Beijing's ideal accommodation choice depends on how you want to experience the city. For maximum access to imperial sights, staying near the Forbidden City puts you within walking distance of Beijing's greatest monuments, while the hutong neighbourhoods around Nanluoguxiang offer remarkable boutique courtyard hotels with restored traditional architecture and private gardens completely unique to Beijing.
Beijing's ideal accommodation choice depends on how you want to experience the city. For maximum access to imperial sights, staying near the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square in the historic center puts you within walking distance of Beijing's greatest monuments. The Peninsula Beijing and Raffles Hotel Beijing are the area's top luxury properties. For a more characterful experience, the hutong neighborhoods around Nanluoguxiang, the Drum Tower, and Wudaoying offer remarkable boutique courtyard hotels (siheyuan) where restored traditional architecture, private gardens, and personalized service create an experience completely unique to Beijing.
Hutong courtyard hotels range from $80–300 per night and are widely considered the most rewarding accommodation experience in the city. The Orchid Hotel and Chi Lin Guesthouse near Nanluoguxiang are well-reviewed examples in the mid-range. For luxury, the Aman at Summer Palace — a private resort within the grounds of the Summer Palace — is one of the most extraordinary hotel experiences in China, offering a sense of imperial seclusion that no city-center property can match. The Chaoyang business district (around the CBD and Sanlitun) suits business travelers and those who prefer modern luxury hotels with familiar international brands — Rosewood, Four Seasons, and Park Hyatt all operate here.
Budget travelers in Beijing will find the city more expensive than China's interior but still very affordable by international standards. Clean hostels with private rooms in the hutong areas run $20–40 per night. Mid-range chain hotels (Mercure, Holiday Inn, Novotel) offer reliable quality at $60–100 per night. The subway system is excellent — extensive, cheap, and easy to navigate in English — meaning that choosing accommodation for neighborhood character rather than proximity to specific sights is a very practical approach. The Dongcheng and Xicheng districts covering the historic center and hutong neighborhoods are the most recommended bases for first-time visitors to Beijing.