Best Hotels Near Xi’an Bell Tower
For a first visit built around sightseeing by metro and evenings out for food, I’d start near Xi’an’s Bell Tower. But hotels carrying “Bell Tower” in their names offer quite different stays: some put you beside a metro entrance, others beside the Muslim Quarter, and some trade a longer walk for quieter surroundings.
Novotel Xi’an The Bell Tower is my overall pick, based on my own stay. The ibis on Yandian Street is worth comparing on a tighter budget, while WEST WOOD Garden makes more sense when sleep comes first.
Novotel is the only hotel below I’ve personally stayed at. My other recommendations draw on location, practical room details, and traveler feedback.
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Three Things to Check Beyond Distance to the Bell Tower
Check the walk from the right metro exit to the hotel entrance. Zhonglou station—the Bell Tower station—serves Lines 2 and 6, but its exits are spread out. “Near the station” can still mean an awkward walk with luggage. Check lift access separately if you need it; a short distance doesn’t establish a step-free route. For an airport arrival, plan the journey into central Xi’an alongside that final walk to the hotel.
Think about your walk back at night. Staying beside the Drum Tower and Beiyuanmen, the Muslim Quarter’s main street, helps when you plan repeated food outings. A convenient metro entrance matters more for days spent across the city. A side-street hotel can work well, but locate its actual entrance before arriving.
Choose the room as carefully as the neighborhood. Traffic, pedestrian activity, and nearby bars affect different sides of a hotel differently. A higher or inward-facing room may help, but neither guarantees quiet—and an inward-facing room can mean less daylight.
Use this three-day Xi’an itinerary to work out where your sightseeing days will take you before paying extra for a particular location.
Hotels by Travel Style: Which One Fits Your Stay?
Best Overall: Novotel Xi’an The Bell Tower—My Personal Pick
For a first trip to China with large bags and plenty of metro journeys, this is where I’d start. The hotel is at 16 Anban Street, in the Yisu cultural district, with Zhonglou station’s Exit H right outside. That was what I appreciated most during my four-night stay: getting out for the day didn’t begin with finding the station.
The Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and Muslim Quarter entrance are within walking distance, although exploring deeper into the food streets means walking farther. It’s a useful position for a mix of sightseeing and evening meals.
Still deciding on the neighborhood? Compare where to stay in Xi’an for a first visit before narrowing down individual hotels.
Our room felt comfortable for two. I remember the generously sized bed, a mattress that didn’t sag beneath me, and a duvet with just the right thickness. Those details mattered when we came back to rest.
Free self-service washing and drying are useful on a longer China trip. There’s also a Terracotta Warriors shuttle pickup near the east entrance of Yisu Grand Theatre beside the hotel; reception can help with departure arrangements.
The room category deserves attention before booking. Some entry-level rooms have no external window, an obstructed outlook, or an internal courtyard view, with limited daylight and ventilation. Inward-facing rooms may be quieter, while lower street-facing rooms have reports of traffic and event noise. Ask about both the window and the orientation.
Most rooms don’t overlook the Bell Tower itself. I’d choose Novotel for easy transport and a comfortable stay; I’d skip it if a tower view were the main reason for booking.
A Lower-Cost Chain Alternative: Mercure Xi’an Bell Tower Muslim Quarter
Mercure is worth comparing when Novotel stretches the budget. Its transport advantage is Beidajie station, about four minutes away on foot, serving Lines 1 and 2. You give up Novotel’s immediate Zhonglou access in exchange for a potentially better rate.
The Muslim Quarter’s core streets are roughly a ten-minute walk away, rather than directly outside. Guest feedback mentions helpful staff using translation apps, a more realistic expectation than fluent English throughout the stay.
I’d choose it when comparable rooms are meaningfully cheaper for the same dates. With only a small difference, I’d pay more for Novotel’s location beside Exit H.
Best Value: ibis on Yandian Street
For a modest budget and days spent mostly out exploring, I’d compare the ibis at 36 Yandian Street (盐店街36号). Guangjijie station on Line 6 is roughly a three- to six-minute walk away; Zhonglou station is closer to nine minutes. Using the nearer station makes more sense than choosing it on the strength of “Bell Tower” in its name.
The hotel sits off the main road, and some guests specifically mention quiet rooms. The clearer compromise is space: rooms are compact, and opening large suitcases may make moving around awkward. It suits a solo traveler, two people packing light, or a brief stay better than a pair traveling with substantial luggage.
