Beijing Hotel Tips by Confucius

Here's a hotel located inside an upscale shopping mall that is also right by Beijing's main train station. It's convenient for transportation by subway as well. The rooms are comfortable and clean. The breakfast buffet is very good. (Grab a handful of those imported Austrian jams for your train ride!)
I had a friend in Beijing drop off a package at the hotel and the front desk did not notify me. It was not until my friend called late at night that I learned the package was still downstairs and so I criticized the hotel staff for not even leaving a note that a package for me had arrived.
The public telephone in the hotel lobby has a small round speaker on the ceiling directly above it which blares loud "lobby music" over your attempts at telecommunication. I informed the management that this speaker should be removed or disconnected.
Despite those two complaints, I have no problem recommending this hotel to tourists seeking a centrally located base from which to explore Beijing.

Unique Qualities: The hotel has a tennis court that appears to be in good condition.
The hotel's bakery has a "buy one, get one free" discount in the late afternoon.

There is a "Mondo Gelato" shop located on the second floor of Henderson Center shopping mall and another larger branch is located by the Starbucks across the street. (You must have mango sorbetto as a last taste of civilization before taking the train into the countryside.) Also across the street in the basement is a "Park N' Shop" Hong Kong style supermarket.

HSBC bank account holders will be pleased to know that one of Beijing's two HSBC ATM's is just a short walk away at Jianguomen outside the COFCO Center. (The other HSBC ATM is at Wangfujing's Oriental Plaza.)

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 86-10-65266688
Address: No 18A Jianguomen Nei Avenue Beijing 100005
Directions: Inside Henderson Center shopping mall, across the street from the Beijing Train Station
Website: http://www.the.hojo.com/beijing13781

This is one of the best budget hotels in Beijing that is next to the subway. The location is in southwest Beijing near the Xuanwumen subway station.
This three star hotel has good service, clean rooms, and is popular with foreign tourists. A standard room is 328 RMB, which is US $41. I would recommend this hotel to anybody who is looking for budget accomodations in Beijing.

Unique Qualities: Aside from being right by the subway, the Yuexiu Hotel is also next to Kentucky Fried Chicken, SOGO department store, and Wal-Mart. The SOGO department store building also has an excellent food court upstairs and Italian gelato downstairs as well as a supermarket.
The Yuexiu hotel is also within walking distance of Liulichang and is across the street from a Catholic cathedral, so the location is very convenient for tourists.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Phone: 86-10-6301-4499
Address: 24 East Xuanwumen Street, Beijing 100051
Directions: Just south of the Xuanwumen subway station, north of SOGO

Crowne Plaza North Beijing changed management and became Loong Palace Hotel & Resort in July 2005.
It is a low priced five star hotel located in Changping's Huilongguan residential district north of Beijing's downtown center. The location is not ideal for tourists but because this hotel is located near the high tech area of Zhongguancun it is often used for international conferences and visiting scientific delegations.
It remains under western management and you will likely see the foreign general manager greeting international guests in the lobby. I also met the amicable Director of Rooms Division, Mr. Nisar Ahmed, while waiting for the hotel shuttle.
The service at this hotel is excellent and the staff is well trained. The facilities are exactly what you would expect from a 5 star hotel.
There is a contracted shuttle service to the nearest subway stations (and further downtown) for a small fee but you are on your own for the return trip to the hotel.
On weekends there is a delicious dim sum lunch buffet (11:30-14:30) inside the hotel at the fancy Dragon Court Chinese Restaurant for only 98 yuan. The price includes one free bowl of shark's fin soup!

Unique Qualities: I was very pleased with my accomodations. The air conditioning is as cool as you like and can be felt throughout the spacious room. Next to the couch is small table with several current magazines in both English and Chinese.
The television has ESPN, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, and NHK as well as CCTV-9 so you can watch Sugarpuff's show at 10:30. (Rediscovering China). The TV also has a free Tetrus style video game that retains the highest score. (Can you beat mine? 6200!)
The bathroom has a very nice bathtub and separate shower facility. Amenities include two complimentary bottles of spring water which are replenished each day of your stay.
You'll appreciate the free water because the closest store is a long walk away.
The highlight of my stay was the complimentary daily breakfast buffet in the Italian Bistro Cafe. A splendid array of Chinese dim sum, fresh melons, Western breads and pastries, as well as French toast, Asian noodles, congee and sushi greeted me each morning at 7:00. There's even a fresh juice machine which the waitresses will use to puree your favorite fruits or vegetables. The dining space is well sunlit and there's refreshing Italian instrumental music to get your day off to a wonderfully cosmopolitan start.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Phone: 86-10-8079-9988
Address: Huilongguan, Changping District, Beijing 102208
Directions: Near Longze station on Beijing light rail north of Xizhimen, Loong Palace is located very close to Beijing's northwest high-tech Zhongguancun area.
Other Contact: Fax 86-10-8079-8866

This is a 2 star hotel south of Hongqiao Market and east of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing's Chongwen District. It's a typical cheap hotel in China but the service is actually quite good. Hot water is available 24 hours and the rooms have central air conditioning.

A double room is 290 yuan but during the low season you can get rooms for as low as 198 yuan. They also have triple rooms for 382 yuan but that price can go down as low as 248 yuan between November and April.

Unique Qualities: Of course the main attraction of this hotel is the large bowling alley next door. If you're a bowler then this is the best hotel in China for you. Right by the bowling alley you'll also find a cheap Internet cafe (hourly rates), which is rare in Chongwen District.

The location is very close to the Temple of Heaven and Hongqiao Market, two of Beijing's popular attractions. You can reach the hotel by taking the subway to Chongwenmen, then transfer to bus 39, 43, 705, 812, or 957. Get off the bus at Yu Ting Bridge and you'll see the building on the right with the big bowling pin on top.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$20-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 6703-7851, 6702-7101
Address: No. 31 Tian Tan East Road, Chongwen District
Directions: South of Hongqiao Market, east of the Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan)