2-Star Hotels in Xinjiang, China

Wow! What an amazing place to stay and how lucky we were to find it. By far the best place we stayed in China. Mrs. Li (the owner) was so genuinely nice and caring, and we felt like part of the family staying there. One of my favorite things in Kashgar was hanging out with her and her family in the evenings. She always invited us at night to hangout in the common area where she would make us tea and share her fresh and dried fruits with us. She was really good at using a translator app, so we were able to have a good conversation with her through that. She has a great little family. Her son speaks good English and was also very nice. She had a young daughter who also speaks English, but is more shy with it (though she will sing you a Taylor Swift song..she has a great voice). They have 3 cats and the youngest one, little tiger, is just the sweetest and the friendliest cat I have ever met. It was such a good and warm feeling to stay there. We definitely wish we could visit again. A home away from home. And we were treated so generously in more ways than we can write here. Mrs. Li asked us right away if there was anything she could help us with, without us having to ask, which we really appreciated, and she took the time to sit down with us to go over our plans. She let us store our luggage for 3 days and walked us out to help us get a taxi when we departed. While it was the family that made it simply amazing, some might also be interested in the following information. The location is great. On a quiet street. Close to the big mosque which is a good landmark to use to find the area. And of course close to the old city. It's also really close to the biggest supermarket we have found thus far in China (we have to admit it was nice to get a few ”luxuries” from home like cereal and hot chocolate). The guesthouse is cute and has a Central Asian feel. The shower works great and is hot. We were there in the winter, and the room has heat if you needed it. Mrs. Li was able to arrange a driver for us to go to Tashkorgun and the Karakorum Highway, which was super helpful. The place was nice and clean. Thank you so much Mrs. Li! You will be a highlight of our visit to China and will be remembered in our hearts forever. -Travis and Elisha (Colorado, USA) PS: when we get home I'm going to try to write up a bit about our trip on Tripadvisor because I couldn't find anything about Kashgar on trip advisor since covid, and some things have changed, so I thought it might be helpful for fellow travelers, so look for that.

Staying at Gui Lai Inn felt just like coming home. Last night, when I first arrived, I couldn't find the parking lot. The landlady personally came to pick me up and helped me park the car. She then enthusiastically introduced the attractions of the ancient city and gave me details on the city gate opening ceremony for the next day, including the time and location. Today, I was running late to check out, and the landlady kindly extended my check-out time until 2 PM, which really made me feel like family. Friends visiting Kashgar, Gui Lai Inn is definitely your top choice!

Service: For check in on trip, it says to call a day in advance. I tried this, but the person who answered couldn't speak English. It was not a problem, because I then messaged on the online chat. That was perfectly fine and they responded very quickly. I'd say if you don't speak Chinese, just message online. The front desk staff were super helpful when I was there, and quick to use a translator so we could communicate well. Amenities: I did some washing, laundry detergent cost ¥10 I think, and again the staff were very helpful, finding as many hangers as I needed to dry my clothes. Location: The environment was so peaceful, the lobby was a nice air-conditioned place to hang out. The outside grass area was so lovely, with little lavender and rose plants and chairs to sit outside. There is also a bar across the courtyard, and a coffee shop. The area is a bit far out of the city, but it is right near the metro, lots of local shops, and a mall with some big chain stores. Things to consider: I stayed in the single room attached to the women's dorm. It was so handy to have my own space for a very reasonable price. However, the single room itself does not have its own air-conditioning. The women's dorm does, so to cool the room down, I would just keep the door between open for a bit. Still, it was never as cold as the dorm room because it went up to 40°c outside when I was there, and I preferred to keep the door locked when I went out to keep my belongings safe. The single room does have a fan and a window, so you can get some airflow through there. Overall, it was fine, just be aware if you are travelling during the summer. (Also one suggestion I would have is to put a mirror in the room, so you can get ready in there). The only other issue was no soap for washing hands in the dorm bathroom, although there was shampoo and conditioner provided in the shower. Cat: The cat was so cute! 🐈

The hotel is in a good location, with many restaurants nearby. It's quite clean. The mattress and pillows are very comfortable, not too soft. I originally planned to stay for one night, but I wanted to have a good rest on the comfortable bed so I stayed another night. The room was too messy, so I won't take pictures. Here are some pictures of the super delicious mutton in Turpan, hahahaha.

