Where to Stay in Beijing – 10 Best Areas

Best Neighborhoods in Beijing (Click to Enlarge)

There are more than 7,000 hotels in Beijing. Where to stay and how to choose a suitable area are challenges, especially for first-time travelers. Generally, hotels should be chosen based on the convenience of the location, attractions you want to visit, and your budget.

Most tourists will choose to stay near the city center Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City area and the Wangfujing area. However, this is also the most expensive area. The average price of a five-star hotel ranges from $100 to $320, and a comfortable budget hotel costs from $ 60 to $180. The Hutong areas such as Houhai and Drum Tower are also very popular because they have unique old Beijing characteristics. This area is cheaper and you can stay over for around $40. Another hot place to stay is in the business areas like Qianmen and Dashilar.

Here is a list of the 10 best neighborhoods in Beijing for your choice to meet your different demands.
 

This is the most popular area among tourists and it provides easy accesses to some famous attractions like Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, Qianmen, and Wangfujing Street. The transportation here is very convenient and it's an ideal place to go shopping.

 Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
Hilton Beijing Wangfujing		No. 8 Wangfujing East Street, Dongcheng District
Manxin Qianmen Siheyuan		No.120 Dajiang Alley, Qianmen East Road, Near Liulaogen Grand Stage, Dongcheng District
Home Inn Plus (Dongsi)		No.212 Dongsi North Street

 

 This is also one of the best areas to stay in Beijing. There are many royal palaces, gardens and well-preserved hutongs and traditional courtyards in this Hutong Area. If you like the traditional buildings and want to experience local culture, this is the best area to stay in Beijing on a budget. In addition, it’s easy to get back to the hotel if you enjoy late night life in the nearby Houhai Bar Street.
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
VUE Hotel Houhai		No. 9 Yangfang Hutong, Denei Street, Xicheng District
Old Beijing Square		No. A-38 Baochao Hutong, Dongcheng District
James Joyce Coffetel (Gulou)		No. 47 Jiugulou Street, Xicheng District

Nearby Attractions: Nanluoguxiang, Drum Tower, Houhai Bar Street, Beihai Park, Prince Gong's Mansion


 
This is the most prosperous area and one of the best neighborhoods in Beijing. The new site of CCTV, Beijing TV, and some large shopping malls like Wanda Plaza are all in this area. It is also the intersection of the subway line 1 and line 10. A lot of new high-end hotels and business hotels can be found here.
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
JW Marriott Hotel		No. 83 Jianguo Road (Huamao Center), Chaoyang District
Qiu Guo Hotel (Huamao)		No. 133 Yingbin Road, Chaoyang District
Ji Hotel (Guomao)		Hujialou New Street (Building 11, Dayuan)

Nearby Attractions: Silk Market, The Place

 

Zhongguancun is known as "Silicon Valley" in China and it is also one of the best neighborhoods in Beijing. First, the transportation is convenient since the subway line 4 and many bus lines meet here. In addition, this area is close to many universities like Peking University, Tsinghua University as well as famous attractions including the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace.
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
Vision Hotel (Vision International Cultural Exchange Center)		No. 39 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District
Qiu Guo Hotel (Xizhimen Jiaotong University)		No. 4 Gaoliangqiao Road (Shangyuancun), Haidian District
Orange Hotel Select (Zhongguancun)		Near Sidaokou Road (No.A-7 Zaojun Temple), Haidian District

 
 

Many main stadiums for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games stand in this area and it is on Subway Line 8. Several parks nearby make the air fresh and the wide range of green space is relaxing. Besides enjoying the green space and the quiet environment, there is a nice night view of the stadiums.
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
InterContinental Beichen		No. 8, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District
Atour Hotel (Olympic Sports Center)		Anyuan East Lane, Chaoyang District
Orange Hotel Select (Yayuncun)		Building 6, No.10 Anyuan Dongli Area 3, No.200 Beiyuan Road, Chaoyang District

Nearby Attractions: Bird's Nest, Water Cube, Olympic Park, Olympic Forest Park

 

Sanlitun is one of Beijing's most famous bar streets, so for travelers who like entertainment and to enjoy a wonderful night life, this is your first choice. Concerts and sporting events are held from time to time in the Workers’ Stadium. What's more, this area is close to many embassies.
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
The Westin Chaoyang		No.7 East 3rd Ring North Road, Chaoyang District
Crystal Orange Hotel (Jianguomen)		Building 2, No.25 Yong'anli Middle Street, Chaoyang District
Orange Hotel Select (Sanyuanqiao)		Jing'an East Street (No.30 Jing'an Li), Chaoyang District

Nearby Attractions: Sanlitun Bar Street, Taikoo Li Sanlitun, Workers' Stadium

 

The West Railway Station is one of the most important traffic hubs in Beijing and you can travel from here to the major cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing. Staying in this area can be very convenient and it is a good place to stay in Beijing on a budget.
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
Doubletree by Hilton		No.168 Guang'anmenwai Avenue, Xicheng District
Baina Yantaishan Hotel (Wanfeng Road)		Building 5, Dianchang Road, Fengtai District
Ji Hotel (West Railway Station South Square)		No.A5 Guanglian Road, Xicheng District

Nearby Attractions: Capital Museum, Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, Yuyuantan Park, CCTV Tower

 

Trains from South Railway Station go to cities like Shanghai, Tianjin, Hefei, Fuzhou, Harbin, Nanjing, Qingdao, and Hangzhou. The subway lines 4 and 14 meets at the station and it’s very convenient for visitors to come and go. What’s more, the hotels are much cheaper than other areas.  
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
Dahongmen International Convention and Exhibition Center		No.138 Nanyuan Road, Fengtai District
Guidu Hotel		No.217 Guanganmen Inner Street, Xicheng District
Golden Oasis Hotel		Near South 2nd Ring Road (No.58A Yongwai Pengzhuang) Dongcheng District

Nearby Attractions: Taoranting Park, Temple of Heaven, Grand View Garden

 

Beijing Railway Station is now a terminus for international trains to Moscow, Ulaanbaatar, Hanoi, and Pyongyang. It also provides high speed services to some northeastern cities like Dalian, Jilin, Harbin, and Shenyang. In addition, it is about 4 km from Tiananmen Square so it’s very convenient for visiting some famous attractions including Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the prosperous business street Wangfujing.  
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong		No.26 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District
Zhengxie Hotel		No.13 Jianguomennei Street, Dongcheng District
City Line Hotel		No.9 Youtong Street, Dongcheng District

 
 

The Capital Airport, the most important traffic hub in Beijing, is one of the most important points for foreign travelers to enter into China. Staying here certainly will save you a lot of time when you arrive or plan to leave by air.
  Top Picks:

Hotels	Hotel Rating	Location
Cordis, Capital Airport		No.1 Yijing Road, Terminal 3, Capital International Airport, Shunyi District
Days Hotel Beijing New Exhibition Center		No.13 Fuqian 1st Street, Tianzhu Town, Shunyi District
Ibis Styles Hotel (Capital Airport)		No.32 Fuqian 1st Street, Shunyi District