Marco Polo Parkside Hotel Beijing

The hotel service itself was nice, but the price felt far too high for what you get. When I asked about my refund, the front desk said it would take two working days, then I was told to wait nine days. Management was difficult to deal with, and processing a request took hours with no respect for the customer.

The room was clean and large, and the location made getting around easy. Anli Lu station on line 15 is just a short walk away, with exit B nearby, and Olympic Park, Bird Nest, China National Convention Center and the museums are about a 20-30 minute walk. The next stop on the same line is an option if you don't want to walk. A couple of things in the bathroom need attention: the tub temperature was hard to set, swinging between too hot and too cold, and the old door was stiff to move. At reception, two young women seemed annoyed and raised their voices when I asked them to put my company's full, somewhat long details on the invoice. After several failed attempts they said the system couldn't do it, but they managed once I showed them how.

The room was spotless, with a good shower, a huge soft bed, and plenty of space. We both slept really well. It's an older hotel with a northern Peking feel, charming enough, though it doesn't have modern facilities. There's also a good Shandong-style restaurant next door that's worth trying.

I had a good first experience in Beijing here, and the service was very good. The room was big, though some of its facilities felt old and I had to keep calling staff to fix things, especially the bathroom door. Still, a very good hotel. Bravo!!!