Must-see hotels in Beijing

  • Orchid

    Beijing

    A garden sanctuary in the hutong, the Orchid is Beijing's best-run boutique hotel, going the extra mile with memory-foam mattresses, mobile phones,…

  • PuXuan Hotel

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    Opened in 2019, the PuXuan (sister hotel to Shanghai's acclaimed Puli) is Beijing's most stylish sanctuary, made for grown-ups who demand the finer things…

  • Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    Ten years in the making (the first MO burnt down in 2009), the Mandarin Oriental was worth the wait. Palatial rooms (at least 55 sq metres) have luxurious…

  • Rosewood Beijing

    Beijing

    Beijing's most glamorous hotel, the Rosewood seduces with serene public spaces, innovative restaurants and guest rooms of designer furniture, arty curios,…

  • Opposite House

    Beijing

    The haunt of celebs and media types, Sanlitun's trendiest hotel has 99 minimalist rooms, a stainless-steel pool, art installations in the vertigo-inducing…

  • Côté Cour

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    One of Beijing's most charming courtyard hotels, Côté Cour makes for an exquisite getaway with its boutique-style guest rooms, magnolia-filled courtyard…

  • Orchid Private Residences

    Beijing

    These self-contained studios and maisonettes orbiting the Orchid boutique hotel place guests in intimate proximity with the real Beijing. All residences…

  • Shichahai Sandalwood Boutique Hotel

    Beijing

    Formerly the mansion of a Qing dynasty official, this hutong hotel has put a lot of effort into its ornamental Chinese styling, with wooden furniture,…

  • 365 Inn

    Beijing

    This long-established backpackers has its own bar-restaurant, called Long Table, that opens out onto the walking street, and there's a great-value Peking…

  • Peninsula Beijing

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    Beijing‘s first ultraluxe hotel was looking a little jaded up to 2016, but then its rooms were knocked through and spruced up to create a fabulous, all…

  • Waldorf Astoria Beijing

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    A latticework box of copper and bronze, the Waldorf is a gorgeous piece of architecture. It's not too shabby on the inside either, with walls of fine…

  • Aman at Summer Palace

    Beijing

    A royal retreat with its own private entrance to the Summer Palace, ultraluxe Aman promises imperial splendour in spades. It just about delivers – the…

  • NUO Hotel Beijing

    Beijing

    The flagship hotel of a homegrown hospitality brand, NUO serves up a Chinese take on luxury living, which equates to teas from its own plantations in the…

  • Pagoda Light

    Beijing

    The owners here have transformed a dilapidated hutong pile into a stylish, light-filled hostel that blends boutique design with Chinese courtyard decor…

  • Vue Hotel

    Beijing

    In its own private compound, this trendy lakeside sanctuary has 80 designer guest rooms tricked out with music players, capsule coffee machines and open…

  • Beijing Hotel NUO

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    Formerly the Grand Hotel du Pekin (c 1917), this debonair old institution celebrates the golden age of travel in its showpiece marble staircase,…

  • 161 Lama Temple Courtyard Hotel

    Beijing

    Part of the local 161 chain, this hutong hotel has around a dozen compact rooms made to feel larger thanks to photo-murals of Beijing tourist attractions…

  • Leo Hostel

    Beijing

    Big, sociable hostel with a communal bar, western food (including what must be Beijing's only 'beans on toast') and plenty of cosy seating. Staff are…

  • Four Seasons Beijing

    Beijing

    Exuding a modern, smart-casual vibe, Four Seasons offers some of the most comfortable rooms in Beijing, and an Italian restaurant in Mio and a Cantonese…

  • Hotel Eclat

    Beijing

    A fantastical neverland of a hotel, Eclat has designer-themed rooms (Swiss chalet, Miami suite, etc), original art pieces from Dali and Warhol, and 20 …

  • Park Hyatt

    Beijing

    Highly polished business hotel that exudes exclusivity. Guest rooms, revamped in 2018, have a neutral, Nordic aesthetic, designer amenities and gigantic…

  • Peking Station Hostel

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    With only a handful of neat, white-walled rooms, this boutique-style hostel has bags of charm and books out months in advance, despite being one of the…

  • InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun

    Beijing

    Sanlitun doesn't do subtle, and nor does the InterCon, lit up like a Christmas tree in the heart of Beijing's best nightlife. Still a big chain at heart,…

  • Shichahai Shadow Art Hotel

    Beijing

    Boutique on a budget, this well-run hotel has an exciting alleyway location, modern, smallish rooms, and the unusual bonus of regular shadow-puppet…

  • Hotel Jen

    Beijing

    Targeted at millennial travellers, Jen has its own co-working space, a craft-beer brewpub and the biggest gym in the city. Rooms are spacious and comfy if…

  • Red Lantern House

    Beijing

    This old hostel in a gloomy but spacious covered courtyard has been here for years (and the beers are still only ¥5!). Chinese-style rooms encircle a…

  • Layering Courtyard Hutel

    Beijing

    This upscale boutique hotel – sorry, hutel – boasts a handful of all-wood, zen-like guest rooms, designer public areas and arresting architecture…

  • China World Summit Wing

    Beijing

    Taking up the top 14 floors of Beijing's second-tallest skyscraper, the Summit Wing feels like a private club for CEOs and other high rollers. Swish rooms…

  • Emperor

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    Situated amid rebuilt, touristy hutong just off the main Qianmen shopping drag, Emperor is a reasonable proposition, with boutique-style, all-white rooms…

  • Bvlgari Hotel

    Beijing

    From the Maserati drop-offs to Dom Pérignon at breakfast, the fourth hotel in the Bvlgari portfolio (after Milan, Bali and London) is an influencer's…

  • Holiday Inn Express Dongzhimen

    Beijing

    Supremely comfy beds beckon at this affordable chain hotel with a dash more personality than most. Standing tall in a buzzy, expat-friendly neighbourhood…

  • New World Beijing

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    Crowned with a stylish rooftop bar, this extremely well-run hotel is the best upscale option within range of Temple of Heaven Park (the Forbidden City is…

  • Double Happiness Courtyard

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    Service shines at this sprawling courtyard hotel on a lively hutong. Chinese-style rooms are arranged on outdoor corridors, with hidden nooks to explore…

  • Regent Beijing

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    You're guaranteed a comfortable stay at the Regent (managed by InterCon) with its luxurious albeit business-like rooms, marble bathrooms and an enviable…

  • Beijing Drum Tower Youth Hostel

    Beijing

    A no-frills hostel with nifty, capsule-style singles and spacious twins and doubles. The subway is very close, and it's a short stroll to the area's…

  • China Great Hall Hotel

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    A little-known oddity, this building beside the Great Hall of the People was strictly cadres only until it opened as a hotel in 2012. Functionally, it's a…

  • Guchengbao Inn

    Beijing

    This 400-year-old building is perched high above much of the village and enjoys fine views from its terrace restaurant. Rooms are in the back courtyard…

  • 161 Beihai Courtyard Hotel

    Beijing

    Managed by local courtyard-hotel specialists 161, this place is a safe bet if you're looking for a well-run hutong hotel in the area, with a smidge more…

  • Ritz-Carlton Financial Street

    Beijing

    The haunt of high-rolling bankers doing deals at Jinrong Jie, Beijing's rather isolated 'Financial St', the Ritz is a well-established luxury hotel with…

  • Shangri-La Hotel

    Beijing

    A hulking, big-name luxury hotel, Shangri-La looms over landscaped gardens way out west in Haidian. For your money you get elegantly appointed rooms (go…

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