Free laundry helps on a longer trip, while a translation app is sensible for reception conversations. At a good rate, I’d accept the smaller room and extra walk.
For Quieter Nights: WEST WOOD GARDEN HOTEL
WEST WOOD GARDEN HOTEL at 77 Ximutoushi (西木头市77号) is worth considering when you want an old-town base away from the busiest street frontage. Its small garden gives it a different setting from the chain hotels, and traveler feedback includes positive comments about soundproofing and sleep.
Allow eight to ten minutes to walk to Zhonglou station and around ten to fifteen to the Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter. That is manageable for everyday outings, but more noticeable on arrival with large bags or relatives who find walking tiring.
Some rooms reportedly have windows facing a corridor, so ask about daylight and privacy. I’d consider the longer walk for its quieter setting, while still checking the specific room rather than assuming every courtyard hotel guarantees good sleep.
Best for Food: CHEERMAY Hotel Xi’an Bell & Drum Tower Muslim Quarter
For travelers planning to spend plenty of time eating around the Muslim Quarter, CHEERMAY’s biggest advantage is location. It sits directly on Beiyuanmen, with the Drum Tower less than two minutes away and the Bell Tower around five to six minutes on foot. You can go out for food, return for a break, then head back out again without turning every meal into another trip across the old town.
Some rooms face the Drum Tower, and the rooftop terrace also looks toward it. I’d choose the hotel for the location first, then decide whether the view is worth paying extra for.
The hotel opened in 2023, so the rooms and facilities feel relatively new. The main trade-off is the busy setting. Several guests mention good soundproofing, but I’d still ask for an inward-facing room if you’re sensitive to noise.
Breakfast isn’t included, which matters less here than at most hotels: local breakfast options are right outside. I’d book it when food access and walkability come first; for quieter nights, laundry, or a hotel breakfast, I’d choose one of the other options above.
For Laundry on a Longer Trip: Holiday Inn Express Xi’an Bell Tower
At 70 South Street, Holiday Inn Express is useful when laundry has to fit around full sightseeing days. Its free self-service laundry room has washers and dryers and stays open 24 hours. Zhonglou station is about three minutes away on foot, with the Muslim Quarter’s main street and South Gate roughly ten minutes away.
Breakfast includes local noodle options, which suits travelers who prefer eating at the hotel before heading out.
I wouldn’t pay extra for laundry alone, since several hotels here offer it. The deciding question is whether you can get a room away from the neighboring nightlife. Guests report late-night bass on the affected side, particularly on lower floors, while other rooms receive much quieter reports.
Some fittings also show their age. I’d consider it at a suitable rate with the room orientation clarified; for very sensitive sleepers, I’d compare WEST WOOD GARDEN HOTEL first.
Prefer Quiet? South Gate May Suit You Better
If noise remains your main concern, broaden the search to South Gate, also called Yongningmen. It makes more sense for evenings walking near the city wall and sitting down to dinner than for repeated trips into the Muslim Quarter.
The Bell Tower vs South Gate comparison looks more closely at that choice, including food, transport, and nighttime noise.
Zhonglou and Yongningmen stations are one metro stop apart, and the two landmarks are roughly a twenty-minute walk apart. Individual hotels can be considerably farther away.
For a lower budget, compare the ibis Yongningmen branch at 99 Nanguan Zheng Street. It is outside the wall, between Yongningmen and Nanshaomen, roughly five minutes’ walk from Yongningmen station. Walking to the Bell Tower takes about twenty-five to thirty minutes. It suits travelers willing to use the metro for a better room rate.
With more room in the budget, consider Wanda/Yi at 68 Xiangzimiao Street. It is about a kilometer from the Bell Tower but still around twelve minutes’ walk from Yongningmen station. Its proximity to Defu Lane makes room orientation important: ask specifically about bar noise.
I’d consider South Gate for a more restful evening setting and accept the longer journey to the Muslim Quarter. Main roads and bars still exist here, so the final choice needs to come down to the hotel and room.
Three Rules for Booking Near the Bell Tower
- Check the actual route. Locate the hotel entrance, the most useful metro exit, and the places you’ll visit repeatedly.
- Ask about windows, orientation, and noise together. A request for a high floor or a quiet room helps, but doesn’t confirm what you’re booking.
- Pay for convenience you’ll use. Compare laundry arrangements for a longer trip and walking routes for evenings out. With similar rates, I’d favor Novotel; a different budget or stronger need for quiet can make another hotel the better choice.
