I chose this hotel because I needed an inexpensive place to stay in unfamiliar territory - a trusted name like Holiday Inn fit the bill, and having a "Holiday Inn Downtown Beijing" sounded charming. I wasn't disappointed at all, as my expectations were not that high.

The rooms are small, clean and basic. The pool was a perk, though I only used it once.

The staff at the cafe was cordial, if not overbearing in their attempts to accommodate. Ordering a drink involved three people, but they were all smiling and graciously offered their hospitality quickly. The same goes for the front desk and bellhops - always ready to help.

The hotel offered a day excursion to the Great wall, a Jade factory, and a few other places. I think I paid less than $50 for the whole deal - including lunch. Well worth it.

Nearby is a supermarket (near the exit of the subway) that had everything I needed at a fraction of the cost of NYC. Smokes were $1 a pack, Evian .50 for 2 liters... amazing. The room had a fridge, so I stocked up on beer too. :)

Across the street (near the hospital) is an excellent restaurant. Not fancy by any means, but the food is delicious. A full dinner for two with beer cost about $4.00. Venturing out into the city revealed so many places to eat, but beware - English is hardly spoken.

In closing, I recommend the Holiday Inn. I found the weekly rate hard to beat. I think my bill came $150 or so.

This hotel is conveniently located for the shops and the metro. it is currently undergoing a much needed renovation which was noisy during the day but didn't carry on at night or start early in the morning. The rooms show their age. Ours was ok, the carpet was a bit stained. Others in our group had rooms that were more delapidated and my parents had a room with a window that backed onto a storeroom which they did not notice on arrival at 2 a.m. The food is good. A wide range of styles for breakfast and in the reasonably priced evening buffet. They could do with a non-smoking area or better ventilation in the restaurant. I would be happy to stay there again.

My experience could not be more different to the last review. The room I had was excellent, small but new. The staff were great - limited English but they did their very best to accommodate my needs. The hotel location is not the best, but for the price it is pretty good. Very close to a metro stop and taxis are very cheap by western standards so it was easy to get out and about. Overall, if you are coming to Beijing you could do a lot worse that the Holiday Inn Downtown.

We stayed at this place for 4 nights last summer. It was awful.
The staff are not professional at all.
The rooms are small and torn.
In one of the two rooms we had, the toilet system was just working from time to time. They tried to repair it 4 times!!!
That was on the executive floor in a Holiday Inn Hotel!!!!
The only good thing with this hotel is that it is close to the subway.