JohnWM

Would any of you on this board have knowledge of hotels in the vicinity of BJS Beijing Airport?

I plan to visit Shanghai, and will depart from China out of Beijing (frequent flyer award ticket). Instead of spending one or two nights in a Beijing city hotel, I would prefer to stay overnight at or near the BJS airport.

Any information would be appreciated. Thanks kindly in advance!

moondog

We've had this discussion (several times) in the past so you might want to do a search.

I can only think of one FTer that has ever voiced support for the idea you are proposing..... and he doesn't hang in these parts any more.

It's not that there aren't a few hotels up there (google), it's just that you'd be needlessly submitting yourself to a bleak/depressing experience. (Think overpriced Chinese hotels with marginal food and absolutely nothing to do offsite.)

If nothing else, you could do the Lido or the nearby (and cheaper) Rosedale, which is where most flight crews stay (the area is pretty nice and it's within striking distance of 3rd Ring); even in these cost cutting times, the airlines still have some heart left in them. Or, you could venture a few minutes closer, where there are lots of places to choose from (Hilton, Kunlun, Kempinski, Comfort Inn).

JohnWM

Thanks, moondog, for the information. It looks like the idea of staying in an airport hotel is not so good; perhaps I'll devise a different plan. Once again, thanks.

moondog

You're plan doesn't have to be all that "different"; I'm merely suggesting that you expand your definition of "airport area" to include the Lido (which I would presume Priceline does), if not NE 3rd Ring. The extra 10 minutes en route will go by in a flash.

ForeverCCA

For those who want to stay at one of the hotels in the immediate adjoining area of Beijing Airport, have a look at http://en.feeyo.com/posts/0/topic-3-21.html as it lists three hotels on the webpage. Not that I recommend any of those hotels, but they are certainly okay for a quick overnight stop. Hopefully this reference may be helpful to some people in the future.

Cheers.

nerdkiller

Are there any new ones now that the new terminal is open? I was at the new term just after opening back in April, the scale is incredible.

Anyway wondering if there's a SPG hotel nearby? Maybe in the terminal even?

KENNECTED

There are no airport hotels listed for Beijing on spg.com. spg.com, is the first I would look to see what properties are in a particular city.

The Tsar

I am staying overnight in Beijing, due to connections. Any suggestions re airport hotels....best ones, closest ones with shuttle service...would be appreciated.

ForeverCCA

Well, either do a search or have a look at this thread on another board - http://en.feeyo.com/posts/0/topic-3-21.html

Hopefully this helps.

Cheers

Alumino

I have heard the Beijing Capital Airport Hotel is decent and has a free shuttle, but I have never stayed there.

You might also consider staying in Beijing proper, if you haven't had a chance to see Beijing much. A taxi ride from the airport to Tienanmen area is around 100 kwai (i.e. $15 or so) and outside rush hour is around 45 minutes. Light rail is 25 kwai (read below). Unless you are there during the Olympics, there are some great hotel deals. If you are more comfortable with Western-style service and want a staff that speaks English well, I highly recommend the Days Inn Forbidden City location. Reasonable rates ($50 ish), modern facilities, clean, staff was quite polite and spoke English well, great location -- right by Wangfujing, Tienanmen, Forbidden City, and adjacent to some of the best and priciest hotels in Beijing.

http://www.daysinn.com

Just search for Beijing and pick the "Forbidden City" location. Better than any Days Inn I've ever seen anywhere (i.e. it's not like the Days Inns in the US). It's across the street from the Beijing Grand Hotel (most cab drivers know this place).

There are other more adventurous or cheaper hotel options, but for westerners who don't want culture shock issues at the front desk, this is a slam dunk. Very close to the subway, which is only 2 kwai ($0.30) a trip. The Beijing subway is easy to navigate and pretty handy. DaysInn is between "Tienanmen East" and "Wangfujing" on the #1 Red line.

Caution: don't trust the MapQuest map that shows up on their page. Wrong location shows up.

One note -- taxi drivers in Beijing are notorious for not being able to read maps well, or even understand the little "Take me to the..." cards that hotels pass out. Most drivers are from rural provinces and seem to learn Beijing streets by the seat of their pants. There are some good ones, sure, but I had a street map of Beijing, *in Chinese*, and put a pen dot right where my hotel was and it was two small blocks from Tienanmen, on a street corner... and had two cab drivers not know where to go, and a third had to have me point the way... by me reading the Chinese map... with only Chinese writing on it... and I can't read Chinese! I guess I can read maps well, though....

