Beijing's BEST Hotel? Xidan Center's Hanting Hotel REVEALED!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the chaotic, wonderful world of Beijing's Hanting Hotel in Xidan! And I'm not just talking about your typical hotel review; I'm talking real review, the kind where I spill the tea alongside maybe a little bit of my own lukewarm coffee. Prepare yourselves – it might get a bit messy.
BEIJING'S BEST HOTEL? XIDAN CENTER'S HANTING HOTEL REVEALED! (Yeah, Really?)
Let's be honest, the Hanting chain doesn't exactly scream "luxury." But in the heart of Beijing's bustling Xidan district, with this particular Hanting Hotel, I actually had a pretty decent experience, especially given the price point. So, let's rip this Band-Aid off and get into it, shall we?
Accessibility: Kinda, Sorta…Leaning Towards "Could Be Better"
Alright, I NEED to be upfront here. While the hotel boasts "Facilities for disabled guests," let's just say the execution is… variable. There's an elevator (thank GOD), and the public areas seem navigable enough. But I didn't see any explicitly designed wheelchair-accessible rooms, and the hallways weren't exactly wide-open freeways. So, if you have serious mobility issues, call ahead and CROSS YOUR FINGERS. I’m not promising anything.
What About the FOOD? Because I LIVE to EAT.
Okay, here's where things get…interesting.
- Dining, Drinking, and Snacking. The Hanting has a restaurant – the restaurant. I’m not going to lie, I can't say I fully remember the names, but if I were to list off what I was eating, I would say, "Well, I had a buffet breakfast (Breakfast [buffet]) with some basic Asian cuisine in restaurant, and… yeah. (Asian breakfast) It was what you expected. (Buffet in restaurant) There’s also a coffee shop, which I liked, and a snack bar next to it. (Coffee shop, snack bar). I did not sit in the poolside bar because there wasn’t a pool.
- Room Service? Yes! Room service [24-hour] is available, and for a weary traveler, that's gold. I used it for the late night snack attack, and it was quick and easy. Plus, I loved my Bottle of Water.
- Vegetarian and more… (Vegetarian restaurant, Salad in restaurant, Soup in restaurant, A la carte in restaurant, Desserts in restaurant, Western breakfast, Western cuisine in restaurant, and International cuisine in restaurant) There doesn't seem to be as many of these categories. (Alternative meal arrangement) It's pretty easy to get breakfast service, but other than a restaurant the restaurant options are very limited.
- Drinks, please! They have a bar! I haven't been, but it’s there.
I had the breakfast buffet every morning, and I can honestly say it was fine. (Breakfast [buffet]) It was the usual suspects – scrambled eggs, some sort of mystery meat, fruit that I think was actually fruit, and a selection of noodles to get you fueled up for the day. (Asian breakfast) The coffee was… serviceable. (Coffee/tea in restaurant) Don’t expect Michelin star dining, but for the price, you're not starving. In fact, I preferred room service!
Cleanliness and Safety: A Relief in These Times
This is where Hanting truly shines. Seriously. They take hygiene VERY seriously. HUGE points for:
- Anti-viral cleaning products! (That’s a huge plus!)
- Daily Disinfection in Common Areas! (I saw it with my own eyes!)
- Hand Sanitizer EVERYWHERE! My germaphobe side was doing a happy dance.
- Rooms Sanitized Between Stays!
- Staff Trained in Safety Protocol!
- Individually-wrapped food options!
- Safe Dining Setup!
- Hot Water Linen and Laundry Washing!
I felt genuinely SAFE, which is a HUGE deal, especially in a busy city. Plus, I was happy to see that Room sanitization opt-out available.
Internet (and the Eternal Struggle):
- Wi-Fi in all rooms! (PRAISE BE!)
- Free Wi-Fi [free]. (I really like this).
- Internet access - LAN! (I don't know).
- Internet services, and Wi-Fi in public areas. (I did not use Wi-Fi for special events)
The Wi-Fi was… fine. Sometimes it was blazing fast, other times it was slower than a snail in molasses. I'd recommend having data on your phone, just in case.
Rooms: Functional. Spotlessly Clean. Not Luxurious.
Okay, let’s talk rooms. My room was tidy, simple, and had everything I needed.
- Air conditioning: (Hallelujah!)
- Daily housekeeping: (Thank you!)
- Free bottled water: (Always a plus!)
- Blackout curtains: (Crucial for jet lag!)
- In-room safe box: (Peace of mind!)
- Wi-Fi [free]: (Needed)
- Air conditioning in public area. (Thank you!)
- Bathtub (Yes)
- Shower (Also yes.)
- Coffee/tea maker (I couldn’t live without!)
