Le Meridien Xi'an Chanba

Rooms at this Le Meridien are designed so you can soak in the bathtub while watching the river go by, which is a rare architectural priority and a good one. The hotel sits in Xi'an's ecological district, with three restaurants covering international BBQ, Yunnan specialties, and a hot pot concept that takes itself seriously. Drum Tower, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and the City Wall are all close enough to make the location genuinely useful.