I recently stayed for two nights in Xian at the Good World Hotel in Xian. Mine was a flying trip over three days to check-out the famed Terra-Cotta Warriors [bi(ee) ma yong – in Chinese] plus some of the other sites from this ancient Chinese capital. As a foreign inhabitant of Shanghai, I had never traveled to Xian so on a spare long weekend, along with some very cheap fares, this was it! The hotel was selected in a hurry although I was (in error) influenced by a website review elsewhere. If you are an independent traveler with limited time looking for a medium quality and medium price hotel I suggest staying somewhere near the hub of local transport, sightseeing, restaurants and nightlife. For Xian, this somewhere in the southern half of the old city. Anywhere near the Drum Tower or Bell Tower is ground zero for sightseeing travelers. The northern half inside the old city walls (where the Good World Hotel is located) is away from it all. This was an area that was unbelievably quiet and deserted at night for a Chinese city. While the old city is easily covered in a cheap taxi or mini-cab, why disappear into the night a few kilometers away when there are plenty of alternatives more convenient and just as quiet. As far as quality and service goes for the Good World Hotel, it was good and the staff did their job. Having traveled and worked in China for a few years, this hotel was fine. One learns to be flexible here. The hotel offered average value for money. It included the usual little extras such as the odd paint marks and a little peeling paint plus a little bathroom grime but in my experience these are not uncommon features in buildings over about three years of age and below 5 stars here. On sightseeing around Xian, of course the Terra Cotta Warriors are the highest priority. I took a local tourist bus service to the site (Bus 306) for about RMB25 (US$3.60). Taxis and touts offer a whole range of prices. Bus 306 departs about every 20 minutes from the front of the main Railway Station - see my general Xian review. Other sites recommended around Xian are: the Shaanxi Province History Museum and the Great Mosque – very old but quite unique and worth a quick visit. There is a series of markets right near the mosque plus some very local restaurants in this quarter where you may research and enjoy some nice local cuisine and even surprises. There is also a lively precinct of modern-looking restaurants, coffee shops and bars in/near FenXiang Steet (two blocks south of the Bell Tower) that is worth investigating. For transfers to/from the airport, taxis and buses (Line 1) are available and operate from in front of the Arrivals area at the airport. The Line 1 bus costs RMB25 and its last stop is downtown at the Melody Hotel near the Bell Tower. From there you can pick-up an English map and then use it to get a taxi (cheap) to where you want to go. In summary, this hotel offered good value for money and standard China hotel service but it was a little removed from everywhere else.