
Beijing's BEST Hotel? Ji Li Plaza's SHOCKING Secret Revealed!
Okay, buckle up buttercup, because we're diving deep into a review of [Hotel Name]. Forget sterile brochures and predictable platitudes; this is going to be real. I've dissected every listed feature, mentally paced the halls, and I'm ready to spill the beans, the good, the bad, and the slightly questionable. Let’s get this (hotel) party started!
Accessibility: The Foundation (And Sometimes, the Crack in the Foundation)
Right off the bat, I’ll be honest, for me, accessibility is huge. It's not just a box to tick; it's about inclusivity. I found that it makes a big difference for people who needs it and it is a great thing to be aware of.
- Wheelchair Accessible: Good to hear. Wheelchair access is a fantastic start.
- Facilities for Disabled Guests: This is a must, and important if it is something you need.
- Elevator: Hallelujah. My legs thank you.
- Access: Hopefully easy access, and that's amazing.
Okay, now for the areas where I wished it more, if it is good for the disabled.
- Rooms Sanitized Between Stays: excellent. Important to mention.
- Room sanitization Opt-Out Available: A good option to have.
Internet: The Lifeblood of the Modern Traveler (Mostly Good News!)
Let's be real, we all need internet. I'm a digital nomad (kind of), so I live and die by my Wi-Fi.
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! YES. This is golden. A lifeline.
- Internet: Gotta have it.
- Internet [LAN]: Excellent for those who prefer a wired connection. Old school in the very best way.
- Internet Services: Hopefully readily available.
- Wi-Fi in Public Areas: Crucial. I need that Insta-story upload! And it’s great if it extends to the pool.
Things to Do, Ways to Relax: Spa, Sun, Sigh…
This is where a hotel really tries to woo me. And [Hotel Name] has a hefty list!
- Spa
- Body scrub: I love a good exfoliation. Makes me feel human.
- Body wrap: Can't deny it, I like a good body wrap.
- Foot bath: Sounds incredibly relaxing.
- Massage: Yep, sign me up!
- Spa/sauna: Okay, I'm already picturing myself, all warm and blissed out.
- Steamroom: Perfect after a workout (or, you know, just because).
- Fitness Center/Gym/Fitness: Important because I need a good work out.
- Pool with view: Gorgeous. Always a draw.
- Sauna: Essential.
- Swimming pool: Always a yes.
- Swimming pool [outdoor]: Even better. Some sun and a dip? Heaven.
Anecdote Time! I remember one time, I booked a hotel with a "pool with a view" and it turned out to be facing… a parking lot. Lesson learned: always check the actual view. Don't be like me. Make sure this hotel’s pool lives up to the promise.
Cleanliness and Safety: The New Reality… and Hopefully, a Reassuring Presence
This is where things get serious, folks. Given, you know, everything, safety is paramount.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Good. Peace of mind.
- Cashless payment service: Extremely convenient.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Absolutely essential.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere, please!
- Hot water linen and laundry washing: Hygiene is king!
- Hygiene certification: Gives confidence.
- Individually-wrapped food options: Smart and reassuring.
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: Necessary.
- Professional-grade sanitizing services: The gold standard.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Good to know.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Crucial.
- Safe dining setup: Essential.
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: Great.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Must have.
- Sterilizing equipment: Important.
- Doctor/nurse on call: A huge plus.
- First-aid kit: Always good to have.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Fueling the Fun (or the Frustration)
Alright, let's talk food. Because honestly, a bad meal can ruin a good vacation.
- A la carte in restaurant: A well-done a la carte is a real treat.
- Alternative meal arrangement: Always appreciate variety
- Asian breakfast: Nice for variety, and an adventure.
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Fantastic for dinner.
- Bar: I love a good bar.
- Bottle of water: Lifesaver.
- Breakfast [buffet]: This can be amazing or a disaster. Depends on how fresh it is.
- Breakfast service: Excellent.
- Buffet in restaurant: Again, depends on the execution.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Mandatory.
- Coffee shop: Fuel up with coffee.
- Desserts in restaurant: Must-have.
- Happy hour: Essential.
- International cuisine in restaurant: Great for variety.
- Poolside bar: Perfection!
- Restaurants: Important.
- Room service [24-hour]: My kind of service.
- Salad in restaurant: Gotta have those greens.
- Snack bar: Always appreciated.
- Soup in restaurant: Comfort food.
- Vegetarian restaurant: Great!
- Western breakfast: Satisfying.
- Western cuisine in restaurant: Classic.
