Sofitel On Renmin Square Xian Xi'an
Reviews and Rates
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
No.319 Dongxin Street, Xincheng District Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, 710004, 029-87928228,029-87928888
Check Rates and Availability
mm/dd/yyyy
mm/dd/yyyy
Travel Blogs by Travelers Who Stayed at the Sofitel On Renmin Square Xian Xi'an
Today was another really busy day for us with a really early morning. We're starting to think that it was a really good idea to come to China when we were back in Australia, but now that we are here, we are realising that the 6 days we had allowed ourselves is nowhere near enough time. Everything takes twice as long to get to and we are finding that we just simply cant see everything we want to here. But, we're trying our best. We flew from Beijing yesterday afternoon down here to Xi'an. Afte...
Xi'an, China clinto_shaza
Today, Colin and I woke up at 3:45am. We finalized packing up our suitcases and checked out of the hotel by 4:45am in order to be ready for our ride to the airport. Victor was kind enough to wake up early and meet us in our hotel lobby at 5am to drive us. Once again, we are very grateful for all of his help.
Beijing Airport is massive and reminds me of Pearson International Airport in Toronto. We were going to be flying with Air China and attempted to use one of the self-service kiosks...
Since arriving in China, we have been experiencing first-hand Chinese censorship. Several websites are blocked by the Chinese government including Facebook, YouTube, Blogger, and Picasa. TravelPod has been accessible so I am able to update my travel blog every day. And while we can access Canadian newspapers, we miss people back home! We feel so out of touch and far away...
So, if you have a moment, please send us an email (dtomkun@gmail.com or denisewong23@gmail.com) to let us know ho...
The main reason why most tourists visit Xi'an is to see the Terracotta Warriors, sometimes acclaimed to be the "Eight Wonder of the World". Located in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an, the Terracotta Warriors were first discovered in 1974 by some local farmers drilling a well near the mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. About 8000 warriors, a large number of horses, chariots and weapons have been unearthed. Parts of the site are still being excavated by archaeologists today.
The Terracotta...
Today was the worst day of our vacation. While we did lots of sightseeing during the day, the fun we had is overshadowed by an ugly incident that happened tonight. Colin got hit by a stupid bicycle rickshaw. He was hit hard and he was so ****** off. I could tell how mad he was and (un)fortunately, my first instinct was to hold him off because i did not want him to get into a fight on our last night here. He was (still is) upset with me about holding him back and convincing him to let the stup...
Xi'an, Shaanxi, China dtomkun
SOFITEL HOTEL... http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/ fichehotel/gb/sof/5949/fiche_hotel.shtm l 8/12...Flight to Xi'an (2 hours), home of 8,000+ Terra Cotta Warriors and 8M people. Arrived early afternoon and met by guide Eric. Checked into fabulous Sofitel hotel, our top hotel thus far. Took a family swim in the hotel pool and Kris took a sauna and jacuzzi...the men's locker room has a jacuzzi with flat screen tv > heaven! Eric picked us up for dinner and we went to a famous dumpling j...
Xi'an, China rtravels
8/14...Arrived in Guilin at 3pm. Guilin is home to beautiful landscapes (limestone hills covered in green and the Li River) and 640k locals. Michele, our local guide, picked us up a the airport and took us to the Sheraton. Long swim and lunch at the hotel pool, a few drinks in the Club Lounge and we met Michele again for an evening lake cruise (see photos of Sun and Moon Pagodas). All tired so back to hotel for rest. 8/15...Got up and had a little swim time. Ate breakfast and left for the Li ...
Guilin, China rtravels
HE SAID: On our flight from Datong to Xian, we were once again the only white people on the plane. I did notice one other white person while at the airport which totally ruined the experience (I would never do that to him). We arrived at our hotel in Xian and when I asked how much the internet costs for 24 hours the front desk person mentioned in broken English that it is four-fifty Chinese Yuan. This translated into an astounding USD$60. I told her that we have been traveling for 10 months i...
Xi'an, China travelbee
HE SAID: Who can visit Xian without going to see the Terracotta Warriors? Some people consider them the 8th wonder of the world. We really enjoyed our visit there but I actually felt that some of the pictures taken were more impressive than actually being there. A good stop on the trip, but perhaps my expectations were too high.
Xi'an, China travelbee
HE SAID: We woke up earlier than normal to have time for some breakfast and to make our flight to Guilin. I think that our taxi driver (of whom was cheaper than the others) probably took the long route to the airport thereby saving the tolls that probably exist on the faster route. We hit a ton of traffic on the side roads and as a result, we were getting very nervous about making our flight. We were dropped off at the wrong terminal, so we had to run to the proper terminal (in the rain only ...
Xi'an, China travelbee
Historical Traveler Reviews of Sofitel On Renmin Square Xian Xi'an
Loved it
Check-in was faultless, we were greeted by name, and the private car and driver we had requested was arranged efficiently. It was my father in laws birthday during our stay, a fact that was noted by the staff without prompting (his date of birth is in his passport) and lead to the delivery of a beautiful birthday cake to his room on the day itself.
All in all it we were blown away with the fabulous contemporary rooms (we are not prudish enough to be bothered by an opaque glass wall separating bathroom from sleeping area) but it was the attention to detail of the staff regarding customer service that really lifted this hotel head and shoulders above the rest.
We would definately consider stopping again, just need to find another excuse to go to Xi'an!
