Beijing Hotel NUO Forbidden City

The upgrade made a good first impression, but by the third night we were already counting down until checkout. Housekeeping left rubbish in the room on day two. After we called to explain what we needed, the next day there was even more trash and less cleaning. At check-in, nobody mentioned when the lounge closed, so we missed its last service and had to go out for food at 8 p.m. The reception was another problem. We couldn't find an English-speaking receptionist, and the staff seemed to let people who jumped the queue go first. When we asked questions, they sometimes turned away without answering. Beijing is known for its hospitality, so this stay at Beijing Hotel Nuo was especially disappointing given the hotel's history of hosting foreign guests. For the same price, you could get much better service elsewhere.

The location is very convenient for the subway, right by an exit on East Chang’an Ave and beside Beijing Hotel. Google Maps has the hotel's location wrong. We booked a two-queen-bed suite in the older section. It was spacious, but the quality didn't feel like a five-star hotel, especially at $150 a night before fees and taxes. Our first room, 7608, was stuck around 80F/25C with no individual temperature control. Staff could only offer a fan, which didn't help much, and it was frustrating trying to explain the issue. We eventually moved to 7601, which was much cooler. Room 7608 seemed defective. The shower also sometimes ran cold for about three minutes before the hot water came through, and one night we found a cockroach in the room. Very disappointing for the price.

Beijing Hotel NUO is made up of three different sections, which may explain why reviews vary so much. There's a 1960s section that we heard is dated, an original historic building that's beautiful but not fully renovated, and a newer wing with modern five-star rooms. We booked a junior suite in the new wing, and it was phenomenal: huge, modern, and thoughtfully designed, with central lighting controls, automatic blackout blinds, USB ports, a comfortable bed, a roomy sitting area, and a clean, luxurious bathroom. The air conditioning seemed centrally limited and couldn't cool as much as we'd have liked, though it was manageable. The location shown on Google Maps was wrong as of August 2025. The hotel actually faces Chang’an Avenue and Wangfujing Rd, making it a short walk to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Wangfujing shopping street. It's hard to imagine a more central base in Beijing. The grand, ornate lobby gives a real five-star welcome. The concierge team was friendly, and one gentleman spoke fluent English and was especially helpful. At the front desk, though, English was surprisingly hard to find, which made check-in and checkout less smooth. Breakfast was the weakest part of an otherwise five-star stay. The Western options were limited for an international luxury hotel, although the croissants, especially the chocolate ones, were very good. There was more variety in the Chinese section, but the overall quality still fell short of the hotel's standard. We loved staying in the modern wing and would recommend those rooms.

A very good place to stay. The only shortcoming was the bathroom water, which was just slightly warm rather than hot. Maybe that's standard here.