It was perfectly adequate, if a little basic, and the bed was comfortable enough. However, prepare yourself – soundproofing wasn't perfect. You might hear some hallway chatter or the occasional karaoke blast from the bar downstairs. (Thank you, soundproofing!) Also, the decor is what I'd call "utilitarian chic." Think clean lines, neutral colors, and minimal personality. But it’s a place to rest your weary head, not a palace.
Things to Do (and Ways to Relax):
Well, within the hotel? The gym/fitness center is…present. I'm not getting into THAT can of worms. (Gym/fitness, Fitness center) Let's just say I opted for exploring the city instead. (Bicycle parking).
- Massage: (I would've loved this).
- Spa, Spa/sauna, Sauna, Steamroom. (I really wouldn’t have minded)
Services and Conveniences: The Usual Suspects
- 24-hour front desk! (Excellent!)
- Luggage storage: (Essential!)
- Elevator: (Saved my life!)
- Laundry service (Needed!)
- Dry cleaning
- Concierge
- Gift/souvenir shop: (Not really that exciting!)
- Currency exchange: (Useful!)
- Doctor/nurse on call
- Hair dryer: (Yes!)
- Ironing service: (Yes!)
- Safety deposit boxes
- Cash withdrawal
- Taxi service
- Convenience store
- Doorman
Getting Around:
- Airport transfer: (They can arrange it!)
- Car park [on-site]
- Valet parking
- Car park [free of charge]
- Car power charging station
For the Kids and Couples
- Couple's room
- Baysitting service
- Babysitting service
Getting Around:
- Airport Transfer: (They can hook you up!)
- Taxi service
The Verdict: Is Hanting Hotel Xidan Worth It?
Absolutely, YES. It’s not the Ritz, but it's clean, convenient, and safe – and in Beijing, that's a winning combination. The location is amazing, right in the heart of Xidan, with easy access to shopping, restaurants, and the subway. The cleanliness alone makes it worth the price.
My biggest gripe? The Wi-Fi. But honestly, you can live with a few hiccups.
Why Should YOU Stay at Hanting Hotel Xidan?
Because you're a savvy traveler who values a clean, comfortable, and well-located basecamp for exploring Beijing. Because you want to save some money without sacrificing basic comfort and hygiene. And because you appreciate a place that takes safety seriously, especially in the current climate.
My Personal Anecdote (Because I Love a Good Story):
I’m a bit of a clean freak. Seriously. I carry hand sanitizer, I check for dust mites, the whole shebang. So, walking into that room and seeing everything spotless? It was a relief. I remember thinking, “Okay, I can breathe. I can relax.” That feeling alone? Priceless.
Final Grade: 4 Stars (and I’d stay there again – no joke!)
The Offer (Because That's What You're REALLY Here For):
**Book Your Beijing Adventure at Hanting Hotel X
Escape to Paradise: Luxury Angel Townhouse Awaits in London!
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because this ain't your grandma's travel itinerary. We're going to Beijing, baby! Specifically, the Hanting Hotel Beijing Xidan Center. And it’s gonna be…well, it’s gonna be something. Prepare for the real deal, the messy, the wonderful, the "did I just eat something that was alive?" kind of travel journal.
Day 1: Arrival, Survival, and a Questionable Dumpling
10:00 AM (ish): Landing at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). The air is…well, it’s Beijing air. A slightly smoky haze, even on a good day. Already regretting not packing a stronger mask. Airport chaos. Seriously. It's like a swarm of beautifully dressed locusts descending upon a buffet. Navigating is a sport. Finding the baggage claim is a victory.
11:30 AM: Attempting to arrange a taxi using Didi. My Mandarin is roughly equivalent to a rusty teapot. The driver, bless his heart, seems equally baffled by my attempted pronunciation of "Hanting Hotel Xidan." The exchange is a charming blend of pointing, frantic gesturing, and Google Translate. Eventually, we establish a destination. Success! …Maybe.
1:00 PM: Arriving at the Hanting Hotel. Okay, first impressions: It's…clean. It’s functional. It’s got that institutional air conditioning blast that makes you question your sanity. The room is tiny. Like, really tiny. But hey, the bed looks clean, and after that airport ordeal, I’m practically ready to nap standing up. Dropped my bags and had a quick scout around. Realised I'd massively underestimated the number of people in this city - every single time you stepped out of the hotel, you were immediately in a sea of bodies. How do they all fit in here?
2:00 PM: Lunch: Diving headfirst into the local cuisine. Found a tiny dumpling shop nearby. The menu? Entirely in Chinese. Decided to point at a picture of something that looked vaguely edible. The dumplings arrive. They're…well, they're an experience. One bite. Chewy, slightly…off. Like, did that thing used to be alive this morning? The taste lingers. I hope it was just the sauce. Or my imagination. Or both. I'm going to blame my jet lag.
