We are planning a trip to China in March. We'll start out in Shanghai and end in Hong Kong where we have already made reservations using hotel points. In between we are signed up with a tour company - not a big group tour, just 2 couples so we might have a little flexibility. Below is a list of the places we are visiting and the hotels suggested by the tour company. I would really appreciate comments (pro and con) and alternate suggestions if you have them. Thanks in advance.

Suzhou: Holiday Inn Jasmine Suzhou
Hangzhou: Lily Hotel
Xian: Grand New World Hotel
Dunhuang: Building No. 8 of Dunhuang Hotel
Turpan: Oasis Hotel
Kashgar: "the best local hotel" - how scary is that!
Chengdu: Yinhe Dynasty Hotel
Kunming: Kunming Hotel
Guilin: Guilin Bravo Hotel

Have you tried Tripadvisor?

I have. Some of their reports are old. Besides, I like this forum better.

My impression from reading and speaking with people who have made the trip is that with Silk Road hotels, you are going be find only pretty basic places. But you aren't there for the luxe experience, so I would not spend a lot of time looking.

I can only comment on the New World in Xian. It has been some years since I stayed there, so I can't say that the rooms are still nice, but they were perfectly comfortable and the hotel had good service. I really liked the location, as it is next to a portion of the city wall (no access point but quite pretty to see), and there are some interesting neighborhoods to wander. I have also stayed at the Grand Castle Hotel (it used to be an ANA hotel but I believe it is independent now). This has a very good location right near the main access point for the wall, and it was quite nice as well. I believe that the Bell Tower hotel gets good reviews here, you might search for it.

All of the choices mentioned above with which I am familiar (principally the ones in the northwest) are long-standing, tour group staples: uninspired and uninspiring. (I'm sure you're not going to do this, but) the best policy is to show up and find the newest hotel on arrival. It will have cleaner, more comfortable accommodation, more welcoming staff, and lower prices (especially if you don't allow your tour company to come between you and the sum you negotiate over the counter).

In general there are new hotels opening all the time, but they rarely spend anything on advertising, and they fight against established kick-back deals to get the attention of the tour companies. However, clean, simple accommodation is available all the way up the route you're taking.

Peter N-H