Traders Hotel - Beijing, China 

Well located moderate hotel
Posted: Thu, Jun 05 2008
Traders Hotel in Beijing is a midlevel business hotel, that does everything right within its class. It's a sister hotel to the much more luxurious (and more expensive) China World Hotel and is likewise situated within the modern China World complex, which includes a very high end mall, office towers and convention center. The lobby is small and somewhat dated, but the staff is very helpful, from the desk clerks to the elevator attendants. The rooms were small but relatively well kept. The bathroom was also small, with a combination shower/bath. The safe was too small for a laptop, which is a significant shortcoming in a business hotel. They provide complementary fresh fruit and bottled water each day. The internet access was easy to configure, though expensive (140 RMB/day) given the overall price level in Beijing. The breakfast buffet was modest but offers sufficient western and Chinese choices. The location is well suited for tourists, as the hotel sits atop a subway stop (Guamao) on line 1, from which one can easily get to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and other tourist sites. It's also just a few stops to transfer points for lines 2 and 5. Given the state of traffic in Beijing, easy access to the subway is an important plus. It's a short walk along Jiangwuomenwai to the Silk Street market, which offers several floors of souvenirs, t-shirts, knock offs, "silk" pajamas, etc. The shopkeepers are aggressive and haggling is required, but that's half the fun.

Most Comfortable Bed in China
Posted: Sun, Jun 01 2008
By far the best aspect of this hotel was the fabulously comfortable bed. Anyone who has spent time in China can appreciate that most beds here are rock hard. Overall the hotel was not standout, particularly with its somewhat hard-to-find location at the back of the World Trade Center, poor access to the street, and ongoing construction outside (but then again, this is China). However, in-room amenities including terrycloth bathrobes and comfy slippers, BBC (so sick of CNN), and - did I mention - the most comfortable beds in China (!), made my stay enjoyable.