Thirties Holiday Villa - Xiamen

There are many places to stay on the island, mainly in these old buildings. However, most of them only have Chinese-language business cards and websites. The Golden Thirties Villa hotel, as the institution's business card describes its name, is located on Zhonghua Lu, a relatively wide pedestrian lane that runs south-north in the southerly end of Gulangyu Island. But first, a bit about the island itself. If you like Venice, Fez, Jerusalem, the center of old Innsbruck - or some other area where vehicles are banned, pedestrians stroll on winding alleyways and paths, goods are moved around on two-wheeled carts, and the architecture is old, varied and quite interesting - then you'll probably love Gulangyu Island. Gulangyu Island is very popular as a destination for Chinese group tours. However, it is relatively undiscovered by foreigners. The most baffling thing about the island is that you can count the number of you'll see or hear during a day of ambling around on one or two hands. There are several pretty beaches and lookouts. One can walk the circumference of the entire island in a day, enjoying a wide variety of footpaths, vistas and architecture along the way. There are also numerous gift shops and places to eat. A few coffee houses are scattered about too. In addition, there are two shops where you can use a potter's wheel to make a ceramic object, paint it and have it fired and sent to you. An interesting diversion. Golden Thirties Villa offers basic accommodation. The rooms are clean, the electricity and a/c worked, the water pressure was good and there was plenty of hot water. The TV did not work, but we did not ask that it be checked. The check-in desk staff only speak Chinese. Room prices are negotiable. If you come with indications from a few places you will be in a good position to bargain. (We had not reserved in advance, but rather allowed a woman who met the ferry to lead us to Golden Thirties Villa. In retrospect, we should have clarified at the outset that we would not pay for the "steer." We asked at the desk if they paid the lady, they said "no", suggested we tip her, then a short time later as we left the hotel we saw the lady go back in, presumably to collect a referral fee.) The hotel offers relatively large, high-ceilinged rooms with double beds and ones with twin beds. Breakfast is not included, but there is a refrigerator in the room, the local grocery store is open till 11 PM, and the hotel has two pleasant places to sit outside, plus balconies near the rooms that look out over the island. The room included a small table and a small couch. There were not drawers into which one could put clothes, just a metal rack with hangars. One front desk staff was particularly helpful when we had to ring an airline to book seat selections. The clerk allowed us to use her own cell phone to make the call. Why an "Average" and not a "Very Good" rating? No elevator, no little store on site, no concierge, no bellboy to take the bags up to your room. And, by the indicative prices other hotels along the street provided, the place was not great value for money.