The hotel was arranged by the travel committee in the choir and orchestra. Since I wasn't on the committee I cannot say what we actually paid for the hotel, but I guess it wasn't the cheapest. The staff in the lobby spoke a reasonably good English, as did the restaurant staff. Rooms were clean, ordinary hotel rooms with quite hard beds. Don't get me wrong the beds were comfortable enough for me, but if you absolutely want a soft bed you'll be in for a surprise. Most guests were westerners (I heard Scandinavian, English, French and German), and I guess it's popular with travelagencys. All rooms have working air-condition. Coming into the lobby was heavenly when the temperature outside was 37 deg C (100 deg F) in the shade. I wanted to make a tailcoat when I was in china. The assistant manager helped me find a good tailor that came to the hotel for measurements. The price for the tailcoat wasn't bad at all. I could also get a good suit at a lower cost than that others got on the other markets when bargaining for the lowest price.
The hotel is also the scene of one of Beijings famous Peking-operas (The Liyuan Theatre). It's also possible to get a massage.
Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Phone: (86)10 63016688
Directions: From the Temple of heaven Park walk east on the road that runs along the northside of the park as far as you can go. You'll have the hotell in the corner.
