As you know, I live on Line 10 (Shuangjing). For me, Shuangjing is a little bit too far from Sanyuanqiao to make your plan attractive (one hour door-to-door v. 30 mins by taxi). I support your plan for subway stations <5 stops from Sanyuanqiao. In terms of hotels (with good subway access), this would be: Hilton, Kempinski, Westin, Sheraton, Landmark, Kunlun, Zhaolong, Millennium. Plus the Softitel at Sanyuanqiao itself. (These places are all southbound on Line 10; I'm not so knowledgeable about properties on the other side of the bend.)

I generally agree with your take on situation. All those hotels you mention would be pretty convenient to taking AE + Line 10 for a short distance. And there are a number of convenient-to-Line 10 hotels also heading the other way (north, "up the bend" as you say and over towards Haidian). When I was living at Shuangjing with choice of subway + AE or taxi, usually I'd do taxi on the outbounds esp for international flights (heavily luggaged-up moving stuff permanently back to USA). Or just didn't want to get all sweaty with the walking and the transfers.

For the inbounds if lightly luggaged, about 50/50 on taxi depending on time of day and traffic situation. My inbound internationals are generally on Star Alliance so from T3, that annoying T3-to-T2 extra segment on the AE works as a deterrent. But for a morning rush arrival, the lesser of the evils, since even the "outer route" down the 5th Ring Road gets jammed up once you get to Jianguomen and try to head into the city. The 3rd and 4th Rings in rush hour = a big parking lot. I loathe sitting motionless and trapped in a cab even more than I loathe crowded subways that still keep moving. But that's just me.

A day late and a dollar short :p

Apparently not just the Chinese ..... In Jakarta the trike driver looked at the map, said OK (OK, more of a motion since he didn't speak English I don't speak Bahasa and I wasn't willing to get on a moto taxi with English speaking driver).

Proceeds in general direction, then asks if I want mall or hotel :confused: Then proceeds to turn in WRONG direction :(

The other reason I enjoyed the subway is to see how the Chinese do it. Gotta say, next to Jakartese, they are downright polite when it comes to staying in line :)

Back to PEK in a week for another 20 hour layover - going to look at hotels on line 10.

EmailKid, wanting to come back for a longer period when nightime temps don't go below freezing

What's your price range? Of the hotels I listed, the Westin is my favorite, and has a subway entrance (Liangmaqiao; just one stop south of Sanyuanqiao) directly in front of the main entrance. But, unless you can find a good rate code or use some SPG points, it is very expensive. The Kunlun is a stone's throw from the Westin and about 40% cheaper; it is solid.

As for cheaper options, Zhaolong would probably be top pick because it is: 1) close to Tuanjiehu Stn; and 2) is basically in Sanlitun. Second choice would be the Landmark... attached to the Sheraton, only around $60 per night on Expedia last time I checked. If you want cheaper still, I like the Yo Yo hotel in Sanlitun at y310 per night. I've been putting up budget conscious guests there recently, and they've been quite pleased. It's a 10 minute walk from Tuanjiehu Station.

Yes, I did, but we happen to have a (silent) agreement to go budget anywhere we can and at least try to attempt and use public transportation - even here in Portland, but when we drive we use our own ev's - so proudly emit zero emission !
Coincidentally, my biggest thrill of the last week was riding endlessly in the top front seats of a double-decker to explore around HongKong :D
However, there's nothing worse than entering a country for the first time basically unprepared. Not able to speak the language or make yourself understandable makes it utterly frustrating and oneself kinda ignorant IMHO.
I speak some 7 languages almost all fluently but with Mandarin I encountered my first ever seemingly insurmountable barrier.
But we managed quite well - often due to the great help from FT's as jiejie and got were we needed to be - in hindsight with a lot of fun, all the while observing and getting a glimpse of how the locals deal with their daily transportation and even getting some interactions - exactly what we were looking for and didn't so much as find in The Peninsula or the glitzy Marriott ;)

It was definitely worth the try - we weren't exactly on a tight schedule, were quite able to walk distances with luggage and the several flights of stairs thru the underpass to get to the other side meant absolutely nothing compared to the countless amount of stairs I've got to negotiate frequently to the London Tube .. :)

I'm most definitely a budget traveler :p

In my previous life travel was part of my work, so I'm using my hotel points in places that aren't cheap. So Holiday Inn Express was only 10K points, though it did require two transfers. I was a LOT more comfortable going back, and was comfortable enough to get on a bus from Tienanmen Square back to the hotel, though I did miss my stop to get off by one.

Looking at same or Holiday Inn, though may well try your suggestion for Yo Yo hotel.

Thanks for the help ^

EmailKid

Did you know that there are 3 IHG hotels in BJ on PointsBreaks right now?

HOLIDAY INN BEIJING DESHENGMEN
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS BEIJING MINZUYUAN
CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL BEIJING PARKVIEW WUZHOU

None of these are in good locations, but that's usually the way the ball bounces with PointsBreaks. Of the 3, I'd probably go with the Crowne Plaza (1 km walk from nearest station on Line 10, according to their web site). Second choice: Deshengmen. Given you're only in town for one night, I'd pass on Minzuyuan even if it was free... too far away (web site map is wrong).

