Great Dragon Hotel (Zhaolong), Beijing

Advantages: very clean & comfortable, useful facilities, resonable price
Disadvantages: doesnt really give you a chinese experience

...by - although i think thats how beijing is, a bit sprawly with no real centre or heart (go to xian instead!). The main block of the hotel has a money exchange (& the good thing about china / communism is you get exactly the same rate where ever you go) & gift shops - there is also at least 1 pharmacy & 1 mini supermarket on site. Breakfast was great - fantastic selection & for those who cant do sweet & sour chicken with noodles at 08.00 then there's stil plentty of other (more european) choices. Would i stay here again - YES, the only thing is I wouldnt bother going to beijing again, notg my sort of china.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Lots of tourist attractions, good souvenirs, great experience.
Disadvantages: A big culture shock, food not very nice.

...If you want culture shock, visit Beijing. The first thing you notice is the number of bicycles. Our guide told us that the main crime in Beijing is bicycle theft! They are everywhere, on roads, parked up, everwhere you look there are masses of them. That's along with the regular traffic you'd expect to see in any major city. Then you notice the electric hookups for the bus system. Most of the busses in Beijing are electric powered, which looks quite strange. The thing which shocked me most though was the unfriendliness of the people. Apart from the guides and shopkeepers, everyone was curt and abrupt and nobody ever smiled! Beijing is an excellent base to visit tourist places such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Ming Tombs. On a positive note, however, the standard of the hotel... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Raffles! Friendly staff, immaculate rooms
Disadvantages: Expensive bowling alley

...Wow, what an amazing hotel - and a true bargain at that. It is actually now owned by Raffles with one part of the hotel being Raffles and the other Beijing Hotel. We visited Beijing in January this year staying for six nights in the Raffles section of the hotel. You know that you are arriving somewhere nice when your taxi door is opened as soon as you get there and friendly men smile at you and welcome you to the hotel. They grabbed our cases and brought them inside for us. The reception is clean and warm (a must as it was minus five outside!!!). The staff welcomed us to the hotel and could not have been more friendly and helpful. An added bonus was that we had booked through Expedia (therefore only paying £60 per night) and been told that we were not getting breakfast included. The reception staff said that as it was low season... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful