With an unexpected spare day on my business trip to China I decided to indulge in a trip to Xi'an to see the terracotta warriors. Choosing a hotel was a rather random affair, and I stumbled upon the Grand Soluxe (ex Xian Diamond)
I arrived to find it a well appointed hotel at its price, and was pleasantly surprised. Well appointed, nice decor, spacious rooms.
Being Muslim, I was quite prepared to not find adequate food nearby. Much to my amazement, there was a Muslim street cafe right outside their doors (well two doors to their right to be honest, but close enough). I walked past it a few times, trying to gauge if it was safe to try. There was a friendly enough guy tending the fire outside, and the smells from the barbeque skewers finally got the better of me.
I ordered 4 skewers through gestures as no-one spoke a word of English. Magnificent! I ordered 6 more to round off my meal. Satisfied.
The next morning, being my free day, I wanted to go to the warriors as planned. By chance the guy at reception suggested i try the bus. Not having tried buses in China before, I decided that it was now or never. Being right opposite the train station was now a serious advantage as the buses left from the station square. Bus 306 to be precise. One leaving every hour, and a pleasant luxury-ish coach too. Really cheap at RMB7!! I kid you not. Would have paid about RMB150 for a taxi, and yet the bus goes right to the warriors. A dedicated service. I was now very very happy with my choice of hotel.
After a morning of excited discovery at the archaeological treasure trove, I returned to the Xian Diamond hotel and enquired as to how to get to the Grand Mosque. Directions were scribbled onto a card in Chinese, and off I went.
The taxi presented me to the "Islamic Street": a kaleidoscope of color, fruit stalls, curios, crafts, and searing fires sizzling meats, and a hustle and bustle to rival any market anywhere in the world.
- Also Known As:
- Hotel Sunshine International
- Diamond International Hotel
- Sunshine International Xi An
- Grand Soluxe International Hotel China/Shaanxi
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Hotels.com, Agoda, Expedia, Ctrip DaoDao, Booking.com, Elong, Travelocity and Tingo so you can book your Grand Soluxe International Hotel reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