The room was great, and the underfloor heating was so comfortable. The owner was incredibly welcoming and even helped us with our luggage. The small courtyard was very cozy, and they even had mahjong available (make sure to book the mahjong room though!). It's perfect for a group trip.

I booked the room with a private sauna in the room and that was amazing! Coming back to the room every day after skiing and sitting in the sauna felt good! Such good value for money. The room is very big with a long balcony and a view of the mountains. The only thing lacking was the breakfast - it only started at 9.30am, which is a bit late for me if I want to start skiing at 10am when the first chair lift begins. The breakfast spread was also quite small, I would have appreciated for soy milk to be included as I do not drink dairy milk. The daily housekeeping service was mainly clearing out trash and bringing fresh towels, the floor/table were not cleaned. There was no flexibility to do a slightly later check-out and no free airport drop-off service like some of the other hotels in the similar price range offered. There is free drop-off and pick-up service to the ski field, which is about 5-min drive from the hotel. The best part of my stay is the reception staff who were friendly, kind and helpful! I needed help navigating the Chinese apps to retrieve a parcel and couldn't do it on my phone, so he helped me do the booking on his phone, liaised with the courier and paid first for it, sorting out the logistics for me, and I transferred him the money after. Very grateful for that because it helped me saved me a lot of time and hassle! Upon check-out, I had left my mobile phone charging in the reception area when I left for the airport and they drove over to meet me somewhere around the city while I waited in the taxi, to give my phone back to me, so that the driver didn't have to spend time going back - so that I can catch my flight in time. Super grateful for their kindness and support, going above and beyond.

Good reviews! The location of the hotel is amazing. You can see the magnificent Pamir Plateau scenery of Tashkurgan County as soon as you go out. In the morning, when you open the window, the sun shines on the top of the continuous snow-capped mountains. The picture is so beautiful that it is suffocating. Here, you can enjoy the unique natural scenery of Tashkurgan County while lying in bed. This experience is great!

Stayed in a dorm room then moved to a private once one became available. Both rooms were clean and comfortable, I especially liked the softness of the beds and the strength of the AC, as it was summer when we stayed. The hosts were always very helpful and their cat is adorable. The public spaces were also cozy and had amazing views of the city below. It was easy to bring our bicycles up the elevator and store them in the hostel.

We initially booked a room with windows, but upon arrival they told us there were only rooms without window left. So we did not had another choice than to take it. We negotiated with the owner and he gave us some discount. The walls in the room were quite filthy with lots of stains on it and the bathroom was missing a door. When taking a shower, the whole floor was under water because the drains are probably clogged massively. The owner and the receptionist were both very friendly though and the hotel is in a very good location right next to the metro station and shopping mall.

This hotel can accept foreigners. It is around 1km from Kuqa railway station which is walkable. I arrived very early (6AM). I took forever for check-in because the reception had minimal experience with foreign guests and asked too many (repetitive) questions. She inspected the passport even more thoroughly than the police in Kuqa that I encountered. She asked about the stamps of other countries as well (not sure why and what it has got to do with the hotel check-in). I had a previous Chinese visa which I repetitively said it was old and pointed to the new one, but she kept coming back to it and asking for more info again and again. After almost 30 mins, I was able to come to the room, still the reception came knocking 2 more times for more questions. The second time I had to politely gave a sign that I wanted to sleep for a bit because I had sightseeing to do a couple hours later. I don’t know if this is protocol for Kuqa. So far the most ‘questioning’ hotel which I only expected to happen in Hotan. I negotitated to check in early because I would check out very early the next day (4.30AM) to board the train to Kashgar. It took a while to negotiate but it was possible in the end. Clealiness is so so, not the best but acceptable. It was not a memorable stay but the room will suffice your comfort. Just wish the check-in process would be faster and simpler. 100rmb deposit at check-in which will be refund at check-out.