An Unexpected Delight
In both cases, I disagree and give this hotel highest possible marks. My room was gorgeous. All the details were executed beautifully. The amenities kit in the bathroom was double-deluxe. I absolutely loved the overhead rain showerhead. The glass walls were not a problem for me. Privacy was not an issue as you could shut doors and get privacy, not like you were using an upright coffin mind you -- but it was just fine.
The staff was flawless. English skills were not as high as Beijing or Shanghai but I still think it is awesome the degree to which people either speak English or work hard to make a connection. I think if you want Iowa, it is best to not fly to China.
We had dinner at Casablanca -- Morroccan, Halal, Chinese flavors and it was superb. Excellent food preparation and service. No flaws in any way.
Xi'an is beautiful.
Beautiful hotel, but it doesn't work
It is impossible to stow one's belongings in the room - just two hangars in the large walkin closet and very minimal drawer space in a room large enough to qualify as a suite. Whatever were they thinking?
Fabulous hotel
Very Good choice in Xian
Definately not a 5 star hotel
The good. New (1 year old). Very modern. Clean.
Now the bad. This is probably one of the most poorly designed hotels I have ever stayed in. The first room we were in was really too small for two people. There were no drawers for clothes. There was no closet! There was a 1 inch raised saddle going into the bathroom that we kept tripping on. The towel rack on the sink had sharp edges that I cut myself on. There was a glass wall between the shower and the bedroom so that when I took a shower in the morning I disturbed my wife. There was no convenient electric socket for the coffee pot. When you flush the toilet you have to hold the handle until the flush has completed. (The list is longer than I have time to write.....). Finally the manager moved us to a mini suite, which was larger, but still had design problems. For example there was a glass wall between the bathroom and the bedroom....no privacy. The light switches were impossible to figure out. Called for coffee, it never came. Most of the staff could not be understood when they spoke English, and did not understand us when we asked a question.
Sorry to have to pan this hotel, but they really have a long way to go. This compared to outstanding reviews I gave to the Peninsula Palace in Beijing and the Shangri La in Shanghai
Refuge from the cold & pollution
1) everything is still new and nicely decorated
2) spacious rooms & bathroom
3) friendly, accomodative and helpful staff
4) a refuge vs. the zoo in town
5) good food, tried Azur, Casablanca & Koi, best out of the 3 that I tried was Casablanca, not just Moroccan food but basically muslim food from dif parts of the world including China
6) reasonable rates (1/2 the price of what I paid for St. Regis in Beijing but a better overall experience)
7) internet access
8) variety of restaurants
the bad parts
1) showed up late & had zero bell boy service
2) despite location within the city walls, not as centrally located as other hotels
3) could be cleaner, found hair in the bathtub, air quality in the hotel was so so, the spa was also not clean
but I agree with the other reviews that this is probably the best place in town
Amazing Hotel!! The best I've stayed in China.
Apparently they recently redid the hotel within the past few months, and it is fabulous. In particular, the SPA is amazing. Excellent workout utiliies. Excellent food (breakfast was amazing) and service. The rooms are amazing. I would stay there a month if I could!
Note that this is my first time to Xi'an, but my stay was very nice.
OK- but not quite there yet
The breakfast buffet is pretty good although realize you are in CHINA, and therefore the western food isn't that great, but they have some really nice traditional food. I'm not sure about the other review on cofee - since it came right away (by the way - it's certainly not a "novel" beverage in china).
The only negative comments really were that the lighting system is kinda wierd since you have to figure out the right combination of switches to get the right lights on which we though kinda wierd, and the shower doors don't shut all the way so you may get water all over if not careful (we had two rooms and both had these problems).
As I said, i think it's a nice hotel, but maybe we were expecting way too much since everyone was telling us it was the new hot thing. Service is great however, we had some problems with our trip and they did a lot to help us and really went out of their way - they will do whatever they can if you have a problem.
Great hotel
The lobby is not as high ceilinged and imposing as others, but is certainly very pleasant and comfortable. The hallways, rooms and bathrooms are quite luxurious.
Room doors are paired, and in recessed entries from the hallways.
Furnishings are richly burnished dark hardwoods, bedding is cotton duvet and down quilt.
Rooms contain air conditioning, minifrige, safe, spacious partitioned closets, bedside lighting control console, broadband internet access (RJ 45 jack). No ironing board or iron. Laundry service is expensive (e.g. equivalent of 15 USD for a shirt). Plenty of wall sockets, but no nearby convenience stores; probably easier to by a converter at Radio Shack for about $25 before departure.
Bathrooms are equally luxurious: western style commode, full tub and adjacent shower behind floor-to-ceiling glass partition.
Breakfast buffet offers western, chinese and japanese choices and omelette bar and was excellent. We did not try lunch or dinner as we ate in town.
Swimming pool was closed for repairs during our stay.
Staff is dignified, efficient and courteous. Exception is that serving of cofee at breakfast is sluggish, but this seems to be true everywhere we went in China. Wait staff seem to be trying to learn how to deal with this novel beverage.
This hotel is not centrally located, and is about 15-20 RMB/yuan cab fare each way from the Bell Tower area and the high class shopping district.
Check Rates and Availability
mm/dd/yyyy
mm/dd/yyyy
Location of the Hotel
Africa | Asia | Australasia | Europe | Middle East | North America | South America | Central America | Caribbean
Copyright © 1997 - 2009 TravelPod.com, a proud founder of travel blogs on the web. All Rights Reserved.