Home Inn Guomao

The location was a real plus, with Dawanglu Station on Line 1 about a five-minute walk away. I stayed in February 2006, on my first solo trip to China, and the front desk staff and other employees were very kind. The hotel is small but comfortable, with the front desk right across from the entrance, a restaurant just to the right, and the elevator farther right. There’s a post office next door, too. A pleasant morning walk takes you along Xidawan Road heading north, across the Tonghui River, to a market about seven minutes away on the right. It has everyday goods and more than a dozen Chinese tea shops, as well as colorful fruit and all sorts of vegetables. Around the time of the Olympics, a large department store with a Japanese restaurant opened near the station, so there’s plenty nearby. It’s a very good place to stay if you want to experience Chinese culture and daily life firsthand.