Marine Garden Hotel

“A GOOD PLACE TO TAKE LAUNCH”

I was at this hotel just to take launch. The restaurant was clean and neat with variety of Chinese and continental dishes, the dishes are nice and tasty. don't miss it. it is one of the best in the Gulangyu Island. I was just there to eat I don't know anything about the rooms.

“Best hotel on Gulangyu but even here the carpets are dirty”

This hote is on the Gulang yu island off the coast of Xiamen. It's a fun location a short ferry ride away from the city, and it's attraction is the crumbling colonial mansions and the fact that there are no motorised vehicles on the island. It is also a great favourite with Chinese tourists so don'… more

This hote is on the Gulang yu island off the coast of Xiamen. It's a fun location a short ferry ride away from the city, and it's attraction is the crumbling colonial mansions and the fact that there are no motorised vehicles on the island. It is also a great favourite with Chinese tourists so don't expect it to be peaceful in the main parts of the island. The hotel is modern and had quite good facilties - but I second the comment about the carpets. Here as elsewhere in China they don't seem to be able to keep the carpets clean or vacuum them regularly and you end up sharing your room with other people's toenail clippings. No wonder they provide disposable slippers - wear them! The island is quite rocky and the hotel has lots of different levels and no lifts, so it was a bit of an effort getting around it. Definitely not suitable for disabled or infirm people. The staff seemed friendly and helpful but internet was a huge rip off, and I was not able to find anywhere on the island offering it either. Breakfast was combined western/Chinese with a very good choice of both. We didn't eat dinner here but got ripped off in one of the seafood restaurants as described below. It's just a bit tricky when the menus are only in Chinese knowing what to order. That said it was not an expensive meal by UK standards, just by Chinese ones. But today China is a land of contrasts - in the same day you can pay 60p for a meal and then £20. It's in a good location with a nice view of a beach and a garden. The hotel has an elecrtic car which can collect you and your luggage from the ferry. It's only 5 minutes walk to the main touristy areas. I used the pool which in October was heated - it's an indoor underground pool of massive proportions so you can get a proper swim here. It also has a lifeguard and I had to buy a swimming hat (15 Yuan) in order to use it.

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“Decent hotel in a major tourist trap”

My SO and I have stayed in a wide range of hotels in China, in a wide range of places. Our suite at the Marine Garden was above average, but not quite "very good". Carpets were very stained and like other hotels we've stayed in, even very high end ones, the carpets are not vacuumed daily. As othe… more

My SO and I have stayed in a wide range of hotels in China, in a wide range of places. Our suite at the Marine Garden was above average, but not quite "very good". Carpets were very stained and like other hotels we've stayed in, even very high end ones, the carpets are not vacuumed daily. As other reviewers have noted, there are no elevators in this hotel and lots and lots of stairs, so it wouldn't be great for the elderly or disabled. There is an indoor pool, but it is not heated, as advertised. There is a guy who stands around in a gym suite occasionally and pops in and out of the area, who may presumably be acting as a life guard. You have to wear a swimming cap in order to use the pool. We just came from the Sofitel in Hangzhou, where the concierge was just about the most helpful concierge I've ever encountered, so perhaps I judge this hotel's concierge desk unfairly. But the concierge and service in general strike me as indifferent (with the exception of one bell hop who picked us up from the port and gave us a tour of the island... very nice, talkative guy). We stayed in the standard suite. Beds are hard, but softer than most Chinese hotels. I personally like the firmness. Pillows are fine, bathroom is clean, though the shampoo and soap provided in dispensers is pretty low grade. We've also had a hard time finding wall outlets to fit even Chinese appliances. Be aware that mosquitoes are thick on this island. Bring insect repellent. Mosquitoes still manage to sneak into the room and I woke up this a.m. with about 20 bites on my face and arms, despite never having opened the door or window... eek. Finally, food on this island is pretty terrible, compared to comparably priced restaurants in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Some of the small seafood restaurants are dishonest and overcharge you for seafood sold by weight, by overstating the weight of the item. Make sure you watch the item being weighed in front of you before you consent to the price! Also, there is not really much street food, which we really enjoy. The tang yuan (soup 'balls') we've had were not made with fresh seafood. Seafood 'pancakes', freshly fried in small alleys and sold to passing tour groups (which the island is thick with), were better. On the other hand, fresh fruit is plentiful and sometimes good.

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