Grand Mercure Beijing Central

Getting around on foot was limited, since most shops, restaurants, and landmarks were only reachable by car or rideshare. The air conditioner only blew warm air, which made the room uncomfortable, the shower area was a little small, and the coffee shop opened way too late for me, around 6 a.m. at the earliest would've been the bare minimum. Still, the staff were super sweet, and the room and bathroom were spacious. The lobby was low-key adorable, with tons of seats, a coffee shop, an ice cream bar, a couple of little stores, and an ATM right next door. Honestly, this hotel kinda ate.

The location made getting around easy. There’s a subway station right beside the hotel, and some shops and other places were close enough to walk to. The staff did what they could to help, and the price wasn’t too high. I had a great stay, with a comfortable, well-equipped room. My only issue was the light switches: in my business-floor room, I couldn’t keep the bedside lamps on while the ceiling lights were off.

The room was roomy and nicely decorated, and they brought fresh bottled water each day. Breakfast had enough variety that I got to try most of it during our nine days there. Getting around was easy, with two subway stations and several bus stops just a short walk away. The bathrobes and towels were too small for someone my size, though, and communicating with the cleaning staff was difficult. I was surprised so few staff spoke English, given how many foreign guests the hotel serves.

I haven’t stayed there yet, but I’m very frustrated with Accor, which owns the hotel. I booked directly with them, then got an email from the hotel saying the payment had failed. Before that, I’d already spent an hour trying to pay through Accor because its payment system wasn’t working. Now the website says the booking is confirmed and payment succeeded, though nothing has been charged to my account. Accor says it can’t help and tells me to contact the hotel. I travel tomorrow and still don’t know where things stand with my stay. Accor has been extremely unhelpful. In future, I’d use Expedia or Booking instead.