Citytel Inn

Breakfast had a nice range, including buns, vegetables, cereals, soy milk and plenty for vegans like us. The buffet cost around 50 yuan, was delicious, and even had nice music playing. The wait staff were very friendly. Our room was very clean, and the location was great, within walking distance of the forbidden city, tiananmen and the mall. The metro is close too.

My room was big and comfortable, and the staff were friendly. Citytel inn is close to two mini markets, Family Mart and Bee select, which is handy for drinks or midnight snacks. A really good choice if you're on a budget but still want a great hotel.

There were some good things in the room: thick towels, a spacious shower, warm duvets, free bottles of water and a good radiator/heater. We needed it during a winter when it was -6 degrees, and it can get a lot worse. The downsides were the noise from the street and thin walls and door, so we heard our neighbors a lot. Wi-Fi stopped working after about 21:00, presumably because too many people were using it at once and the network couldn't handle the load. Reception couldn't recommend a nice nearby restaurant or answer simple questions, like what a taxi to somewhere would cost. Their English was very poor, and the service standard felt low, as is usual in China.

The breakfast buffet was an interesting look at Chinese breakfast, with almost everything being Chinese, but there was no ice for the juice or coke. The room had all the amenities we needed. Reception staff don't speak English and sent us to the travel agency inside the hotel.