxi to the airport is about the same (I arrived by train, dirt cheap taxi ride).

As a Cat. 1, this hotel only cost me 2000 points/night for a weekend stay, and there is also a ridiculously low cash & points deal. An extra 1500 points/night got me upgraded to the Executive Floor with free breakfast and evening drinks/snacks. Obviously, a good reason for SPG members to pick this hotel. If you have the points, I think you'd get better value booking it that way and making your own transporation arrangements. If you're paying cash, I think the rooms go for about $80/night, so if you need the airport transfers and the tour (and the additional hand-holding that goes with that), the package price sounds fair (although you could comfortably see the Warriors and have roundtrip airport transfers for well under US$100).

nymets

Actually, my wife and I were very impressed with the staff. There were very helpful and we are demanding Manhattanites. Anyway, I just wanted to clear the air that this hotel is not a terrible hotel. We were impressed with the service and if you can secure a recently rennovated room, it's nucer than its Category 1 status may suggest.

iahphx

Yeah, you're not alone in that view -- other people have defended this hotel as well.

My own experience was that the staff has a script to follow and will not waiver from that script even if common sense would demand it. Moreover, Steve the concierge seemed to know nothing other than how to sell you over-priced hotel tours. Very different from the help I got in, say, Suzhou or Beijing, where the Sheraton staff is smart and empowered.

In my mind, the only reason to stay here are the SPG benefits. I got my room for next to nothing on points, and also a cheap upgrade to the executive floor. Without those benefits, I'd recommend folks pick another Xian hotel.

kevinsac

I have nothing but compliments for the hotel staff and for the property. I'd stay there again .... but then, I hardly ever stay at a non-Starwood property. I do not remember the taxi ride being as long as 15 mins......but then, I'm getting older and older.

It is, however, the most-polluted city I have ever visited. The brown smoke from the coal-burning power stations, added to the exhausts from the two-stroke engines, makes it bad. From our room (we were top floor, 7th?), we could not even see the end of the block. And at night, when we showered at the end of a day of sightseeing, you could literally see the dirt wash off your body and the twirl down the drain.

Despite that.....I'd go back to Xi'an in a second!

jesus4jets

Summer of '06 at the Sheraton, Hyatt and Sofitel in Xian. The Sofitel, by far, is the nicest and most luxurious place in town. All three stays (in June, July and August) the rates were comparable - about 520 RMB per night for a non-refundable reservation. The Hyatt has an okay location, but as above posters have said its like any 3.5 star hyatt in a mid-american city. Sheraton location is not as good, but otherwise the same as the hyatt. Sofitel is immaculate, great location, and rooms are true 5 star quality. For roughly $65/night, I have no idea how they can make any money given the amenities provided. It seemed a little deserted when we were there, however, unlike the sheraton and hyatt which were filled with tour groups.

iahphx

Didn't the Sofitel just open? Perhaps that accounted for its lack of business. I recall driving by it and it looked quite nice from the outside.

As to the poster who thought Xian was the most polluted city he'd visited, it could have been a temporary condition. I know I visited Beijing for the first time in August for 4 days, and I couldn't believe how bad the "weather" seemed. A perpetual smoggy haze lay over the city. But then, 2 weeks later, I went back and it was mostly sunny and far more bearable.

FWIW, I didn't notice any particular pollution when I was in Xian. Of course, I had already been in China for a couple of weeks by then, so I might have been immune. I do remember have a clear view from my hotel window (although there wasn't a heck of a lot to see out the Sheraton's windows).