We have just returned from our holiday in China. The Howard Johnson in Xian is a good hotel but does have a few problems. Half the staff seemed to be trainees according to their name tags and did not always seem to know what they were doing, they were however eager to please if you could make yourself understood as their English was usually very limited. We had afternoon tea one day and were shown to a table with a very dirty tablecloth - not what you would expect from a five star hotel. The waiter simply brushed a few of the crumbs away and sat us down. I had to ask for a clean tablecloth.
The lifts were very slow as there were only two, which was surprising for a hotel of this size.
The rooms were great. Very large, the largest of any we had in china, and very modern and clean.
The restaurant was undergoing renovations while we were there which seemed strange as the hotel was not very old, but the food in the temporary restaurant was very good. We would probably stay there again even though there were a few problems.

A group of us just came back from China and all 32 of us loved the Howard Johnson in Xian. The location of the hotel is perfect. We were within walking distance of the city wall and close to the center of town. This five star property is truly a gem. Everything about this place deserves the 5 star rating. The rooms were spacious, new, immaculate, and beautiful. The design of the room is classy contemporary, with a wonderful warmth feel. The room looks like the hotel photos. Most importanly, the bed was very comfortable. The marbled bathroom has separate shower and tub. The sink is ultra modern, sleek and gorgeous. We stayed at several 5 stars property in China and this is one of the best. Yes, the hotel's pool is not due to open until sometime next year, which was a slight disappointment to a few in the group. However, we had so much to do in Xian--Terracotta soldiers, Tang dynasty show and dumpling dinner, city wall, Shanxi Museum (the best in the country)-- there was hardly any time to swim. Most of us were just glad to go back to a beautiful room with a comfortable bed.

We were equally impressed by the staff. They were eager to please and assist in whatever we needed. Service was prompt and courteous. Many of the hotel staff spoke good English.

One of the best part of our 2 nights stay was the food. The western and Chinese style breakfast selection is incredible--as good as they get. We loved the Japanese and Western style buffet dinner as well. The food was delicious. Most people in our group considered this dinner the best they had in China! I would definitely recommend this fabulous place to anyone. Our stay was perfect.

We stayed in the Hojo on 2006-07-22 for 4 days. Spacious and clean Hotel. We selected this hotel because there was a swimming pool (compensation for the children for the visits) . All sites mentioned an indoor pool. But there is NO INDOOR POOL!!!!
The very poor english speaking staff said that perhaps in 2007 there will be one. Unfair competition and misleading publicity !!!

I was traveling with other travel agents on Asia Holidays. We all agreed that this hotel would definitely be recommended to our clients. The room was spacious, the bathroom had a separate shower from the tub, and most importantly the beds were comfortable.