The Emperor Qianmen Beijing

The rooftop pool and bar have a great view over downtown, and the hotel is right in the pedestrian area, close to the metro, Tianmen Square, and the Forbidden City. We thought it was great value. Our room and bathroom were clean and well equipped, and there was even a free mini-bar. The staff were great, especially the manager, Michael. We’ll definitely come back.

I could hear work going on outside my room from 1am until sunrise. The rooms were also damaged, dirty, or smelled of sewage, sometimes all three. Getting room service was a struggle: English was rarely understood, so I ended up walking downstairs and explaining what I wanted from their own menu. There are ground-floor rooms, and the main entrance has no security swipe, so anyone can walk in from the street. This certainly didn’t feel like a four-star hotel. Save yourself the trouble and stay elsewhere.

The location is ideal, the staff were polite and friendly, and the rooftop terrace has a pool and amazing views. But we deeply regret staying here. We booked and paid through our agency for a Deluxe Double for a week, using a huge amount of our savings, but were first given a Standard Double. I can’t speak for the other room types, but I would avoid the Standard Double. The photos are stunning, though the room finishes were shameful. Our first room was black, extremely dark, claustrophobic, very warm, and badly finished, with no real window. We couldn’t even find our belongings in the gloom. When we asked to move, we were told there was only one other room available in our price range. It was white, had a window, and was also badly finished. It was 5 Sqm smaller and on the ground floor beside the hotel’s back door. We checked the agency confirmation and realized we’d paid for a more expensive room than the one we were given. The agency said the hotel claimed all rooms were booked and wouldn’t move us to the premium room we’d paid for. We’re still disputing this with the agency. The hotel feels like a wannabe, and the breakfast selection was poor, with pastries that seemed like they might be from the day before. The reception staff we spoke with knew enough English. Breakfast and the room finishes were disappointing, especially when other impressive hotels with lovely rooms are about 15 minutes away for the same price. I won’t recommend this hotel. The photographers did an amazing job making it look better than it was.

The hotel is near a lovely area for sightseeing and dining, but the access road was oddly closed off at night when we visited. If you return late, take your hotel card and passport for the checkpoint. The place looks nice at first glance, though the construction feels shabby. It was an OK stay.