Beijing Hotel (Beijing Fandian)
In a city where hotels are deemed historic if open for more than a decade, it's a shame the genuinely old Beijing Hotel is bent on maintaining a bland semblance of youth. The original French-owned Hotel de Pekin, considered among the finest hotels in prewar China, was destroyed in the Boxer Rebellion (1900) and moved to this location, at the bottom of Wangfujing Dajie, in 1917. It was taken over by the government after 1949 and was until the mid-1980s one of the few hotels where foreigners could stay. A recent renovation buried most reminders of the hotel's past behind an unimaginative mix of marble and glass, the lone exception being a 100-year-old Bosendorfer piano that sits forlornly in the original lobby. Rooms are spacious but offer the same lackluster luxury found in most government-affiliated high-end hotels. Many visitors still stay here for nostalgia's sake, but facilities and service don't match the hotel's five-star rating.
Facilities:4 restaurants (Imperial, Cantonese, American steakhouse, Japanese); cafe; bar; indoor pool; indoor and outdoor tennis courts; exercise room; Jacuzzi; sauna; concierge; tour desk; business center; shopping arcade; salon; 24-hr. room service; same-day dry cleaning/laundry service; executive-level rooms; currency exchange; squash courts.
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| Address | Dong Chang'an Dajie 33 | |
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| Location | Dongcheng (City Center) | |
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| Transportation | Metro: Wangfujing (118, exit A) | |
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| Phone | 010/6513-7766 | |
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| Fax | 010/6523-2395 | |
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| Web site | www.chinabeijinghotel.com.cn | |
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| Room Information | 891 units | |
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| Prices | ¥2,656 ($332) standard room (summer discount rate around ¥1,250/$156), plus 15% service charge | |
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| Credit Cards | AE, DC, MC, V | |
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| In Room Amenities | A/C, satellite TV, dataport, minibar, hair dryer, safe | |