Braving a 3k Monthly Salary to Explore a Five-Star Hotel — The Ritz-Carlton, Xi'an

Public Areas: The building was designed by WATG (the same firm as The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto), featuring a sharply defined black-and-white exterior and a layered, strictly symmetrical lobby that echoes the city walls and ancient capital. In the center of the lobby, a lady in traditional style plays the zither (at first, I thought it was just lobby background music). The elevator area and public spaces favor ink wash style and local Xi'an culture in their decorations. Restaurants: The Executive Lounge offers excellent food; the lunch and dinner buffets have a rich variety of cold and hot dishes, and the afternoon tea is also fantastic. The Chinese restaurant Jing Xuan offers great value with an all-you-can-eat lunch; those who enjoy Cantonese dim sum should definitely try it. The Japanese restaurant’s curry hot pot for one is surprisingly good—probably the best curry I’ve had this year. On Mondays and Tuesdays, there’s a buffet with unlimited foie gras, which really hits the spot! The outdoor environment of the lobby bar is beautiful and perfect for photos; the scones are delicious! The Western restaurant’s breakfast has a wide variety of options, including various desserts, pastries, and cold dishes, with plenty to choose from! Concierge service is warm and attentive; they proactively help with luggage upon check-in, so you don’t have to lift a finger. Even when changing rooms, they helped pack, organize, and move everything to the new room. The housekeeping department also gifted a naked lion plush, a makeup mirror, and a luggage tag, which felt very thoughtful. The welcome fruit selection is abundant, and the drinking water is Bama Platinum Spring, though I still prefer Zhongnan Mountain Spring water. The wellness center is brand new and fully equipped. The pool is large with suitable depths, but there are many children enrolled in swimming classes, and the noise from kids and parents makes it feel like a market, with poor management that kills the desire to swim. The massage and soaking pools are spacious and new, separated by gender, and very comfortable. Public Areas: Exquisite and elegant, designed by the same interior team as The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, with dry landscape gardens everywhere that add a unique charm. The recent Christmas decorations in the lobby are also beautiful, perfect for photos! The 5th-floor gym and spa feature a heated pool and sauna rooms, with very few people—excellent! Rooms: Comfortable bedding and a reasonable layout. Amenities include diptyque fig products and TWG tea bags.