Le Meridien Xiamen

The staff were friendly and very accommodating, and the breakfast buffet was decent. The lounge was okay as well. There’s a reasonably good indoor pool and a gym that’s big enough. Set halfway up a mountain that’s also a park, the hotel has a quiet resort feel, yet it’s a 15-20 minute drive from the city center. A good pick if you want international-standard accommodation and don’t mind being somewhere quiet.

The location is nice and the facilities are good, but the service was poor and I wouldn’t recommend staying here. The hotel is on a mountain, and a single golf cart takes guests between the entrance on the main street and the hotel. Expect to wait 10-15 minutes, and some people ignore the basic first-come, first-served rule. Nobody helped with my luggage at check-in, which has never happened to me at a full-service Marriott before. I asked for a towel around 9 pm on my first night and never got one. I really wish I could have changed hotels. I complained after that first night but heard nothing back from the hotel. I stayed four nights in total.

The area around the hotel could use some good restaurants, but there are hiking routes right from the property, which is a bonus. Of the three places I visited in Xiamen, this was the best hotel. It deserves its five stars, with nice rooms, a great breakfast, and staff who speak good English.

There’s greenery in every direction, so it’s easy to forget you’re in the city. This beautiful, well-priced hotel sits on a hill in a park in the middle of Xiamen. The room was great, and the lounge for Marriott members was well stocked.