King’s Joy Hotel Tian’anmen Square

This is a budget-friendly option in Beijing’s Qianmen area, with a bus stop right outside, Dazhalan. If you can read Chinese and want to explore, local buses cost only CNY 1-2 per person. Qianmen MRT Station is very close, and Qianmen Street, Dashilan Commercial Street, Tiananmen Square, and Forbidden City are all within walking distance. There are also a McDonald’s, KFC, and Starbucks just a few blocks away. We stayed three nights in a standard queen room. It was narrow at 15 m2, but fine for us, and had a private bathroom. The air conditioner, TV, hot water, hair dryer, and elevator all worked normally. The room was well equipped but didn’t include breakfast. There’s a restaurant, though we preferred nearby local food in the morning. Recommended if you want an affordable hotel in a very convenient location.

The room had a TV with two channels, a kettle, WiFi, and tea, but no mineral or drinking water. The location is convenient, near Qianmen Street and plenty of restaurants. Check out the hotpot place next door. The nearest subway station, Qiamen, is about 800m away, or a 15-minute walk. The room was really run down, especially the bathroom. The hot shower never worked properly, giving us lukewarm or cold water. We stayed 4D3N in winter and had a cold shower almost every day, while the tap water was cold too. The bathroom floor was moldy, and the toilet needed several flushes to work. Bring your own shampoo, shower gel, and toothpaste. Trust me, you won’t want to use theirs. Probably one of the worst budget hotels I’ve stayed in.

It’s a lively area, with traditional Chinese shopping streets and restaurants all around. Tianamen square, forbidden city, and temple of heaven are within a few kms, and tourist buses pick up and drop off at the hotel. There’s a small shop inside that books tours and sells everyday essentials. The hotel is nice and decent, though not luxurious. It has breakfast but no lunch or dinner, and there are plenty of places to eat within two minutes. Book online and pay in advance to make sure you get a room.

The customer service was terrible.