For regular visitors of China, the title should bring a knowing smile. Chinese-government run hotels and hostels are not famous for good service - until we found this exceptional hotel on our recent visit, known locally as Xiamen Bin Guan. All the best attributes that one would expect from a world class hotel are featured here, at a fraction of the price:
a) service - the service level was consistently high in all major attributes: responsiveness, anticipation, attention to detail, knowledge, courtesy, respect, warmth
b) hardware - spotlessly clean, nicely (but not lavishly) furnished rooms (Building 8 where we stayed at was renovated last year), good lighting, well laid out room configuration, power shower (no tubs in our deluxe twin room, a small drawback), fast wifi (the hotel will supply wireless router on demand - but the ethernet works real well, and you really don't need to move around the room that much), good bedding (maybe a bit too strong for western backs), multiple channel selections including western channels
c) environment - the hotel sits in its own large, park-like ground, befitting a government owned hostel. While offering a sense of serenity away from the hustle and bustle, the hotel is within a ten minute walk from the pedestrian mall on Zhong Shan Street; however, if you are looking for a water front hotel, this is not the place to come to
d) food and beverage - we only had breakfast here, because Xiamen has very good street food, and we did not stay in the hotel much during the day, but in three days of breakfast, I did not eat the same item more than once (except maybe the stir-fry vegetables); the buffet featured the usual breakfast items, including western and Chinese dishes, and then there were Xiamen specialties. In general, the Chinese dishes are better than the western dishes, but there is sufficient variety to satisfy anybody's taste and will sustain and nourish you well into the day; the coffee is strong and good
e) value - Trip Advisor rates it No. 17 in Xiamen, and I recommend it highly; we paid RMB628 each night including breakfast (this was a five-day advance booking special; without it, the breakfast costs an extra RMB25 each); definitely a great bargain
f) special commendations - I have three commendations. One, the bar on the lounge is a very comfortable place to relax and have a drink; two, the doorman hands you a slip with the taxi licence number written down when you get in or out, in case you lose anything in the taxi, quite a thoughtful touch I must say; finally, this is the kicker - I went down to the hotel's business center/travel desk to book a car/driver for a city tour; after she heard me outline the places I wanted to see, the girl took great patience and explained to me that what I needed to see I could easily do by public transit, and then proceeded to tell me how. I ended up saving RMB600 for the day's car and driver (spending only RMB4 per person on the local transit which was clean and safe!). This is not fairy tale, but a reflection of how genuinely nice the hotel staff is. While the next time I come to Xiamen (highly recommended tour destination, number two on the list this year behind Sanya and ahead of Lijiang), I might opt for a hotel with a waterfront view or better yet stay at the Gulangyu, but then for overall satisfaction, I have not had such an enjoyable experience for a long time regardless of how much I spend, as evident from this long diatribe...