Tips on Accommodations

Saving on Your Hotel Room

The rack rate is the maximum rate that a hotel charges for a room. In China these rates are nothing more than the first bid in a bargaining discussion, designed to keep the final price as high as possible. You'll almost never pay more than 90%, usually not more than 70%, frequently not more than 50%, and sometimes as little as 30% of this first asking price. To lower the cost of your room:

• Do not book ahead. Just show up and bargain. In China this applies to the top class joint-venture names as much as all the others. The best price is available over the counter, as long as there's room. For most of the year there are far more rooms than customers at every level. The low hotel seasons are winter (especially around Chinese New Year as this is time spent with the family and not in hotels) and late summer (excluding the 2008 Olympics). For ordinary Chinese hotels you may well pay double by booking ahead, and there's no guarantee that your reservation will be honored if someone else arrives before you, cash in hand. E-mail is almost never answered, and faxes get ignored. Chinese mostly just show up and bargain.

• Book online. If you want to reserve a room in a particular joint-venture hotel during a busy period, look at its website for rates. Major hotel chains operating in China often have their best published rate on their websites. However, these rates fluctuate constantly according to demand, and are sometimes linked to inventory systems that alter prices at frequent intervals, sometimes hourly. Prices for any time of year quoted far in advance will always look uninviting. Rates are much cheaper nearer the time, unless some major event (e.g., the Olympics!) is taking place. Ordinary hotels, if they have a website, will just quote rack rates.

• Dial any central booking number. Contrary to popular wisdom, as the better hotels manage their rates with increasing care, the central booking number is likely to have a rate as good as or better than the rate you can get by calling the hotel directly, and the call is usually toll-free.

• Avoid booking through Chinese hotel agencies and websites specializing in Chinese hotels. You'll obtain the same discount if you contact the hotels directly. In fact, you can usually beat the agency's discount because you won't be paying their markup (usually at least 10%). Many agencies have no affiliations with hotels, and simply jump on the phone to book a room.

The Olympic Rates

The advice above is for regular tourist seasons. The Olympics is a whole other ball game. If you are traveling to Beijing specifically for the 2008 Olympics be sure to book far, far in advance. Regular summer discounts will not be in effect for the XXIX Olympiad. Most of the top hotels around town are already booked solid, hosting government officials or sponsor companies. Try your luck at the small, independent hotels or look into subletting an apartment (try the classifieds section of that's Beijing's website, www.thatsbj.com). Wherever you end up, you should be prepared to pay premium rates.

How to Choose the Location That's Right for You

On short visits, the best option is to stay in the city center, within walking distance of the Forbidden City and Tian'an Men Square, on Wangfujing Dajie or nearby. The range of accommodations in this area -- from super-luxury to rock-bottom -- is unmatched.

The greatest luxury and highest standards of service can be found in Chaoyang, near the two main diplomatic areas just outside the East Second Ring Road. The district's southern half, also known as the CBD (Central Business District), is filled almost exclusively with high-end hotels and is the city's glitziest shopping area. The north boasts proximity to the airport and the dining and nightlife options of San Li Tun.

A wide variety of mid-range and budget accommodations options are offered in the southern districts of Xuanwu (southwest) and Chongwen (southeast). Hotels here offer convenient access to the metro line, Beijing Railway Station, and Beijing West Railway Station.

A district that has blossomed markedly in the past few years, the Back Lakes (Hou Hai or Shicha Hai) area is the most picturesque place to stay. Here you'll find interesting cafes, narrow lanes called hutong, and a last glimpse of Old Beijing.

The western part of the city, where most universities are located, is the least charming area to park your luggage, but hotels are generally cheaper and are near the Summer Palace.