Our group of 7 rented 2 apartments (1 bdrm unit and 2 bdrm unit respectively) for 4 nights in March 2012. We were attracted by the location, the large space and the reasonable prices. We also booked 4 tours with private car/guide.

Booking was very smooth. All inquiries answered promtly and to our surprise, no deposit required to secure the units. As promised, we were met at the train station by Sandy (who was to be our tour guide) and taken to the apartment. Sandy spoke English fluently, was professional, polite and attentive throughout our time with her (review of the tours on another post). I would recommend booking at least a half day's walking tour with HQ - well worth it just to get an introduction to all the delicious food at the Muslim Quarter.

As advertised, the apartment was 3 min walking distance to the Muslim Quarter. This was highly convenient as the Muslim Quarter is 'the place to go' for food. We navigated home by looking at the Drum and Bell Towers. We felt quite safe walking home quite late into the night even though we had to go through an alley to get to the apartment unit. A block into the alley from the main road is a hole in wall convenience store and the apartment units had security guards.

Upon arrival at the apartment, Aunty Yang (Mei's mom) greeted us warmly at the door and offered to help us with the luggage. Once we settled in, we 'settled up' and were provided with business cards, cell phone, and maps of attractions. Both apartments were spacious and well furnished.

It was quite cold in Xian but the units were warm with radiant heating. Our 2 bdrm unit only had a electric hotplate but our friends' 1 bdrm had a full stove. Didn't use the kitchens much because we wanted to try all the ethnic specialities available to us in Xi'an. However, the bottled water unit (with heated dispenser) was a godsend for coffee/tea/midnight instant noodles. Our unit's internet was wired which we didn't bother with. To check email/use the internet, we went to our friend's unit down the hall that had wifii or just stood in the hallway in front of their unit. Our children enjoyed the dvds provided. Ample linen was provided.

Cleanliness: I read some other posts about cleanliness and felt that I should give a balanced opinion. The landlords do try to keep the units clean and I noticed that Aunty Yang comes in to tidy up each day (even though this is a self-catering unit). However, they are limited by a) the water in Xi'an which left tend to leave scales on bathroom fixtures, b) the construction in the city which made things dusty very quickly (we certainly trekked dust and mud back each day), and c) the quality of construction in China. Don't know what they can do about the scales except eventually replace the fixtures. Shower is very similar to other showers in Asia and Europe. Plenty of hot water. There was a faint sewer smell emanting from the drain on the shower floor each morning. This is due to the lack of U-joints in Chinese plumbing which is prevalent (some 4 star hotels in China over 3 years old not built/managed by foreign companies has the same smell). Just light a match or an incense stick and the smell will be gone. And disposing of toilet paper in the bin instead of flusing down the toilet - an adjustment but that is the reality of millions of people. We had a minor incident of a screw coming off in one of the radiators suddenly. We decided to mop up and tightened the little screw rather than call our landlord. Aunty Yang was very thankful and immediately called in someone to check on the radiators. We wanted our children to have cultural experience of living in a home and that often entailed working out some kinks on our own.

About our landlords: Mei's parents were a cute retired couple who lived at another unit on the same floor. Aunty Yang was especially sweet. The laundry was self-serve (at 20 RMB) but she was very kind and hung up our clothes for us. She offered us buns on arrival and then bought us these awesome hot crispy Chinese donuts one morning. When I said I really liked them, she bought more (along with fresh hot soya milk) for our farewell breakfast. Sandy was very helpful when I got lost and called her one evening.

All in, staying HQ Guesthouse was a great experience for our group and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who want to feel like they are staying in a place with friends rather than at a hotel.

This was my second visit to Xi'an over the past year, before with friends/co-workers this visit was with my parents. I was very glad we chose to stay here. The location and the wonderful staff make it a wonderful Xi'an choice. Also, because there were three adults, this was a very affordable option without needing to book two hotel rooms (many Xi'an hotels say they will not add a cot or anything to a room).

The location is fantastic - minutes from the Muslim Quarter, so close to food, shopping, and many main sights in Xi'an. One warning: it is back down some smaller, dark streets. Although there were always people coming in and out there, if I had been on my own I might have taken a rickshaw in (as I saw some single women doing).

The staff is wonderful - helpful, accomodating, and Sandy made a great (and we feel reasonablly priced) guide for our Terra Cotta Warriors tour (the tour does include two 'shopping' stops, but we found them interesting and informative too, with artists to see at work at one and seeing the silk process at the other). We had them arrange our airport transportation. They were cheaper than the taxi I took the last time I was in Xi'an, plus then we knew they'd know where we were going, which could be difficult to explain otherwise if you don't speak good Mandarin.

The space you get in the apartment is great. We were in the two-bedroom. Nice couch to lounge on, a sunroom/laundry area (had it been warmer), one larger room, one a little smaller, but both with wardrobes and beds that can accomodate two people.

As to facilities: the bathroom is a normal Chinese apartment bathroom - so, all one room, not full separation like we are used to in Western countries. I was okay with this, since I've lived in China for awhile, it did bother my parents that everything got wet. The kitchen is fine - it covers the basics. I was actually surprised by all we got - they have instant coffee, tea, and towels all provided. Mei's mother also brought us fresh fruit after we asked about where to go buy some ourselves. We were there at the heart of winter, so it was cold. They have heaters and offered us an extra one for while we there. With them and the blankets, we were fine, but the smaller bedroom in particular did get fairly cold.

Great, spacious place with a wonderful staff!

The HQ guesthouse is located about 3 minutes away from the Muslim quarter. We were greeted by Mei's friend Sandy and Mei's mother at the metro station. We had taken the train from Louyang and took the metro into the city since it's much cheaper than a taxi. 3 Yuan each. The metro is about 5 minutes from the HQ.

The apartments are located in a fairly new residential complex. The apartment is fully furnished except there is no microwave. We had a 2 bedroom apartment which was huge.

The bathroom is tiny compared to the rest of the apartment and there isn't a separate shower area, the water runs all over the floor requiring you to mop up after wards. Also there is a good selection of dvd's and cd's for use but why not add a tv to the wall? There is more than enough space for a tv.

The internet access was hit and miss, sometimes it was really fast but other times it would take forever to get on. Same issue with wifi.

Sandy and Mei's mother were very helpful with any questions we had about Xian or the apartment.

Would definitely stay here again if I was in Xian.

The perfect combination of price and quality. Modern apartment in a residential building in the heart of the city, close to the Muslim quarter (5 minutes by walk). Apartments are large, with a kitchen, balcony and free internet. The hosts are very attentive people. During our stay they supplied us with a map, a mobile phone for local calls.