China is a big and mysterious country. There are many different myths and beliefs about her, the reliability of which is highly questionable. Today the Celestial Empire gladly opens its doors to tourists from all over the world. This is a great opportunity to join the culture of this country, get new unforgettable impressions and have a great rest. Beijing hotels are distinguished by elegance and a special Asian style. A different take on hospitality makes even a simple hotel check-in fun.
Chinese mentality
Arriving in China, an ordinary European sees a completely different culture. Attention to detail will allow you to see a lot of differences between peoples and countries. The Chinese capital impresses with its size, population and high level of organization. With so many people, it would seem that inevitable traffic jams should occur, but this does not happen. Surprisingly, even in the subway there is no particular crush.
Beijing hotels are trying to give theirguests and European comfort, and a certain style. Pleasant and not very surprises will lie in wait everywhere, especially in inexpensive rooms. However, the mentality of the Chinese people does not allow guests to be treated inappropriately. Whatever hotel a European visits, he will always be provided with the highest possible level of hospitality or service. Ordinary hotel workers value the reviews of foreigners and are proud of them.
Despite the distinct advantages of this privileged attitude, there are also problems. The artificial environment will not allow you to feel the spirit of the Middle Kingdom. Wherever the tourist goes, they will try to organize either the environment to which he is accustomed to, or the traditional, but at the same time ideal. It is difficult to understand right away, rather, you need to experience everything for yourself. This approach to foreign guests creates the illusion of exceptional well-being, but do not flatter yourself.
Reverse side of the coin
It is not necessary to plan walks only in the beautiful and modern city center. All this is just an imitation of Europe. Real China can only be seen in quiet residential areas. Beijing hotels, located near the slums, carefully mask disadvantaged areas. Usually, windows that are darkened on one side are used for this.
It's worth turning off the main streets and visiting the crowded streets. Don't be afraid, it's completely safe. It should be understood that in China all the fun begins after sunset. Each district of the capital turns into a real open pavilionChinese culture and street food.
But you should be careful. Although all locals will be glad to foreigners, they will try to deceive in any transaction. This is a feature of culture, and there is no getting away from it. It will not be superfluous to take care of the presence of a guide who could suggest something. If this is too expensive, then you can limit yourself to only a mobile translator and vigilant suspicion.
Daytime these neighborhoods look terrible. Gray walls, little space and constant dirt. Heavy air, a lot of people hurrying somewhere on business and the smell of spicy food. But this is precisely the peculiarity of the culture of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. Not in the luxury of expensive hotels, not in huge skyscrapers and not in the well-groomed center of the capital. Features are located where most of the locals live.
Cheap hotels
Many travelers prefer to save on everything when traveling. However, you cannot save on a hotel in Beijing. Of course, you can give in to desire and save some of the money, but in this case, comfort is not guaranteed. It's not that hotels for locals are worse than international hotels. The problem lies deeper, namely in food. The Chinese have quite peculiar tastes. It is not unusual for their culture to eat a dog or a cat for dinner, as well as unusually spicy breakfast dishes.
Each time, European spicy food lovers try to convince everyone that their country has the hottest dishes. This is not so, the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom eat what our manwill never eat. If there is no desire to spoil the whole vacation or eat in cafes and restaurants, then it is better not to save on hotels. There should always be a fallback with the usual European cuisine.
The best of the best
Of course, in a gigantic city like Beijing, there are plenty of good hotels. They are expensive for the local population, and, as a rule, there are always free places in them. In other words, supply exceeds demand.
The best hotels in Beijing are not necessarily located in the city center or in historical places. For many travelers the more important factor is the location of the hotel and the clean air. Unfortunately, this is more true in China than in the rest of the world. The capital of the Middle Kingdom cannot be called an environmentally friendly city.
The list of the best hotels included:
- Beijing International. This is probably the most famous hotel in China. It is she who is most often recommended in travel agencies.
- China World Summit Wing. A great option for those who love modern and are not afraid of heights.
