When China Called: Xi'an Part 2
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As for the room, while overly luxurious, it is somewhat small by American standards.
And, I had to constantly remind myself to use boiled or bottled water, including to brush my teeth, throughout the trip starting right now, which I utterly failed to do later in my trip (2013 Decoding China, Christensen, pp. 61 & 243)! On that note, you may want to consider having a hot water thermos with a cup for this purpose; it did come in handy for me. This particular hotel, Grand Noble Hotel, had complimentary bottled water in my room, in the restroom, near the sink, most likely, as a reminder.
The most popular bottled water brand around these parts, it seems, is Nongfu Spring. But if you prefer water with a little less taste, some tourists like the brand Ganten. The later was recommended to me by a traveler from New Zealand I met later during my trip. At hotels however, Coca-Cola bottled water is most common.
Do use the trash can at the restroom to discard of any toilet paper. Water pressure in China is low and not doing so will result in clogging (2016 DK Eyewitness Travel guide, p. 605). That should not have come as a surprise considering the height of buildings and the population density.
Toilet paper goes in the can, not the toilet!
Also, you will need slippers. Use them as you shower. This is not only to avoid the shady eye by the hotel staff, but also to avoid warts (2016 DK Eyewitness Travel guide, p. 605). Yes, mine had the US flag on them, I say that with tongue in cheek. Slippers may be provided at your hotel, but they may be the don’t get me wet variety (2013 Decoding China, Christensen, p. 59).
As for the freezing air conditioning experience that I go to hotels for in the US, it is not something you will be able to experience here. At night, due to the number of guests I imagine, even the highest setting of air conditioning may not even come close to keeping the room at "room temperature!" To make things a bit more cumbersome, you have to place the key card in the wall to turn on electricity in the room. One of the books I read suggested a cheap discount card can temporarily act as a place holder to keep the power going in place of the room key. I am yet to find out for myself if that works (2013 Decoding China, Christensen, p. 59).
To be continued...
