Fairmont Xiamen
An indoor pool with a view, plus bike tours
About this hotel
The indoor pool at Fairmont Xiamen is described specifically as a swimming pool with a view, a detail that sets it apart from the more standard indoor pools at nearby business hotels. Spa facilities, sauna, fitness classes and even bike tours round out a wellness offering that goes further than most Xiamen properties bother with. Family rooms carry river views and modern amenities, air conditioning, free WiFi and a work desk, and the family-friendly restaurant serves Chinese, Italian, Mediterranean and international cuisines with continental, American, buffet and Asian breakfast options. The location does real work too: a short walk from Tapu Beach and close to both Xiamen University and Nanputuo Temple, with Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport only eight kilometres away, one of the shorter airport runs on this list.
- Indoor pool with a view
- Spa and sauna
- Bike tours
- River-view rooms
Our take
This suits travellers who want an indoor pool that is actually worth looking at rather than a purely functional lap pool, plus a genuine wellness programme, bike tours and fitness classes included, rather than a spa in name only. With a 9.5 rating from a smaller review base, expectations run high and mostly get met. Families booking the river-view rooms and couples wanting easy access to Xiamen University and Nanputuo Temple both do well here.
- ✓Book a river-view room specifically if the outlook matters, family rooms carry it but not every category does.
- ✓Sign up for a bike tour through the hotel rather than arranging one independently, it is run as part of the wellness programme here.
- ✓Walk to Tapu Beach in the late afternoon before dinner, it is close enough to fit in without cutting into pool or spa time.
Why we love it
- An indoor pool actually worth the view
- Bike tours as part of the wellness programme
- River-view family rooms
- One of the shorter airport transfers on this list
Why guests love itThe indoor pool having an actual view was not something we expected walking in, most hotel pools we have stayed at face a blank wall or a car park. Fairmont's opened onto something worth looking at during a lap swim. The bike tour arranged through the front desk turned into the best afternoon of the trip, better than we had planned ourselves. Tapu Beach was close enough for a short walk before dinner most evenings, and the eight-kilometre run from the airport made arrival painless.