Xilan Hotel, Lanzhou and other Lanzhou, China Hotel/Accommodation Reviews

This is the typicval run-of-the-mill Chinese 4 star hotels that is overpriced, overstaffed, overheated, dimly lit, and the staff know absolutely nothing about anything in the locality...and you get all this for RMB480 per night!
The room was just grubby, aping Western hotels, but missing the mark. The room card, when removed from its 'jack' in the room, instantly plunges the room into total darkness with no 'grace period' to get your bags or coat.
The wallpaper was peeling. The bathroom tiles were loose and cracked. The shower control was totally and utterly random to the point of being extremely dangerous: it switched from icy cold to scalding hot without warning. This could cause serious injuries.
The lift doors slam shut and the safety strip doesnt always seem to work - again dangerous. The fire doors were never closed during the entire night.
The 30th floor revolving restaurant ("Circumgyrate Restaurant - The Only One!") was laughable: the poor design means that all you see at night is the ceiling lights and ceiling refelcted in the glass. The menu was poor, and they couldn't provide ANY cold beer.
The food was overcooked and lukewarm.
The staff, including kitchen staff, gathered to watch me eat at close range (eleven of them at one point) and chat quite loudly about me. It was discomforting.

Unique Qualities: Great view from the 30th floor if:
a) Lanzhou wasn't one of the most polluted cities on the planet.
b) the design meant that you could see out of the window at night, and
c) the revolving mechanism didn't make you seasick (I had visions of the whole restaurant unnscrewing off the top of the hotel!)

Leave a Comment

Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$20-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0931 8628998
Address: 133 Tuan Jie Xin Cun, Dingxilu
Other Contact: 0931 8612396

Didn't stay, but looked at rooms.
Looked clean and smart, and - as ofetn in China - good value and comfortable.
Street is very busy and the lobby area is sterile.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$20-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0931 8833555
Address: 555 Tianshui Nan Lu
Other Contact: 0931 8855131

I am no great fan of Chinese 4 star hotels. They are always overpriced and offer poor value for money. However, in the space of one week, I stayed in two 4 star hotels that really do "match the stars". The Legend Hotel in Lanzhou is one of them (the other is the Dunhuang Binguan).

The rooms are spacious and high floors (at the front) have a good view over the rooftops of Lanzhou (no great view, admittedly, but if the sun is shining and the sky is clear it is is impressive). The beds are hard (as is common in China) but comfortable, and it all felt quite classy.

The reception staff are helpful and several speak good English, however the Western restaurant lets the place down a bit. While I was staying they were refurbishing the kitchen, so enabling them to say "It will take an hour to prepare your meal because the kitchen has moved up from the ground floor to the third floor".

My reply of "It takes 30 seconds to go from the third to the ground floor....what's the reason for the rest of the hour's delay?" was totally lost on them.

Unique Qualities: The hotel has a good, but small coffee shop on the ground floor. However, because of the huge (seriously huge) armchairs, there are only about three tables meaning it fills up quickly. It's not open for breakfast though, opening at 12.30pm on weekdays and 10am a the weekend.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0931 8532888
Address: 529 Tianshui Nanlu
Directions: On the eastern side of the city centre, on the junction with Dong Gang Xi Lu
Website: http://www.lanzhoulegendhotel.com
Other Contact: Fax: 0931 8532333

The Lanzhou Binguan has been upgraded to a 4 star hotel, although rooms are still of the 3 star level in the older wings to the side.

I haven't stayed here but have eaten several times at the restaurant which is very good.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Address: Dong Gang Xi Lu
Directions: On the NW corner of the huge junction. It is convenient for the train station and the bus service to the airport.