Another note -- there is a light rail connection from the airport to Beijing that I think *just* opened. 25 kwai ($3.50 ish). It stops at Dongzhimen on the #2 Blue Line. So for less than $8.00 and a two block bag drag you could get to a downtown hotel and back. Plus maybe $50 for the hotel. Not bad! I mean, why waste a free trip to Beijing!

Hope that helps someone,
Alumino

andrewk829

Next month, I will arrive Beijing Airport 10:15 PM (on United flight from Narita), and then fly on a domestic Air China flight the next morning at 7:50 AM. I could stay in a hotel (e.g., Crowne Plaza near Beijing Airport, which is pleasant and inexpensive, and where I've stayed before during longer transits), but the hassle and expense do not seem worth it for what would be a very short stay; i.e., it would be close to midnight after going through immigration, baggage claim, customs, and taking a taxi to a hotel . . .and then I'd be going back to the airport 5 hours later.

According to the Beijing Airport web site at http://en.bcia.com.cn/ecoservice/lounge.shtml
there is something akin to a transit hotel in Terminal 3 (see description below)

-------------------
"It is hotel-like leisure places with single rooms, standard rooms and other service facilities, where you can forget exhaustion, enjoy TV programs or movies and relax yourself during your leisure moment. Location: West of public space in Arrival Lounge at 2nd Floor of T3-C"
-------------------

The only additional information I've been able to gather (from a colleague in China) is that they do not take reservations, but they "usually" have rooms overnight.

Does anyone have any experience using this facility? Does one access it after emerging from the sterile zone of the airport? If it is accessible only from the airside of the airport, will the airport let me remain airside during a 9-hour overnight transit period? If the rooms are sold out, is there another part of this lounge (or some other lounge) where one could at least pass the hours in a comfortable chair or get a shower?

FYI if it is relevant to the situation:
1. I have 1P ("Premier Executive") status on United Airlines, and hence "Star Alliance Gold" status, which is recognized by Air China.
2. I do not speak Mandarin.

Thanks in advance if anyone has any experience or knowledge on this.

anacapamalibu

There's a new Hilton 1 minute from T-3 , but won't be open until later this year.

Here's a link for further details to the pay lounge you described from a reliable source.

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...leeep-area.cfm

moondog

andrewk829: While I have no experience whatsoever with the T3 transit hotel, I'm willing to bet that it isn't very pleasant and probably costs more than its worth. Did you check rates at the Sino Swiss? If you happen to have any friends that work for an affiliated airline, they might be able to hook you up with a dirt cheap code. Otherwise, I think they participate in Priceline.

moondog

I dare say you're being a bit too conservative with your time estimates. Assuming you're not booked in 56G on the NRT-PEK flight, you should be able to make it to the curb by 11p at the latest, and to one of the close hotels (like Sino Swiss) by 11:15p. Assuming you head back to the airport at 6:30a (or even 7a if you switch your domestic flight to a T2 airline), that leaves 7 hours of hotel time.... not my idea of a great sleeping scenario, but infinitely better than the 5 hours you're envisioning.

jiejie

Yes, you access the transit hotel from the non-sterile (public) side once you are in the arrival hall. Because your morning flight is domestic, you MUST go through immigration, baggage claim/customs--you cannot stay in the sterile/airside part. So, your only decision would be to try the transit facilty OR make a reservation at a nearby hotel. There isn't much of a decent alternative elsewhere in the airport, not if you want to get any rest at all.

For what it's worth, there are also transit "hotels" in Terminals 1 and 2, so if one is full up, space at another will likely be available. The one in T2 used to be kind of worn and ratty, not sure if it has been refurbished in the last year, but the one in T1 was supposed to be OK. I have no first-hand experience, so this is all hearsay.

However, as moondog says above, you'll likely be out on the curb by 11 pm if your flight is more or less on time, and would have a good 7 hours in the hotel. If it were me, I'd go the hotel route (CP or Sino-Swiss), not the airport terminal transit hotel.