Loong Palace looks good on a
hot Peking summer day
by Confuciushot Peking summer day
It is a low priced five star hotel located in Changping's Huilongguan residential district north of Beijing's downtown center. The location is not ideal for tourists but because this hotel is located near the high tech area of Zhongguancun it is often used for international conferences and visiting scientific delegations.
It remains under western management and you will likely see the foreign general manager greeting international guests in the lobby. I also met the amicable Director of Rooms Division, Mr. Nisar Ahmed, while waiting for the hotel shuttle.
The service at this hotel is excellent and the staff is well trained. The facilities are exactly what you would expect from a 5 star hotel.
There is a contracted shuttle service to the nearest subway stations (and further downtown) for a small fee but you are on your own for the return trip to the hotel.
On weekends there is a delicious dim sum lunch buffet (11:30-14:30) inside the hotel at the fancy Dragon Court Chinese Restaurant for only 98 yuan. The price includes one free bowl of shark's fin soup!
I was very pleased with my accomodations. The air conditioning is as cool as you like and can be felt throughout the spacious room. Next to the couch is small table with several current magazines in both English and Chinese.
The television has ESPN, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, and NHK as well as CCTV-9 so you can watch Sugarpuff's show at 10:30. (Rediscovering China). The TV also has a free Tetrus style video game that retains the highest score. (Can you beat mine? 6200!)
The bathroom has a very nice bathtub and separate shower facility. Amenities include two complimentary bottles of spring water which are replenished each day of your stay.
You'll appreciate the free water because the closest store is a long walk away.
The highlight of my stay was the complimentary daily breakfast buffet in the Italian Bistro Cafe. A splendid array of Chinese dim sum, fresh melons, Western breads and pastries, as well as French toast, Asian noodles, congee and sushi greeted me each morning at 7:00. There's even a fresh juice machine which the waitresses will use to puree your favorite fruits or vegetables. The dining space is well sunlit and there's refreshing Italian instrumental music to get your day off to a wonderfully cosmopolitan start.
