I stayed in the Holiday Inn Express Temple of Heaven for two nights before I joined my tour group. I chose this hotel as the price was very reasonable (US$60/night), and I wanted to be close to the Temple of Heaven as this tourist attraction was not on our tour itinerary. Firstly, the hotel is very close to the standard that one might expect of a Holiday Inn Express in the West. This is important as Chinese beds tend to be extremely hard, and their bathrooms a bit grungy. I stayed in about 7 different hotels in China (mainly 3 and 4-star) and this was the nicest. Bonuses included free and decent buffet (hot and cold) breakfast and free wireless Internet. The staff at reception are very friendly and helpful, although there are some language barriers still. There are a number of small restaurants leading from the subway station to the hotel, and many cater to locals, so you may need to be careful with your choices.
The main drawback (for me anyway) for the hotel is its proximity to the subway station. I caught the subway, and tried to follow their instructions (but since I did not know east from west, and it was dark), it is not evident which way to go. I flagged down 4 taxi before one of then knew where the hotel was. In the daytime, and once you get your bearings, it is easier to find, but still a good 10-15 minute walk from the subway station.
You get a lot of hotel for your money and it was much better than the hotelI wound up staying at with our tour group but the location would make me think twice about going back.
- Holiday Inn Express Beijing
- Beijing Holiday Inn Express
- Beijing Holiday Inn