Reviews of Xian ShuYuan International Youth Hostel

21 October 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Everything is correct but at night is a bit noisy. The bar stays open late

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

16 October 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: food, cool decor

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

11 October 2009 HUIMIN would recommend this property

Liked: The food, the staff and the facilities, eveyrthing is good!

Disliked: HUIMIN left no negative feedback.

08 October 2009 John would recommend this property

Liked: Very cool place, the rooms were nice and spacious. The price was excellent and it is a very good place to hang out.

Disliked: John left no negative feedback.

07 October 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Great Hostel! Loved it! Cafe has great shakes and smoothies!

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

06 October 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Excellent atmosphere and the room was clean but there was a problem with the drains in our rooand there was quite a strong smell when usig the bathroom. The staff were very friendy and helpful and friendly.

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

05 October 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: One of the best hostels I've ever been! The common area is great, they even have a bar downstairs and a free beer every day. I was surprised, that my quite cheap basement room was on the second floor ;) If you order some food in the hostel's restaurant, take into consideration, that it can take long if other people did the same. But I think that's a general problem in China ;)I really recommend to stay in this hostel!Be aware of thieves in Xian!

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

05 October 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: had a great time. the guided tour to the terracota warriors was great

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

05 October 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The staff were very helpful and friendly.

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

03 October 2009 KC would recommend this property

Liked: Dumpling parties!!! And the atmosphere was so awesome. The fact that I was making dumplings in a room that looked like it came out of an indie film was awesome!

Disliked: KC left no negative feedback.

02 October 2009 Andrea would recommend this property

Liked: THIS PLACE IS AWESOME. MET COOLEST PEOPLE AND GOT AWESOME SERVICE GOING ON EXCURSIONS.

Disliked: Andrea left no negative feedback.

30 September 2009

Liked: This place has very good facilities, location and brilliant staff. The only down points are that the food and beer in house is a bit on the steep side and the only thing that is worse than the noise from all the people getting drunk and trying to shatter the pool table white ball with every shot was the stink of sewer that filled your room from the bathroom, that another guest we spoke to also experienced.

Disliked: Aaron left no negative feedback.

29 September 2009 Daniel would recommend this property

Liked: The hostel has a great location and it's easy to get in contact with other travellers from all over the world.

Disliked: Daniel left no negative feedback.

27 September 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Nice place with a nice bar and restaurant.

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

26 September 2009 Pete would recommend this property

Liked: Lots on offer to do here, plus free beer and coffee when you arrive which is very welcoming.

Disliked: Pete left no negative feedback.

22 September 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The place is well located and quite reasonably priced considered what a tourist haven Xi'an is. The bathroom plumbing is typically Chinese, which means a constant smell and water on the floor, but that aside i'd reccommend it.

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

21 September 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: free Internet, nice place!

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

21 September 2009 Natalie would recommend this property

Liked: They went out of their way to make sure you had a nice stay with them.

Disliked: Natalie left no negative feedback.

20 September 2009 Martin would recommend this property

Liked: really nice premises

Disliked: Martin left no negative feedback.

17 September 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: very good position, clean and nice hostel...if you want to do the terracotta warriors tour with them make sure they write down your name...with me they didnt so I was out of the tour, but I went with some other people from the hostel and it was stil amazing! very good restarant and pub!

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

14 September 2009

Liked: The location of this hostel was great. It was right next to the Muslim quarter and really easy to get to by bus. This made finding our own way around really easy.The free pick-up from the train station is wonderful! After a 17 hour train ride, it's nice to know you'll be taken care of.Upon arriving, we were given a private room when we had booked a dorm (the dorm was to save some money) We were also charged a booking fee which was very surprising as Hostelbookers does not charge booking fees, and there was no mention of a booking fee when we made our booking. We were then given a room in the basement next to the laundry facilities, so it was a bit balmy and loud. We did not have air conditioning, but a noisy fan. The girl I was traveling with ended up getting bitten by bedbugs during our stay there, so although there are washing machines being used, I'm not sure about the foam mattresses' cleanliness. We did take advantage of the laundry facilities and it was great.The staff was sometimes helpful, but only if there was a potential for a tour to be booked. The reluctance to help even spurred lying to us and saying that they "did not know the train station's phone number" or "the train station is closed now, so I can't help you" (at 2PM). They couldn't (wouldn't) look up train schedules or help in any way. This also happened when trying to get to the Terracotta Warriors without a tour - they would say they didn't know how to get there by bus.There is a train ticket booth nearby --so you do not have to go all the way to the station-- but it was fellow travelers who told us that, not the staff who told us to go to the station. I'm not sure what use it is having a travel desk if they do not know anything about the station or outright refuse to help travelers.At the bar downstairs, we were kicked out of seats multiple times , and kicked off games several times.. We were told once mid-game because the entertainment would be sitting there (under the dart board) to stop playing, The darts were then handed over to some locals. We were kicked out of the seats we had been in all night because, all of a sudden, they were "reserved"... then no one showed up for them. At some point, I feel it was for entertainment of staff and some locals who looked on with amusement.We were not allowed to play pool (so we did not get the balls needed to play) and then were accused of stealing one of the balls the following day when we HADN'T BEEN ALLOWED TO PLAY!! You are not allowed to take pictures in the bar, so if you want to remember people, I suggest taking pics before you head down. This was a big surprise. I thought the staff member was joking at first, then made certain that we knew he was serious. Another staff told us the reason - they do not want the bar replicated.The girl I was traveling with was told that she would have to wait 40 minutes for her drink because the bartender was also the DJ and he had to finish his set, but they'd keep her money for when he was done.To exchange a book, you must give TWO in order to get one. The staff will go so far as to look to make sure that the price of the books you are giving are greater than or equal to the price of the one you are taking.Based on location, and amenities alone, this is an AWESOME hostel and I would recommend it to anyone. However, because of the staff, which is an integral part of your experience, I cannot within good conscience recommend this to anyone.

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

11 September 2009 Alex would recommend this property

Liked: staff will tell information on buses but only when pushed. the cafe on site is good and convenient (maybe a bit more expensive though).

Disliked: Alex left no negative feedback.

08 September 2009 Katie would recommend this property

Liked: The bar is fantastic, the best in any hostel in China that we've stayed in. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Great atmosphere.

Disliked: Katie left no negative feedback.

06 September 2009 Steffen would recommend this property

Liked: A big hostel with a big party room

Disliked: Steffen left no negative feedback.

06 September 2009 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: This was a lovely hostel that was quite busy with lots of travellers of all ages. There were lots of friendly staff always happy to help. They offer a variety of trips which makes seeing the sights very straight forward. The location in Xi'an is good for exploring the city, especially for getting onto the city walls. The hostel has a cafe that serves a variety of dishes from 7am til late. Free nightly beer in the bar downstairs is an added extra and the bar and cafe serve as an excellent place to get chatting to fellow travellers and locals. Our room was clean although the drains smell in the bathroom from time to time but we think this is usual in Xi'an in general! A highly recommended place to stay.

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.