Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / China / Xi'an / Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel Xi'an
Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel Xi'an
Xi'an, Shaanxi, China · Sofitel Legend · Grand Luxury
Opened in 1953 as the State Guesthouse of Xi'an, the largest hotel in northwest China at the time, the Sofitel Legend People's Grand Hotel was designed by Hong Qing, Chief Architect of the Northwest Institute of Architectural Design, who wove French fleur-de-lis motifs into Sino-Russian Art Deco stonework. Queen Elizabeth II, Henry Kissinger, and François Mitterrand are among the world leaders catalogued in the hotel's original guestbook, now on display in its private museum.
- 71 rooms
- Opened 1953
- Neighborhood: Xin Cheng Qu
- Architect: Hong Qing; Chief Architect
About Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel Xi'an
- Architect Hong Qing planted 12 olive trees from seeds personally gifted by Albania to Premier Zhou Enlai during an official state visit; the trees still grow in the hotel's 40,000-square-metre garden.
- When it opened in 1953, the Renmin Dasha (People's Grand Hotel) was Xi'an's only establishment licensed to receive foreign nationals, protected by 12 military guards and designated the city's exclusive State Guesthouse.
- The property is the first and only hotel in Greater China admitted to Sofitel's ultra-select Legend Collection, joining five other global heritage addresses including the Metropole Hanoi and the Old Cataract Aswan.
- The hotel complex includes a 1,466-seat Grand Theatre built in 1954, one of the largest performance venues in northwest China, still operational today as an event space.
- Hong Qing (1913 to 1979) was later invited to join the 30 leading Chinese architects commissioned to design the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao in Tiananmen Square.
History
Opened in 1953 as the State Guesthouse of Xi'an — the largest hotel in northwest China at the time — the Sofitel Legend People's Grand Hotel was designed by Hong Qing, Chief Architect of the Northwest Institute of Architectural Design, who wove French fleur-de-lis motifs into Sino-Russian Art Deco stonework.
The setting
Sofitel Legend People's Grand Hotel Xi'an occupies the landmark Renmin Dasha building at 319 Dongxin Street in Xincheng District, set within the Ming Dynasty city walls at the historic Renmin Square — once the civic heart of northwest China. Commissioned in 1953 as the city's grandest state guesthouse and designed by architect Hong Qing, the heritage building hosted Queen Elizabeth II and Premier Zhou Enlai before its transformation into a Sofitel Legend. The walled city's iconic Bell Tower and Drum Tower lie within walking distance, as does the atmospheric Muslim Quarter and Yongxing Fang heritage street, situating guests at the cultural epicenter of one of China's most ancient capitals.
Restaurants and bars
- 57 Cafe — Café · Chinese
Amenities
- Swimming pool
- Car park
- Restaurant
- Fitness center
- Wi‑Fi
- Air conditioning
- Breakfast
- Meeting rooms
- Room service
- Spa
- Sauna
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
- Historic Hotels Worldwide member (2018)
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