Holiday Inn Express Nanjing Xi'anmen by IHG

The location was my favorite part: the subway is within 100 feet, and getting an Uber equivalent ride in China was easy and cheap, usually with a wait under five minutes. There are also plenty of good, reasonably priced restaurants within walking distance. They weren’t fancy, but the food was very good. I spent a week here in summer 2025 with my two grown-up kids. Finding a reasonably priced hotel elsewhere with a room big enough for three had been difficult, and a relative recommended this one. The price was very reasonable, and booking was friendly. The young staff were cheerful, polite, and helpful throughout. Our family room was very clean and functional, with technology that seemed more advanced than what we have in the States. The large curtain was electric, and we had a huge outdoor terrace. There’s a gym and swimming pool run with an outside company, but hotel guests can use them. Breakfast was included each morning and felt like a feast of traditional Chinese delicacies, with some American continental choices too. The washer and dryer took me a few tries to figure out because they were a bit too high-tech for me. You can ask the front desk for detergent capsules free of charge. The laundry room also has old books on a shelf, mostly in Chinese. One was Sun zi's Art of War, a beefed-up edition with real battle cases illustrating the doctrines. I especially enjoyed my third-floor patio beside a community park. At 8 each morning, the music instruments, people dancing, and tai chi practice gently woke me. The little park sits on the remains of an old fortress gate, which is where Xi'anmen comes from, literally meaning the West Gate of Safety. I left with lots of good memories and good food, and gained about 8 lbs during my seven days there.