Jingguang Center Apartment Hotel

The apartment had a phenomenal view, helped by being one of the area's tallest buildings, with apartments starting on the 40th floor. We had a one-bedroom place a little over 600 sqft. That's tiny for an apartment but huge compared with a hotel room. The price was in the range of some four-star hotels nearby, and a little cheaper than some. I came to Beijing with my girlfriend and wanted a private bathroom with a proper door. We couldn't find any hotels that had one, only those sliding, fogged-glass doors where you can see each other while someone is on the toilet. We took a chance on a serviced apartment, and it paid off. They provided the usual hotel services, including free bottled water and Wi-Fi, plus shaving kits with cream and a razor. They even washed our dishes. There was a washing machine but no dryer. Detergent was available to buy, but not fabric softener. The clothes came out pretty stiff and dry after a wash, though I only had to do laundry once, and the softener left in them kept them wearable. For anyone traveling, I had an e-sim from Nomad and Mullvad VPN, which Consumer Reports recommended. Both worked reliably during our stay in Beijing. The one catch is a security deposit. Ours was 1200 RMB, about $200, but you get it back if you don't damage the apartment, so it wasn't a big deal. This place exceeded what I expected from a hotel. Next time, I’ll start looking for converted apartments.

It’s an office building and used to be the tallest building in Beijing. There are plenty of facilities, including excellent bars and restaurants.

One of my favorite memories from Beijing.

Back in the 1990s, this was the tallest building in Beijing.