Introduction I stayed only one night at the Novotel Peace and it was one night too many. If you fancy going for a retro tour and want to experience a Novotel in the 70s this is the hotel to choose. Run down and impersonal lacking any charm. The common areas were trying to look posh but this was not fooling anyone. Check In Arriving after a lengthy cab ride from the airport I was directed to the lounge for check in. Once there all the formalities needed to be taken care of first. Once again nothing was pre-prepared. The lounge had already finished its evening service so I went straight to my room. Room Once I excited the elevator I was greeted by some nasty smell. Apparently air freshers. The room assigned was an upgrade to a suite but it had seen better days. Everything had visible marks or stains. This hotel had not seen an upgrade in decades. Not pleasant at all.The room featured: a large living room with sofa and dining table (stained surfaces, scratches), a large bedroom with a tiny flat screen TV, a wet bar room with a mini bar (chargeable) and kettle, and the piece de resistance a totally run down bathroom (manky shower curtain, stained walls, bad paint job). Service Service wasn't great. Language again proved an issue. The lounge staff were probably best. The bar staff's first repsonse when ordering a G&T was "no voucher". Ok fine then, I can pay for it. Dining As the lounge service was already finished I ordered room service. While well priced it wasn't exactly overwhelming but I was too tired to go out. Loyalty services The welcome gift was a plate with sweets and fruit.The drinks voucher could only be redeemed for soft drinks and beer and wine. Lounge The lounge was probably the best feature of the hotel. Nice views over Beijing and the breakfast choice was decent (for a Novotel). It featured a buffet and eggs to order. Location The hotel is centrally located (but this entails a lengthy trip from the airport). Endless malls (like everywhere in China) are nearby and Tiananmen Square is a stone's throw away. Overall While this Novotel was the same price as the Novotel Sanyuan where I stayed earlier in the trip it was not worth the money. The room was run down and service was poor. This hotel is in desperate need of a renovation, especially the rooms. There is no excuse for a filthy and badly maintained bathroom.While rates were low the hotel was not good value for money in my view. In hindsight it was a mistake not to go back to the Novotel Sanyuan but I wanted to try out another hotel.Now that Fairmont and Swissotel are an option it might be wiser to go for either of these (rates were not much more expensive).