Holiday Inn Express Beijing Huacai

I stayed from November 19 to 25, 2024. The hotel looked shabby, with stains on the carpet and upholstered furniture, plus mold in the showers. After housekeeping, black hairs from the staff would appear. Still, the bed linen was spotless and excellent quality, the water pressure was great, hot water came right away, and I could adjust the room temperature. There’s an event entrance directly across from the building, and a bus stop there too. The city center takes about 40 minutes by metro with a transfer. Breakfast was good, with options for Chinese food and guests from elsewhere, and the coffee was especially tasty. Self-service laundry is available on floors 5 and 10. On the 10th floor you need a Chinese app to wash and dry clothes; on the 5th, you can buy tokens in the lobby. The service has some quirks)))), though maybe things will change by the time you stay.

There are lots of restaurants nearby, and the staff were friendly and helpful. My room was clean, comfortable, and a good size. I also got a late checkout until 2pm at no extra cost. Some upgrade maintenance work was happening during my stay. Good value for money.

After staying one night, I found someone’s condom in my room. The cleaning was poor. There’s no heater in this hotel, so be aware that you won’t get a warm, cozy room if that’s what you expect.

The breakfast buffet that came with the stay was quite good. The bathroom was another story: there was a shower rod but no curtain, and staff said they couldn't provide one when I asked. Water ended up all over the floor, making it slippery, and the shower never got properly hot. Construction was going on every day and got VERY annoying. The self-service laundry is beside a small gym with little beyond a treadmill and weight machine. The dryer ran for ages without drying things well, and neither machine let me stop a cycle manually. I think that part may be down to the manufacturer, Casarte.