Xi Xi You Yi Hotel

Xi Xi You Yi Hotel is close to Banks, the Post Office, Transportation (via subway, buses, or cabs), Malls, and thankfully Starbucks :) !!! We were able to visit Tiananmen Square and then walk to the front of the Forbidden City (at night gates are closed, of course) since these 2 places are in walking distance from the hotel ... It was nice to see this area at night as it is all lit up, but I warn you ... there are a lot of people trying to earn money by selling their wares ... they follow you putting Olympic souvenirs etc. 'in your face' till you buy some. I finally caved, and bought some cheap souvenirs ... unbenounced to me there were 'watchers' others seeing us pass $$ to one of their competitors LOL ... we began to be followed again by a new person, and then another till we finally picked up speed and returned to the downtown area and I searched for Starbucks and bought myself a HOT coffee and ccontinued down the streets in the direction of the Xi Xi You Yi Hotel ... so at night so travel in pairs (I recommend!)

What Xi Xi You Yi Hotel has is very clean rooms, it's safe, and this hotel is close to many ammenities; based solely on this, I'd go there again ---

A coin set (I bought) and my passport was locked up in a SAFE the hotel provided ... I left my luggage open in my hotel room whenever touring ... nothing was ever taken ... so as far as theft, this is a great place to go

Xi Xi You Yi Hotel overall, was a farely nice place to stay in, if I was to exclude the noise of a chain saw and the smell of tar! I assume the renovations (that continued throughout the night) was happening because of the upcoming Beijing Oympics this August 2008, but that's no excuse for only warm coffee with my breakfasts I had there. Then again I had their breakfast buffet; if I'd pay for a classy breakfast in their restaurant I'm sure the service and quality would have been better ...

Since I booked a 9 day Asian tour through an agency, this and other hotels were booked by them and where we would eat, I could of opted for full service but then the overall trip's cost would of been higher ...you do get what you pay for