Xian Long Hai Hotel

Due to our bullet train delay, we missed our flight back to Singapore but after long hours of negotiations with the train company (because such delays are rare and no one knows how to deal with it), they put us up for the night at this hotel and we checked-in at an ungodly hour of 4am. In the midst of our exhaustion and panic regarding costly re-booking of flights, this hotel was truly the only thing that brought comfort. Despite the abrupt arrangement, the hotel staff went to great lengths to make us feel better, handling our luggage, bringing us tea and even offered us a family room, a large room with 3 beds which came with not 1 but 2 washrooms. The room was spacious and clean, with ample toiletries and a strong shower with warm water. They also set us up with complimentary buffet breakfast the next day, and offered a late check-out if we needed more time to settle things. The breakfast was very comprehensive and tasty, with a selection of fruits, pastries and a choice of Western or Chinese dishes. Though most vegetable dishes in China looks daunting due to their unusual spices and oily sheen, the vegetables here are a must-try - stir-fried to perfection. All of us felt revived by the amazing made-to-order egg - I mean, its just an egg, but it was so crisp at the sides and slightly runny inside that you will feel like this egg is the light at the end of the tunnel. Okay, if you are just looking for a hotel to stay at, this breakfast can be best described as comprehensive and tasty, not the life-saving wonder that I am describing with gratitude. Haha. The hotel also comes with a room full of computers and phones, which is perfect for communicating with travel companies that are located in China. The staff will even help you converse in Chinese if you happen to need something from a particular company. Even in the wee hours of the morning, they provided friendly and prompt assistance, even reassuring us that they will try their best to help us with our situation. I think the people working at the hotel truly go out of their way to help guests. To cut a long story short, we eventually got our plane tickets booked by the train company. Word of advice if you are planning to fly on the same day as taking a train back to Xi'an - don't. Allow for some buffer time (an entire day to be safe). The bullet train is usually quite reliable and takes you to your destination in a fraction of the time, but unfortunately for us, it got delayed for 3.5 hours in the deep of the night. If you are looking for a hotel with easy access to the train station/airport, this hotel is great. Despite the grand, almost gaudy looking lobby, the rooms are actually clean and the beds are comfortable. Many thanks to the management - I think you guys are really amazing.