Xijiao State Guest Hotel

I had a business trip to Shanghai recently, and stayed in this place for the first time. The actual hotel I stayed was Building No.7. It was a wonderful experience. The room was comfortable and spacious with a balcony. The surrounding was very nice and quiet. The building is surrounded with ponds and bamboos. There were even a pair of cranes and a pair of peacocks in the garden (do not worry, they were only interested in chasing the gardener who tried to keep the place tidy).||The staff members were wonderful even including David (General Manager) from Britain who was so nice to us whenever he had time. I felt being welcome and well looked after. ||Wonderful place.

1 hour drive from Pu Dong airport. Excellent design and decor, very swift service. The room is so spacious with full amenity and equipment of a very 5 star hotel. Rooms are like in a circle shape and there is a garden in the middle where they raised some special birds. It is magnificent view from one's room panoramic window every early morning. There is a huge garden at the front as well so you can simply take a walk for miles before and end of the day. The bed is great. Pillows are plenty and soft as well. Breakfast is great. Everything is great within the hotel premises.

This is by far the best hotel I have ever stayed in. It provides a safe haven of vast peaceful gardens in the middle of the bustling metropolis of Shanghai. The gardens are truly beautiful and relaxing. I just regret that I did not have enough time to explore them fully. |The hotel itself is very meticulously designed and run. The reception staff were always helpful and spoke good English, as well as the concierge. So communication was no issue for me as someone was always at hand who could speak English. The restaurant staff were always courteous, friendly and very professional. |The rooms were luxurious, spacious and very clean. The wifi was slow at times but using the Ethernet cable gave a fast and reliable connection. |I am also ever grateful to the staff and management for going beyond all expectations in their service towards me. I had a very late flight home and was granted a late check out at 2 pm. I got the opportunity to go into town for some last minute shopping and tourism for the rest of the day. On returning to collect my luggage in the evening, I was kindly provided with a complimentary room to shower and freshen up before going to the airport. This was a truly warm gesture and a service that far exceeds the norm. I thank you deeply. |I am certain to stay here again when I return to Shanghai....

It makes you feel nostalgic. I enjoyed the walk to the exit which takes 15 minutes and pass through great green. Unfortunately it is too popular for locals for weddings so weekends should be avoided. The restaurant is small but very comfortable and staff are efficient. May be the choice of tea could be improved as it costs as much as the Pudong new 5 stars hotel.

I chose this hotel because of the reviews which are effusive. My own experience was mixed. I arrived at 2 a.m. in the morning and the bell hop stood watching me struggle to get my luggage out of the taxi and then walked away. The room was clean and well appointed but unfortunately there are no non-smoking rooms so the trip to my room was a stroll through a chemical-warfare environment.||||The grounds of the hotel are quite amazing. Lots of gardens and captive wildlife. Very restful feel. The hotel itself seems to be focused on large events... conferences, weddings and government events. The grounds are vast and the rooms go from standard business rooms to lavish suites.||||There a few members of the staff that speak English but a very few. They were helpful, some reluctantly and some from their natural way of being but it didn't seem to be part of the training or culture of the hotel.||||The food was good but not great. The breakfast buffet was an interesting collection of Chinese and Western food and thankfully the Chinese food went a little bit beyond the standard hotel fare. The western food pictured here was beautiful to look at but not very tasty and there was no sensitivity to the standard range of condiments that accompany Western cuisine.||||One of the ways I assess the state of a hotel system is by the condition of the front desk. As the photos illustrate, there is room for organizational improvement here. In addition, the staff has not been trained to keep focus on a customer so you'll have the experience of being less important than other staff members as your conversations are repeatedly interrupted.

To begin, since Xijiao is where the Chinese government hosts its own leaders and foreign dignitaries, only by first acknowledging that it was a privilege to stay there do I presume to offer this review. As a resort, Xijiao is first class, comparing favorably with the finest resorts in Europe and North America in terms of setting, accommodations, dining, and facilities. I enjoyed the spacious grounds, smoke-free environment; and superb sports facility. Based on these features alone, Xijiao merits a 5-star plus rating. But it is much more: Xijiao is a resort like no other.||Imagine, as an American, that you were to stay at Camp David outside Washington, DC (where domestic and foreign leaders are hosted in a country setting), but that Camp David were within capital itself. So it is with Xijiao. Regardless of your country, when you see the photos of other visitors – such as Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Xi Jinping, Bush, Obama, Gorbachev, Putin – you realize that you are in place where history is made. Everywhere one finds more depth and texture than in any standard hotel. For example, the gardens offer a stunning array of trees, flowers, bonsai plants, and shrubbery in a landscape with a stream, bridges, pavilions, and a small lake. ||Rest assured the staff will care for you properly, and Managing Director David Burley can handle any issue. Thus, it should be clear that Xijiao is well prepared for you. The only question is whether you have prepared yourself well enough for Xijiao.|

The hotel is located in a very nice and private park of traditional Chinese garden scenery. Wandering in park puts you in a relaxed and peaceful mood. Professional and very friendly service.

You would never believe you were in the middle of Shanghai if you stay here. The hotel is in the centre of some beautiful gardens and its quiet, serene atmosphere is understandable when you here that this is where many heads of state will stay when visiting. Obama, Bush, Putin and Queen Elizabeth have all stayed here. China`s politicians also use the facilities on a regular basis since they are many reception halls in the grounds.