Legendale Hotel Beijing Hotel

The price is reasonable for this neighborhood, and the hotel's location is a big draw. Wangfujing Street is nearby, and the closest metro station is about 300 meters away. The interiors are beautiful, the rooms are especially large, and the staff gave good service. The room felt a little dated, though, and the Wi-Fi didn't work at all during my stay. Even so, it may be worth considering mainly for the location.

The room was spacious and had a royal feel, with a great city view. Looking up from the lobby is impressive too. The cracks and signs of neglect didn't interfere with our comfort, but they do show how far the hotel has fallen from its grand exterior and past glory. The amenities felt below what I've seen at other five-star hotels in China, and breakfast was less impressive than at similar places. It's well placed for metro stations and within walking distance of a few main attractions, but compared with competitors, it didn't feel like good value.

The room smelled strongly of cigarette smoke even though we'd requested a non-smoking room. A neighboring guest apparently ignored the rule, and we were told air circulates between rooms. We had to put up with the smoke despite having a two-year-old with us. That's shocking for a five-star hotel. The air conditioning was also far too warm. We were later told the whole hotel was still on central heating in April, and the only solution offered was to have me sign a liability form so the windows could be left unlocked. There was no room-service price list in the room, either. We were told everything was chargeable, but without that warning we might have run up a huge bill. Breakfast was below average: the bacon was poorly cooked, the omelette line was long, and the selection was very limited. A real disappointment for a hotel of this rating.

The service was top-notch, though communicating in English was sometimes difficult. We had a great view from our windows, and the location is excellent, beside the subway and near the Forbidden City. Breakfast was good, even if much the same each day, and you can take some food away. One thing to know: the sauna areas are separated, one for men and one for women. I understand the cultural aspect.