Ji Hotel Dongzhimen Beijing

“Good budget hotel ”

Stayed here for three weeks while working in Beijing. As budget hotels go it was great, I wasn’t disturbed, rooms were kept clean and the breakfast was Chinese but nice. Staff don’t speak much English but are still very helpful.

“Cheap upgrades with memory foam beds - newly renovated”

Note: This used to be a Hanting Express but is now Hanting Quanji or Hanting Seasons or Hanting Four Seasons. People still refer to it as Hanting. I arrive at the hotel, green on the outside, with lattice-work over the windows. Walk down the steps into the lobby. On entering, people at the d… more

Note: This used to be a Hanting Express but is now Hanting Quanji or Hanting Seasons or Hanting Four Seasons. People still refer to it as Hanting. I arrive at the hotel, green on the outside, with lattice-work over the windows. Walk down the steps into the lobby. On entering, people at the desk immediately greet me, though it is busy and I need to wait to be checked in. The lobby is large and cool white stone, with a few colorful cubes to sit on. There is a business center and breakfast area off to the left. Some pots of hot water, maybe tea are on the burner. I didn't check. There are options for rooms. I have the discount rates, one can get with a 195 RMB Hanting Hotels card. The basic choices are between two twin or a single queen or king bed, superior rooms, business rooms (with computer), or ‘zero-pressure’ rooms. I am told the latter is better bedding. The standard queen room is 385 RMB with the 20% discount. Various upgrades are about 10 RMB more, so I opt for the ‘zero-pressure’ superior king room which is about 30 RMB more than the standard room. The basic rooms are probably pretty basic, and it is a cheap upgrade. I've often found the upgrades to be very worthwhile in China. Reception service is good, and fairly fast. A regular guest praises the hotel but advises against getting the buffet breakfast. “You won’t like it”, he says. It is a buffet, Chinese-style breakfast. I might like it, but at 30 RMB it is expensive. I forget to ask about wifi, and the desk doesn’t tell me the password, so I have to ask later. I go to the single elevator and wait awhile. One elevator is rarely really enough, but it is new. I arrive at my floor, find my room and hold the key up to the lock. The green light comes on, and I open the door to a nice modern room. There is a card for ‘massage services’ under the door. Common in Chinese hotels. It is a fairly large room. I pop the key into the slot next to the door to turn on the power. Bright LED lights come on. There is a toilet to my left in its own room, next to that is an alcove with the sink, and behind that, the shower. There is a glass wall between the shower and the room, so no privacy had I been sharing my room. There is a chaise lounge under the window, and a large, king-sized bed. What are these pillows? Memory foam? And a memory foam mattress! This isn’t something I have ever seen in China. This is what they meant by better bedding. Along one wall is a low area for hanging clothes, some shelves, a place to put a suitcase, and a decent sized desk with several outlets. There are no enclosed spaces or drawers. Amenities are basic--2 free bottles of water, water boiler, hair dryer, shampoo/shower gel in bathtub, disposable toothbrushes, toothpaste and combs. The view out the window is just of the street and a large building under construction across the road. The view is obstructed by the metal skin that has been added to it to make the building more attractive from the road. Part of the window opens and there is a pull-down screen. There is a thin shade and also heavy drapes. On closer inspection, the wallpaper near the bathroom is stained and torn near the bottom, and the bathroom tiles are scuffed, but everything appears to be clean. I’m afraid the workmanship is not great, and the hotel won’t wear well, but for now it is pretty nice. Everything works. The lights are bright, but I’d rather have a desk lamp and bed lamps for more directed light. There is a radiator and the heat is a bit too warm, so I use the electric heater/air con unit to cool the room a bit. The controls in Chinese are a bit hard to figure out. The shower turns out to be hot and have decent pressure, though nothing spectacular. Overall the plumbing works but doesn’t seem to be great. Towels are big but scratchy. No wash cloths, as is typical for Chinese hotels. The first night I find the room to be a bit noisy. I even hear a bit of snoring through the wall. There is a bit of road noise as well. The second night is much quieter. I’ve stayed in many budget hotels in Beijing in the 300-400 price range. This is at the upper end, and is actually one-step up from the bottom of this budget chain. At heart, though, it feels like a budget hotel, kind of like a teenager a bit awkward in his best suit that doesn't quite fit. Still, it is the best value budget hotel I have found in Beijing, though I think sometimes one can get a similar deal on a more upscale hotel. The neighborhood is not exciting, but there are plentiful restaurants and shops around and it is fairly central. Reasons to stay: 1. Soft beds. Hard to find in China, especially at this price. Only in ‘zero-pressure’ rooms. This is a big deal. If you need a soft bed and like memory foam, and don't want to pay a lot, then this is probably the place for you. 2. Location. Near Dongzhimen subway stop which includes the useful #2 line, less useful #13 line and airport express. 3. Value.

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“Just OK Hotel in Sanlitun area”

It's enough if you just need a place to sleep. Rooms are ok, bed is big and bathroom facilities were not bad. Staff speaks very little english Location is good if you want to stay near Sanlitun, but a little far from tourist attractions. I walked 15 minutes from Dongzhimen station which is a Airpo… more

It's enough if you just need a place to sleep. Rooms are ok, bed is big and bathroom facilities were not bad. Staff speaks very little english Location is good if you want to stay near Sanlitun, but a little far from tourist attractions. I walked 15 minutes from Dongzhimen station which is a Airport Express stop.

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