Gordon P.
We left very disappointed after spending the four-day Labour Day weekend here. The photos on booking sites made Haode look sleek, but our room in the older wing was shabby and run-down. The hotel seems to have a newer, grander wing and an older three-storey one, with other buildings and more than 50 metres between them. Breakfast buffet is only available in the newer wing. At check-in, despite already having paid a 500 CNY booking fee, we were asked for the full payment plus another 200 CNY. The floor was vinyl over plaster, and the bathroom had no shower screen, so showering soaked the whole room. The toilet needed repeated flushing, and the renovation looked about two decades old, with silicone patches along the bathroom seams. I’d been assured street noise wouldn’t be a problem, but traffic rumbling early in the morning kept me tossing and turning on an uncomfortable mattress that first night. The walls between rooms were thin enough for us to hear the couple next door talking. We got just two bottles of water and two tea bags when we checked in, with no more provided. On our final day, the front desk was curt and unhelpful when we asked how to get to the train station. They seemed eager to pass along information, but when we asked follow-up questions, they suggested going online, which made them seem unable to help. My wife was also annoyed that some snacks we ordered through the tour agent had arrived the day before and been put in the fridge without anyone telling us. Customer service was abysmal. A staff member who seemed to be an owner stood authoritatively behind the counter but didn’t recognize me when I returned that first night, having checked in at 2 pm earlier that day. We had hoped to stay at an international chain on our first trip to Xian, but the glowing 4.9-star reviews finally persuaded us to book Haode. The room we got was nothing like the polished pictures.