- Park Hyatt Beijing. Perhaps this is the best place for those who want to pay as little attention to the urban environment as possible or take a break from it.
- Peninsula Beijing. The very center of the city, a new building and affordable rooms. Especially for those who are not too tight on money.
- China World Summit Wing. Pleasant Asian style combined with modern. The main feature - the hotel is located in the highest skyscrapercities. The view from the window is excellent.
Beijing International Hotel
Top level hotel. It receives guests from all over the world and annually collects thousands of positive reviews. Located in the heart of the business district of the capital of China.
Despite the rather old building, the number of rooms is quite modern. It all depends on the comfort level of the room. Standard rooms are pricey.
Travelers recommend to evaluate the professionalism of the chefs in this hotel. Many bars and restaurants create a certain gastronomic choice. You can taste dishes of a wide variety of cuisines, but the most attractive is Chinese, which is not surprising. Considering that in the Middle Kingdom you need to eat with caution, the hotel restaurant is pleasantly pleasing. For many years of work in the hotel there were no cases of serious food poisoning, and this in China says a lot. Local cuisine is simply unusual for Europeans, and only an experienced chef can make it delicious for everyone.
If there is no desire to go to bars, because all the forces were spent on exploring the Forbidden City, located next to the hotel, then you can order food directly to your room. This option is free for deluxe and business class rooms.
Long transplant
He who often flies by plane knows that the most reliable transfer is the one that takes at least a day. The time margin compensates for possible flight delays and saves tickets. There is only one problem - sleeping on armchairs or on the floor is uncomfortable. There are no hotels at Beijing Airport, which is verystrange. But they are located around the complex itself. Honestly, everything is there. Including shopping malls and cinemas. There are a lot of hotels, and advertisements of hotels in English are abundantly placed in the passenger terminals. It is almost impossible to get lost.
All these hotels can boast not the best comfort and quite Moscow prices. These are not hotels in the center of Beijing, therefore, you should not expect sky-high service. The most successful options in terms of price-quality ratio are:
- GreenTree Inn Beijing Capital Airport Second Express Hotel. Two stars, small modern rooms, mediocre cuisine and affordable prices.
- Jinjiang Inn Beijing Capital Airport. A higher class hotel - as many as 3 stars! The rooms are new and the rooms are comfortable. Has its own restaurant.
- Capital Airport Hotel. The only plus is the relatively affordable price. The rest is an old building, archaic rooms and not the most pleasant cuisine.
- Beijing Konggang Haoya Business Hotel. Probably the best hotel near the airport. There are two drawbacks - expensive and 10 km from the terminal. Otherwise, this is the best option. The hotel itself does not have many stars, but belongs to the business class.
New Otani Chang Fu Gong
This hotel deserves to be mentioned off the list. Despite the central location, the cost of the night does not go beyond reasonable limits. This is one of the few hotels available to Russians with average incomes. Relatively old buildingat first it does not inspire confidence, but inside the hotel everything is of the highest standard. Pleases surprisingly harmonious combination of Chinese-Japanese style with European. Looks really unusual. By and large, this is a whole complex that has everything: banquet halls, conference rooms, sports rooms and even baths.
Reviews about the hotel are mostly good. Some visitors complain that the check-in may be delayed, but this does not happen so often. Mostly on the eve of major holidays.
Reviews
Surprisingly, the reviews, which usually do not spare anyone, are very favorable to China. Even cheap hotels with an unfortunate location, according to guests from all over the world, turned out to be good enough. The negative reviews of Beijing hotels are mainly related to only two Chinese problems - food and cleanliness. Nothing can be done, these are features of national culture. However, almost everyone still understands upon arrival in the country that the Chinese are not a very clean nation. In more expensive, and even more so in central hotels, room cleaning is carried out daily. It is important not to leave anything in the rooms of cheaper hotels, because deceiving foreigners is also a national tradition. Sometimes visitors complain about the disappearance of cigarettes and purchased alcohol from the minibar.