I think the nearest metro stop for the Crowne Plaza Wuzhou is Huixinxijiebeikou on line 5 (change at huixinxijienankou on line 10). The "as the crow flies" distance is probably 1 km, but given that you have to walk along the side road for the 4th ring road and that you can't enter the Crowne Plaza complex from the south side, I guess the actual walk will be more like 2km.

If you really want to go with the local public transportation experience, according to Baidu maps you can get there from the metro stop using bus 110, 408, 479 or 406). If you have anything more than light luggage though I would just take a taxi ...

The hotel does have a reasonably decent (or so I am told - by someone who used to live there) Brazilian BBQ.

One of the things that bugs me about Beijing is the fact that most of the Metro stations are not designed so that you can use them as an underpass. Not only is this annoying if you want to avoid crossing one of the wide roads - but it means often you really have to check which exit you need before passing out through the ticket barrier.

I'm not sure if this is through lack of thought in planning the stations - or whether it is on purpose (to limit the number of people passing through the station at busy times?). Not all stations are like this - but enough are that you need to pay attention...

We've discussed this topic in the past. jiejie theorized that usability a low priority in the eyes of subway planners. There is one really nice subway station in Shanghai, Century Avenue (multiple lines pass through it and the transfers are completely painless). I met China Trvl a few months ago and he explained to that the reason it is nice is because the original station was an unviable disaster, so they brought in the MTR (HK) people to redo it.

Back on topic, I was tempted earlier to advise Email Kid to book the Crowne Plaza and grab a taxi at Sanyuanqiao, but I held back because Sanyuanqiao is in the running for the most confusing subway station in China (though Peoples Square in SH is the clear leader in this category). I go to meetings there about once a week and invariably emerge from the underground to see my destination building across many lanes of convoluted highways. The thought of schlepping around there in the cold with luggage sends shivers up my spine... though walking 1 km along 4th Ring with luggage is admittedly an even less attractive proposition.

HI Deshengmen always gave me club access with breakfast as a PC Plat, not sure on points but I would assume the same.

No, I haven't checked since before leaving on my trip, but was going to since I'll arrive in PEK Friday.

And no, PointBreaks aren't always most inconvenient :p

On my positioning flight to PEK from DAL had a forced overnight in SEA (SEA-SFO-PEK $405.20 all in :D ) and as luck would have it 5K points for Holiday Inn with shuttle to/from SEA.

Another one in BTS (Bratislava, Slovakia so no need to look it up) where I was for four nighs earlier this year.

Didn't take my two small backpacks on bus, only metro. This time will arrive during daylight hours, so it may be a little easier.

I've eaten Brazilian BBQ in Rio, but when in Rome .... prefer to eat Chinese in China.

Well, it was cold when I shlepped 3 Km to work with my backpacks (I walk to work every workday). NOT PEK cold, but still. Lucky had a ride to airport. But taxi from subway, er, metro may be the way to go.

Not Plat for two years now. Just using up accumulated points as situation warrants.

Thanks for all the useful info ^ Off to see if I can snag that 5K Crowne Plaza :)

EmailKid

The sanyuanqiao station is certainly in my experience the most horrendous in Beijing. I find it remarkable that there aren't even any clear signposts in Chinese (let alone English) to guide you from this freeway/flyerover nightmare to the nearest "pedestrian" street.

It's worth doing a little homework on this station though as it is useful to get to a number of places. For all points south of the expressway (inside and outside the 3rd ring) you want exit C2. Google maps doesn't show the paths you can use - but the Baidu map does. There are underpasses to cross over to the other side of the 3rd ring before you reach Xiaoyunlu. If you are heading somewhere further up Xiaoyunlu then it is faster to head NE from the C2 exit - though this path is a little more complicated

Baidu map of the Sanyuanqiao Metro area

Is there something going on on December 3 :confused:

All three report

Edited to add:

This one and BEIJING TEMPLE OF HEAVEN where I stayed before (2 Metro transfers).

Should be easier with Saturday arrival Sunday departure. Also going to take a look at beforementioned inexpensive hotel, as I don't mind contributing to the economy, as long as I can do it on my Budget Travel budget.

EmailKid

I actually have guests staying at the Yo Yo until Friday, so it would be easy for me to ask them to hold a room for you. It often sells out, especially on weekends, so reservations are pretty much necessary. (Two weeks ago, I went there to check in myself because my guests weren't able to arrive before the 8p deadline, and there was a guy at the counter claiming to be me. I sorted things out in a jiff, and the strange man launched into a temper tantrum.)

Like I mentioned up thread, the rooms there cost y310 and y320, which I think is an excellent value (as do others, apparently). But, I should point out that there are also much cheaper options in the area. For example, there is a youth hostel attached to the Zhaolong Hotel (very close to Tuanjiehu Stn) that is safe, clean, and reasonably comfortable.