🏨Xiamen | The Chinese Gateway Inherits Classics - Marco Polo on the Banks of Yundang Lake

Since the reform and opening up, Xiamen has always been a highland for international chain hotels. Rewinding back to 1996, the grand opening of Marco Polo Hotel by the side of Yundang Lake marked the beginning of its 27-year journey, accompanied by the soaring egrets by the lake. I have visited the Egret Island several times, each time staying at the latest luxury brands. This time, I came to experience whether the weather-beaten Marco Polo Oriental Hotel could still uphold its classic legacy. 🚗: Located in the core area of the island, it is approximately a 15-minute drive from Xiamen Station, with the nearest subway station being Jianye Road. As the vehicle slowly enters the Guanren International Community, the most densely populated area for foreigners on the island, coffee bars are lined up along Yundang Road. The white architecture of Marco Polo is nestled amidst the greenery, giving me a sense of déjà vu of Raffles in Singapore under the warm autumn sun. The hotel also arranges staff to open doors for guests, a detail that is much appreciated. 📖: Under the banner of the Wharf Group, the brand is named after the world-renowned Italian merchant and travel writer Marco Polo, while its other luxury hotel, Niccolo, is named after his father Nicolo Polo. The first store on the mainland was refurbished in 2019. The public area has a sense of age but does not appear overly outdated. As a member of the GHA alliance, CI was upgraded to a VIP lake view room. On the way to the room, I saw many foreign faces. It is said that foreigners love to stay here when they visit Xiamen. The hollow lobby corridor design is my favorite. Fuzhou also once had such a classic hotel, but alas... 🛏️: There are a total of 300 rooms (suites), divided into city view rooms, lake view rooms, VIP city view, VIP lake view, poolside rooms, advanced suites, distinguished lake view, luxury suites, and lake view suites, starting from 30 square meters. The distinguished lake view room I stayed in was a renovated room, with an area of 60 square meters, priced the same as the luxury suite. Upon entering, what first caught my eye was not the 180-degree floor-to-ceiling window facing the pool and lake view, but the large corner table, the longest I've seen in a hotel. The main color scheme of the room is black, white, and gray, without any flashy color embellishments. The sunlight outside the window is the best decoration, making the room look highly neat and bright. The layout is orderly, with a full partition at the entrance for privacy, and separate bathrooms and cloakrooms are distributed in a dotted manner. The welcome fruit plate and fresh flower arrangements were delivered later. The mini bar is chargeable, and the amenities are still in small bottles. The latex pillow service responded promptly. From dusk to night to dawn, looking at the lake view outside the window, foreigners by the pool sunbathing all day, it's a unique laid-back atmosphere in Xiamen. 🏊: The fitness and wellness facilities are professional. Hotel guests can use the billiards and children's playground for free. The outdoor swimming pool is a highlight, and it looks great from any angle. In October, I didn't go swimming, but there were still many families with children enjoying the clear blue water. 🍚: There are too many dining options around. The boutique gallery in the building itself gathers a large number of high-end social dining options, but it seems to have no impact on the business of its own restaurants. There are the Lobby Lounge, Café, Lotus Chinese Restaurant, General Japanese Restaurant, and Executive Lounge. I checked in everywhere except the Japanese restaurant. ｜Lobby Lounge☕️｜: From the corridor looking down, it's bustling. Afternoon tea has two choices, the seasonal special is the Thann co-branded afternoon tea for 268r. For first-time visitors, I recommend trying the Napoleon, which is said to be the best in Xiamen. It looks ordinary but tastes great, and at 48r a piece, it often sells out. ｜Lotus Chinese Restaurant🥢｜: With an antique charm, it mainly serves Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine, with Minnan cuisine as a supplement. I tried Hong Kong-style tea for lunch, and only à la carte non-buffet has soul. There are quite a few silver-haired customers in the restaurant, indicating that brand loyalty has been formed among the main customer base. ｜Café🍴｜: A small all-day dining restaurant. I came for breakfast, and I must say that it has everything a luxury hotel breakfast should have, but I suggest adding some local specialties, like that day I really wanted to eat Satay Noodles. ｜Executive Lounge🍹｜: The executive lounge has a long business hours from morning to night. Afternoon tea provides simple pastries and drinks, and dinner offers a rich selection of hot dishes and hot food, which can be enjoyed as a main meal. Today, Xiamen is welcoming another wave of luxury hotel openings. Looking back at the 27-year-old Marco Polo, it has an excellent geographical location, gilded age decorations, and the service has not dropped the ball. Coupled with reasonable room rates, it is recommended for stay.