3:00 PM: Xidan District Exploration. Wandering aimlessly. The sensory overload is real. Bright lights, crowded streets, delicious smells and smells that make you wrinkle your nose. I'm dodging electric scooters and weaving past shop displays that overflow onto the sidewalks. Bought a weird, chewy snack from a street vendor. No idea what it is. Tastes like… well, it tastes like something I've never tasted before. Will eat it anyway. YOLO!
6:00 PM: Trying to watch a bit of Chinese television. Couldn't understand a word of it, but the over-the-top drama and stunning visuals was addictive. Spent a good hour just staring at the flashing neon of the city, watching the world go by.
7:00 PM: Dinner. I'm getting braver, or maybe just delirious. Found a restaurant with more pictures and less Chinese. Chicken noodles! They were great! And at the end of it all, I got a free bottle of water. I'm beginning to think I might survive this.
8:30 PM: Back at the hotel. My feet hurt. My brain is overloaded. But I'm alive. And I'm in Beijing! Time for copious amounts of water and a very serious debate with myself on whether what I ate for lunch was, in fact, edible. Spoiler alert: The debate isn't going well.
Day 2: Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and a Moment of Zen (Slightly Tarnished)
7:00 AM: Waking up. Jet lag has me operating on a time clock that makes absolutely no sense. Stumbling out of bed. The world is still dark. I need coffee. And maybe a therapist.
8:00 AM: Tiananmen Square. Okay, I have to say, seeing Tiananmen Square is… well, it's something. Huge. Imposing. Overwhelming. The sheer scale of it hits you like a brick. People everywhere. Security, I might add, is pretty intense. Got my bag checked twice. Trying not to think about the history. Just trying to be.
9:00 AM: Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is breathtaking. The architecture is stunning. The detail is mind-blowing. For about five minutes. Then the crowds hit. Seriously, it's like being swept along in a human river. I'm bumping into people, getting shoved, and losing track of where I am. Feeling a touch claustrophobic. Starting to question my life choices. But the buildings… oh, the buildings are gorgeous.
11:00 AM: Lunch. Found a little noodle place near the Forbidden City, and managed to order a spicy bowl of… well, more noodles. Delicious! It was so good, I had a second bowl, even if the chilli was about to melt my face.
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Back in the Forbidden City, by the way. It was still busy. Still beautiful. I made a friend with a local. I think he understood how overwhelmed I was, and was more than happy to tell me about his childhood. He was so interesting, I think I might have listened to him for a whole day, but the crowd started to push us on.
2:00 PM: Needed a break from the people. Managed to carve out a little corner in a garden. Closed my eyes and tried to find a moment of zen. It was broken when a kid ran past yelling. Ok, so not perfect zen.
3:00 PM: Shopping. It's essential, right? Hit up a tourist market nearby. The prices are negotiable. The quality is… well, let's just say you get what you pay for. Ended up buying a silk scarf and a fake designer handbag. I know I'm going to regret this.
5:00 PM: Trying to find the hotel again. Navigation is a challenge. Get a little lost. Panic briefly. Finally, the reassuring glow of the Hanting Hotel sign appears. Relief.
6:00 PM: Tried to learn some basic Mandarin phrases. "Ni hao"! "Xie xie"! "Wo bu dong!" ("I don't understand!") which I might be using a lot more often than I'd planned.
7:00 PM: Dinner. Feeling too tired to venture far. Ordered in from a nearby restaurant. My chicken-noodle-eating-streak continues!
8:00 PM: Collapsed on the bed. Exhausted. But still buzzing. Beijing, you are intense. And tomorrow, I am going to attempt the Temple of Heaven. Wish me luck. And maybe send a therapist.
(Day 3: The Temple of Heaven, More Dumplings, and a Bit of Culture Shock Therapy)
- 8:00 AM: I overslept. Jet lag strikes again. Am I becoming one with the mattress?
- 9:30 AM: Temple of Heaven. Another grand scale! The architecture is beautiful. The colours! The symbolism! But oh, the crowds. It felt less like a spiritual experience and more like being caught in a very polite, but tenacious, stampede. Found a quiet spot under a tree and just…sat. It was glorious.
- 11:00 AM: Another dumpling shop! Decided to try something new. Pointed at the picture. It looked innocent. It arrived. Turns out it was filled with… I have no idea, but it had an edge, and a flavour that, even if I could describe it, would probably offend. Ate them anyway. Yum…sort of.
- 1:00 PM: Stumbled across a park with people dancing, playing musical instruments, and generally having a wonderful time. It was the best part of the day. I really needed that burst of joy and genuine human connection.
- 3:00 PM: Trying to find souvenirs again. This time I actually tried to haggle. Did I succeed? It's hard to tell. Ended up pretty sure I was overcharged, but hey, "cultural exchange," right?
- 4:00 PM: Went to see a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. It was elegant, quiet, and very…different. Almost lulled me into a sense of calm, until I accidentally knocked over a teeny, tiny cup with a huge crash. Mortified. The tea master just smiled. I think he's seen it all.
- 6:00 PM: Dinner. Decided to be adventurous. Found a restaurant that specializes in… well, the menu was a mystery. The waiter spoke no English. Took a deep breath and pointed at something that looked like a bunch of small, shiny
Is the Hanting Hotel actually "the BEST" in Beijing, as some clickbait might suggest? (Spoiler alert: Probably not.)
Okay, let's just rip the band-aid off right now. "Best"? Absolutely not. Not unless "best" means "budget-friendly and conveniently located, but with the occasional existential dread creeping in." I saw that headline, too. The internet... bless its heart. I'm picturing some travel blogger who'd *never* actually stayed there. More like "Most Accessible to Xidan Shopping for a Desperate Traveler," maybe. But hey, I'll give you the rundown, because I *did* stay there. And lived to tell the tale. Barely.
Okay, So *Location*! How is it *really*? Is Xidan Center a good spot?
The location? That's the saving grace. Xidan Center is GOLD. Think prime real estate. Literally steps away from the Xidan Shopping Mall – a sprawling behemoth of consumerism that’s…well, it’s Beijing. You've got everything you need within a five-minute walk: food (Street food! Glorious street food!), shopping (endless shopping!), and the subway (a lifeline, truly). My feet were absolutely killing me after a day of exploring, and just collapsing into that Hanting was pure salvation. And then I'd realize I'd forgotten a souvenir and could stumble back out again. It's *that* convenient. Think accessibility. The only thing on the level of that location is the price.
Is the room… you know… clean? Because I’ve seen…things.
Okay, deep breath. Let's talk about cleanliness. Honestly? It depends on your definition of clean. I'm a little… finicky, let's say. I've traveled a bit, and I've seen dorm rooms that looked cleaner. I think my room *was* mostly clean, but it just *felt*… not quite right. Like, the sheets *looked* clean, but when I went to use the duvet, it *felt* like it had seen a few lifetimes of wear and tear. And the bathroom. Ah, the bathroom. Let's just say the grout could tell some stories. Bring your own disinfectant wipes. My wife made me and I am eternally grateful to her for that. My own experience of hygiene and the cleanliness of the bathroom makes me shudder slightly.
The Soundproof situation. Is there a cacophony of noises?
Oh boy. Buckle up for this one, 'cause the acoustics in the Hanting are... well, let's just say you'll become intimately familiar with your neighbors. The walls are thin, *very* thin. I'm pretty sure I could hear someone brushing their teeth three rooms down. I swear, one night I heard what sounded like an entire opera being performed. In Mandarin. And then, the street noise. Beep, beep, beep from the traffic. Sirens wailing at all hours. People yelling (because, well, it's Beijing, and people yell. With love!). I am not exaggerating when I tell you this: if you are a light sleeper, god help you. Bring earplugs. Bring noise-canceling headphones. Bring a whole damn soundproof booth, for crying out loud.
What about the staff? Are they friendly and helpful?
The staff were… well, they were there. And for the price, I didn't expect Michelin star service. Generally speaking, they were polite and efficient. The language barrier was sometimes an issue, but that's pretty standard anywhere you go. They did their job, and they did it well enough. There was a very nice bellhop who helped me with my luggage because I am completely useless at packing. Overall, not bad. Not amazing. Perfectly…functional. And in Beijing, functional is sometimes all you need.
Okay, let's get down to it: The *Vibe*. What's the overall *feel* of the Hanting?
The vibe? Starkly functional, with a hint of institutional efficiency. Think "airport hotel you've only slept in for 5 hours and then you remember nothing after that." It's not exactly cozy. It's not exactly welcoming. It’s a place you crash. You sleep. You recover from the sensory overload that is Beijing. It fits the purpose. You're not there to spend all day in the hotel. You're there to explore. So as you would expect, there is no character. No charm. But that's okay. Sometimes, you just need a place to lay your head. And in that respect, the Hanting does its job. And that is the best way to sum up the experience.
Any crazy stories or memorable moments during your stay?
Oh, absolutely. One morning, I woke up to the distinct sound of what I thought was a pigeon trying to break into my window. Turns out it was just the air conditioning, which sounded like a flock of angry birds. Then there was the time the elevator got stuck. For like, 15 minutes. My wife was *convinced* we were going to die. Okay, maybe it's not the *best* story. But it's a memory... And I did get locked out myself, around 2 a.m. Don't ask, it's still embarrassing.
