10 Best Xiamen Hotels — Zhongshan Road & Gulangyu 2026

We open the Xiamen list with the hotel guests rated highest — Swiss Grand Xiamen. Xiamen is an island city that mixes sea, hills and old town, and this 5-star sits in the best spot of all: a short walk from the ferry across to Gulangyu, the car-free UNESCO World Heritage island, with both open water and a wall of green hills in view. Rooms are genuinely big, done in warm classic tones, and many have wide glass windows so you can soak in the tub and watch the view at the same time. There's an indoor pool, a gym and full dining, and the location puts the ferry pier and Zhongshan Road pedestrian street within easy reach. It suits couples and families who want to start a Xiamen trip from the best room in town. Real guest score sits around 9.3, with rates from roughly $86 a night.

Our No. 2 is the 5-star that sells its bay view better than anything else for the money — Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen. It sits right on Xiamen bay in Siming district, just across the water from Gulangyu island, so a lot of the rooms look straight out over the city, the water and the ring of hills with nothing blocking the view. Rooms are big, with the sleeping area and a lounge zone split into clear sections, finished in a Modern Classic style with premium furniture and wide windows. There's a rooftop outdoor pool, a gym and a full set of facilities, and the starting rate runs noticeably under our No. 1 pick. It suits couples and families who want a good-looking view room on a sensible budget. Real guest scores sit around 9.3, with rates from about $69 a night.

If you want to step out of the lobby and be on the pedestrian street straight away, Ibis Styles Xiamen Zhongshan Road is the answer. It's an Ibis Styles design hotel under the Accor group, planted right on Zhongshan Road — the old-town heart of Xiamen's eating and shopping — with the Gulangyu ferry about 8 minutes away by car. Rooms keep the simple, bright Ibis Styles style: laminate wood floors, a few pieces of furniture, twin or Queen beds, comfortable without fuss. The real draw is the price — it starts very light for a location this central. We'd point budget travelers and shoppers who put location ahead of luxury straight here. Real guest scores sit around 9.1, with rates from roughly $29 a night.

Our No. 4 pick is the 4-star that makes the most sense if your trip involves a train — Seashine Hotel Palace Xiamen Zhongshan Road Huadu. It sits in the city centre, not far from Zhongshan Road, and guests like how flexible the location is: about 5 minutes by car to Xiamen Railway Station, where high-speed trains run to Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Shenzhen, and roughly 10 minutes to the Gulangyu ferry. Rooms are large and kept simple in a classic cream-and-brown style, and some have corner windows that open the city up to nearly 90 degrees. There is a compact gym, non-smoking rooms on every floor, and a concierge who can arrange Gulangyu tours and book train tickets. Real guest scores sit around 9.0, with rates from about $51 a night.

Our No. 5 pick is the design hotel we most want you to try — JI Hotel Xiamen Zhongshan Road. What sets it apart is the mood. This 4-star property from the Huazhu group works greenery into a tight footprint, from a vertical garden out front to palms in the lobby and leaf arrangements in the rooms, so it reads calm and shaded the moment you walk in. Rooms are roomy and done in Modern Classic style — a few clean pieces of furniture, a big bed, and floor-to-ceiling windows 2.7 metres tall that open onto the old town's tiled rooftops. The location is genuinely good: a 3-minute walk to the Zhongshan Road pedestrian street and the old-town sights. Real guest scores run as high as 9.4, with rates from about $51 a night — strong value for design at this level.

If you're tired of chain lobbies that look the same the world over, Xiamen Lange Courtyard Garden Villa Guesthouse is a different kind of stay — a renovated old Hokkien-style house with a leafy open courtyard out front, planted with ferns and set with rattan chairs for sipping tea. It sits on East Siming Road, an 8-minute walk to the Zhongshan Road pedestrian street and about 15 minutes on foot to the Gulangyu ferry. The rooms aren't large, but they feel warm and genuinely private, with timber-focused decor and bathrooms that several reviews call prettier than expected. The vibe is relaxed and friendly — better suited to backpackers and people who value charm over luxury. Real guest scores land around 8.4, with rates from roughly $40 a night.

Coming in at #7 is a small boutique the design crowd will fall for — Vishan Garden Boutique Hotel Xiamen, which takes the slot left by Y House Xiamen after its booking page went dark. It hides down an alley off the Zhongshan Road pedestrian street in the old town, about 1.6 km from the ferry pier across to Gulangyu. The draw is the look: retro Minnan (Hokkien) styling crossed with a Southeast Asian touch, all rattan furniture, blue-and-cream patterned tiles, clean white tones and terracotta pots. There's a little garden in the middle and a rooftop sun deck for the kind of slow afternoon where you never leave the property. Rooms are simple but have taste, and the photographers among you will be very happy. Real guest scores run to about 9.7, the top mark in this article, with rates starting near $43 a night. We'd send couples and design lovers who want somewhere with character right in the old town.

Pick number eight is the one to book if Gulangyu Island is the highlight of your trip. The Hanting Premium Hotel Xiamen Zhongshan Road sits about 400 m from the cross-harbour ferry terminal — an easy walk, no taxi needed — and from some angles you can see Pearl Beach, which is under a kilometre away. This is the Premium line of Hanting, the Chinese budget chain under Huazhu Group, so the rooms run a notch above the standard product: Modern Classic decor, warm brown parquet, a big bed with a firm-but-soft mattress, and wide windows that keep things bright. The pull is really the price — it starts very light for a spot this close to the water, around $26 a night, with real-guest scores near 9.5. We'd send budget travellers here when Gulangyu is the main event.

Ranked #9, this is the budget pick whose location punches well above its price — Hanting Hotel Xiamen Zhongshan Road Datong Road. It sits on Datong Road, a main lane cutting through the Zhongshan Road pedestrian quarter, which puts the shopping street, the old-town sights and the Gulangyu ferry pier all within an easy walk. The look is modern with a heavy timber leaning — parquet floors, a built-in lounge nook set into the wall with a grey upholstered seat, a King bed in clean white linen and a wide window framing the old town. Rooms are about 24 sqm, roughly 30% larger than a typical budget room here. Real guests score it around 9.3, high for a 2-star, and rates start near $29 a night. We'd point budget travelers and walkers toward it without hesitation.

We close the list with a 3-star that gives you more room than the price has any right to — JI Hotel Xiamen Hexiang West Road Bailuzhou. It's a mid-size property in the JI Hotel chain on Hexiang West Road, a 5-minute walk from Bailuzhou Park, the central city park with a lake and a small island that's made for an early-morning stroll. Shopping, viewpoints and the beach all sit within easy reach, and it's a 10-minute car ride to Zhongshan Road pedestrian street and the ferry. Inside, the decor is Modern Classic with generous shared space, and the rooms keep things simple but comfortable — big beds, parquet floors, and wide windows you can open to the breeze and the city view. We'd point travelers and families here who want a clean chain hotel with space to spread out at a fair price. Real guest scores sit around 9.4, with rooms from about $31 a night.