New East Asia Hotel (Xiamen International Airport)

New East Asia Hotel sits on Xiangyun 3rd Road in Huli district, about a kilometre from Xiamen Gaoqi Airport, near Xiamen Jichang Yuanlin square and Qingshui Palace temple.

The main draw here is proximity to the airport and a round-the-clock shuttle to the terminals — the ride to T3 takes just a few minutes. The lobby is bright and spacious with some greenery, and staff are generally responsive to requests, like fitting groceries into the fridge even without a fridge booked in advance.

Who it suits: transit passengers with an early or late flight who care more about being close to the terminals than about a freshly renovated room.

Worth knowing: the building shows its age, breakfast is modest, and the shuttle — despite being the hotel's main selling point — doesn't always run smoothly, with complaints about the van running late or a booked seat being given to someone else without warning. There's also a serious complaint about housekeeping leaving a room door unlocked after cleaning — worth double-checking the door is properly shut when you return to your room.