We stayed 3 nights at the Capital Hotel in Beijing and we were impressed with the accommodations. Yes, the beds are rock hard, but where in China are they not! The room was spotlessly clean. We loved the robes, slippers, and super soft towels. Having a safe to secure valuables meant that we didn't have to worry about carrying all our important papers. The hotel is an easy walk to Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City. The breakfast that was included with our stay was quite good. Our room was on one of the non-smoking floors and did not have a cigarette aroma as we've found in other "non-smoking" rooms in other hotels.

Although not located in the hotel, but almost in the hotel's parking lot, we found a wonderful little noodle shop. Go out of the hotel and turn right and turn right again. We liked it so much we stopped there twice during our stay. We ate very well for less than $4 a person.

This hotel is perfect for those who want to explore Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and some of the really great shopping in the Wang Fu Jing Shopping Area. The shopping district is three blocks north of the hotel on foot, and you can catch the subway (Red Line #1) from there to the SIlk Street mall, which is amazing. Many of the hotel clerks do not speak English fluently, so allow time for checkin and checkout. Our room was on the 9th floor of the B Tower. The room was large and had a gigantic window. It was cold, however, and we never managed to decipher the cryptic thermostat. The beds are very, very hard- just about like sleeping on the floor. We asked for two additional quilts, and once you fold the quilt under you, it is bearable but we went home very stiff. Our bath had a gigantic soaking tub and a decent shower: both very nice with plenty of hot water. The daily breakfast buffet was great: toast, pastries, eggs (scrambled or omelets made fresh), sausages and bacon, potato cakes, porridge, cereals, fresh fruit and juices. Try the "marinated egg" which is a hot hard-boiled egg in a mildly vinegar sauce. The breakfast dining room is large and comfortable and the staff is attentive. We loved the breakfasts since they opened at 6:30 am and we walked off a lot of calories every day. Be aware that the money exchange desk can only convert dollars to yuan, not vice-versa, so dont change too much money the last day of your stay or you will have to wait in the lines at the airport to convert back to dollars. Also, the ATM in the lobby charged us a 7% service charge (this will vary by bank, of course)

We stayed in this hotel from February 19-24 with the Smartours San Francisco group. Because we thought the tour price (total $940/person for 10 days with air and hotel) was such a steal, we presumed that Smartours would book us at an average hotel. Well, we were pleasantly surprised. This hotel exceeded our expectations. Truly a 4 star.

The lobby was spacious with restaurants and shops on 2 floors. The decor was nice. A new Tower B building was added in April 2007 and was quite a long walk from the lobby. Facilities include indoor pool. gym, billiards room, sauna, business center (computer use was expensive at 2 yuan a minute), money exchange and ATM, bowling alley,business meeting rooms and parking garage. Some staff speak good English.

Our room on the 7th floor at Tower B was large and modern with a view of the main street. Complementaries included 2 water bottles a day, coffee and tea, a percolator, small fridge, electronic safe, slippers, bathrobes, more toiletries (toothbrush, comb, razor, cotton swabs) in addition to the lotions and soap, and a bigger than usual TV (at least 25 inches) with HBO, CNN and ESPN. Some reviewers complained about the room heat so we simply turned off the heater and all was comfortable after that. The bed was very firm but we liked it because it provided better back support. The bathroom was big with a soaking tub. I did not find any DSL connection in our room although it was supposedly available in some rooms. The entry carpet had some minor stains but otherwise housekeeping was prompt and efficient and always kept everything tidy.

Our tour included complementary buffet breakfasts taken at the lobby coffee shop which were all good with plenty of choices. Menu included American entrees (eggs, bacon, sausage, cereals, toasts, salads) and Chinese items (congee, dumplings, fried rice, chow mein) plus an omelette station staffed by at least 2 cooks at any one time. Service was exceptional (tipping not necessary but we always left $1-2.) Other than the breakfasts, we only ate one other time here, a dinner with OK food and price, since our optional tours included lunches and we ate out all the time (so cheap everywhere in Beijing especially the food courts at the malls in Wangfujing where you can have several meals for only $3 total.)

What makes Capital Hotel great is its location. You turn right from the hotel and walk two long blocks (10-15 minutes) to reach the southern edge of the Tiananmen Square. You turn left and left again on Tai Ji Chang street, walk 2 long blocks (10-15 minutes) and cross over to the Wangfujing shopping area. Taxis were so cheap, usually less than $2 within the city center, e.g. taxi to the Silk Market was 13 yuan (less than $2.) The reception desk employees were always glad to write out our itinerary in Chinese on a hotel card to be given to the taxi driver and trips were made easy.

One thing to remember: don't touch the stock of beverage/snack items. These are expensive. You can get those a lot cheaper from a nearby minimart.

For those who want to stay in a nice and comfortable hotel at a great price within walking distance to Beijing's major attractions, Capital Hotel is a perfect choice.

There were 6 of us in our group, including two teen-agers. We had three rooms booked as part of a Pacific Delights tour. We choose this hotel for its' proximity to Tianamen square, the Forbidden City and other places such as the Pearl Market and Silk Market.
Our rooms were clean and always kept clean. Sheets were changed daily and the bathrooms were very nice. Yes the beds were firm (actually hard) but we all slept well and were comfortable. The public areas were also very nice.
The teens like the bowling alley in the lower lever and spent one night bowling.
We only encourtered a few problems. The rooms were very hot. Luckily the windows opened and we did take advantage and kept the open the entire week. Also one night we were very tired and decided to eat in the downstairs coffee bar were we had breakfast every morning. That was a disaster. Not only was the food inedible, but everyones order was incorrect and took an hour to get straigtened out. We had to go get a hotel manager as the wait staff did not speak enough English to understand us.
I also found that the staff at the front desk were not friendly at all. They never smiled or initiated any conversation even a "hello" or "Good Morning" When approached they would just stare at you until you spoke. But the porter in the hallways as well as the chambermaids would greet us whenever we passed them.
I would stay at this hotel again. It was clean and a very short distance to many places I wanted to be close to.