Beijing Rainbow Hotel

A good example of 4*

Not quite centrally located but not too bad either - at least it was within the first City Ring Road! The Temple of Heaven is nearby and HongQiao market, Beihai and Jingshan Parks, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden city are within walking distance if you feel energetic. We walked to most sights and although we'd walk there, we'd often catch a cab back! Hard work, but the best way to 'feel' the city.
The hotel is on a quiet street in a residential area with amenities such as restaurants, cafes, bakeries, superettes, fruit and vegetable vendors. English is poorly understood in many of these local places so be prepared to use a lot of hand signals!
The Hutong was around the corner and I went there to get my backpack fixed on suggestion from the hotel staff. This walk through the hutong looking for a tailor was one of the most interesting of our visit to Beijing.

The hotel was immaculate and the staff very pleasant. The English language is not their strong point but if you're travelling here you should already know that and be prepared for communication difficulties! The staff certainly did their best to help us when we needed it. My friend and I shared a large twin bed room and it was perfectly fine and clean. I cannot fault the house-keeping.
Use of Internet was very expensive and the shops, spa facilities and restaurants were expensive. We always went out to eat locally because we were looking for a more authentic experience and paid a whole lot less too.
Tea and coffee at breakfast was unpleasant but the rest of it was ok. I have travelled to China on business before and stayed in 5* hotels and still experienced bad tea and coffee! There's elements of what we take for granted that they are still grasping and I think I am just used to the disappointment!

I would recommend the hotel - it was certainly one of the best that we stayed in on our entire trip around China.