The hotel was next to the subway and a bus station. It was walking distance to the main tourist attractions. The hotel was also next toa large shopping mall. Good value basic hotel.

Friendlyness of staff made it easier as they spoke fairly good english and translated locations into Chinese for us so we could hand it to the taxi drivers.

The location was definitely the best part of the stay. With subway station right outside of the hotel, it is easy to get to attractions such as Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden city.

The location of the hotel in the center of Beijing and next to a shopping centre make it a good place to stay. Two pricey restaurants can easily be avoided; there are lots of restaurants in the vicinity, even a fabulous Peking Duck place on the fourth floor of the New World Shopping Centre two blocks down (go past the first New World, enter the second one). There are subway stations for two lines outside the hotel making this a fantastically located place. Subways are frequent and highly recommended as cheap and convenient. It takes only about 15 minutes to get to the Forbidden City (including trying to figure out how to get a subway ticket). The staff are slightly clueless - they took messages for me in Chinese including the pick-up times for the tours; needed to seek someone to translate the messages for me, which took a moment. Also staff is not forthcoming with information and you are often left standing and figuring out what to do next on your own (for example, how do I get my safety deposit back?). The hotel feels like supposedly 90% of all Chinese hotels feel - cold. Don't expect excessive luxuries. oh and don't expect a bed that is much softer than a concrete floor. Supposedly Chinese are used to brick beds with a thin blanket on top and prefer these to softer beds. Lying on a lawn would be more comfortable in my estimation. I recommend bringing an air bed or foam mattress for a bit of comfort. I dismantled the couch and made myself a more comfy bed with at least some give. Sleeping comfort aside, the hotel was quiet enough and well located enough that I did not regret my stay there. It was good value for money.

getting out of there and going home!

Location.