7Days Inn Hotel (Beijing Tiananmen Square Qianmen Commercial Street)

The room felt new and clean, and there's self-service laundry. It's small, though, and if you open the windows you may get street food smells. The shower is separate from the toilet. I booked through Trip on my first visit to Beijing. A few booking sites have exclusive rights for this hotel, which I hear is common in China. Older travelers may find it inconvenient because taxis stop about 200m from the hotel, so you have to walk from the street. If you can manage your luggage, there's a great shopping area right outside. Beijing takes some getting used to because it's so spread out. It reminded me of LA, but once you learn how to get around, it's fun. You'll probably need a translation app for detailed conversations with hotel staff. For food and coffee nearby, there's Muji Cafe, Diner & Hotel, a starbucks reserve, and a latte machine at the front desk. Most specialty cafes in Beijing open after 10am. Wangpangzi is a well-known local beijing chain for Donkey sandwich, and Beijing Yibin restaurant is famous for good spicy Sichuan food. To visit tiananmen you need to reserve tickets on wechat, and for palace museum you book on their website. If you have the energy for a long day and tens of thousands of steps, you can get coffee and food, visit tiananmen, walk into the palace museum, then continue up to the Jingshan park overlook. I didn't need to reserve Jingshan ahead of time in November, but your experience may vary. The subway entrance is near starbucks reserve. It's a long underground walk to line 2, while line 8 is quick to reach. Temple of heaven is also nearby, a few stops down line 8 to the eastern gate. Wholesale markets are fun too, though Beijing was the last stop on my trip and I was tired. walmart was nice, cheap, and a quick didi ride away, which was handy for a fellow American.

The location is really convenient, and the staff were friendly and accommodating. The central heating can make the rooms a bit too hot in winter.

It's very affordable and well situated, with shops and places to eat all around. The nearest station is about a 10-minute walk away. Highly recommended!

The room has a large-screen TV and a semi-smart toilet, which were nice extras. It was reasonably clean, though the bedding wasn't very comfortable, and there's not much space for luggage. Breakfast was average, and I had weak mobile reception in the room. We picked this hotel for its international brand and reviews, but it fell short of our expectations. The pedestrian snack street location is good if you don't mind hauling heavy bags 200-300m from the nearest taxi/DD waiting area, since taxis and cars can't reach the hotel. It's best suited to a single traveler or couple on a short vacation.