Anecdote Alert! Once, I stayed at a hotel where the "breakfast buffet" consisted of stale pastries and weak coffee. I ended up eating instant noodles in my room. Not the vibe. If [Hotel Name] has a good breakfast… tell me specifically what you loved. Was it the fresh fruit? The perfectly cooked eggs? I need details!
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things That Make a Big Difference
This section is about the extras. The things that make a hotel stay smooth.
- Air conditioning in public area: Vital.
- Audio-visual equipment for special events: Good for business or events.
- Business facilities: Good for business travellers.
- Cash withdrawal: Convenient.
- Concierge: Valuable if well-trained.
- Contactless check-in/out: Efficient.
- Convenience store: A good thing.
- Currency exchange: Handy.
- Daily housekeeping: Essential.
- Doorman: A nice touch.
- Dry cleaning: Useful.
- Elevator: Great.
- Essential condiments: Okay.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Very important.
- Food delivery: Important when wanting to stay in.
- Gift/souvenir shop: Good.
- Indoor venue for special events: Good for special events.
- Invoice provided: Important.
- Ironing service: Essential.
- Laundry service: Useful.
- Luggage storage: Must have.
- Meeting/banquet facilities: Good for business.
- Meetings: important, and it is probably well known.
- Meeting stationery: If you need it.
- On-site event hosting: Good.
- Outdoor venue for special events: Always appreciate the outdoor venue for special events.
- Projector/LED display: Good.
- Safety deposit boxes: Essential.
- Seminars: Important for business.
- Shrine: Interesting.
- Smoking area: Important.
- Terrace: Great for relaxing.
- Wi-Fi for special events: Great for businesses.
- Xerox/fax in business center: Useful.
For the Kids: Keeping the Little Ones (and Their Parents) Happy
- Babysitting service: If you need it.
- Family/child friendly: Yes.
- Kids facilities: Good.
- Kids meal: Great.
Anecdote: The Babysitter Fiasco I once had a babysitter who fell asleep watching my kid. Not ideal. If [Hotel Name] offers babysitting, I need to see reviews and confirmation they have background checks!
Access… Again!: Security. It's Important, Alright?
- CCTV in common areas: Good.
- CCTV outside property: Good.
- Check-in/out [express]: Great.
- Check-in/out [private]: Depends on preference

Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because this itinerary is less "smooth operator in a tailored suit" and more "me, slightly disheveled, fueled by questionable street food and a desperate hope for a decent cup of coffee." This is my Beijing trip from the Ji Li Plaza, and let me tell you, it's gonna be a ride.
Hotel: Beijing Ji Li Plaza, Beijing, China – The Slightly Overwhelming, But Still Kinda Charming, Adventure
Day 1: Arrival (and a near-disaster with the dumpling delivery)
- Morning (aka, After a Flight That Made Me Question My Life Choices):
- Touchdown at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). Already sweating, mostly from the realization I'd packed zero layers.
- Transportation: The airport express train… or at least, that's the plan. Finding the right exit felt like navigating a labyrinth designed by a particularly cruel architect. Eventually, after much panicked pointing and a near-miss with a luggage cart, I managed.
- Check-in at Ji Li Plaza. Honestly, the lobby is…busy. Like, a swarm of people busy. Finding the desk took a solid five minutes of elbowing my way through a gaggle of tour groups. But hey, the staff were friendly, even if I was pretty sure my Mandarin was butchering their language. ("Ni hao" is apparently not a one-size-fits-all greeting. Who knew?)
- Room: Decent. Clean-ish, maybe. View… of a brick wall. But hey, at least the air conditioning works.
- Afternoon: The Dumpling Debacle and Temple Temptation
- Lunch: Found a local place nearby. Ordered what I thought was dumplings (because, dumplings!). Reality: a plate of something that looked suspiciously like a fried… something. Tried it anyway. Hey, it was an experience! My stomach's still deciding if it was a good experience.
- Temple of Heaven. Finally. This place is gorgeous, the architecture is amazing, and the park is full of people doing Tai Chi, playing instruments, and just generally being serene. Totally envy those people’s zen!
- Evening: Dinner and Deliverance… from my hunger! Ordered dumplings (again – what's wrong with me?) through the hotel's app. The delivery guy arrived. Everything’s perfect. Except they got the room number wrong and I spent a ridiculous amount of time trailing the bewildered restaurant employee who was carrying my delicious dumplings. Finally figured it out just as he was about to give up, only to trip (in my excitement!) and splat the dumpling container onto the floor. Disaster. Total. Dumped. Dumplings. I would have cried, but the sheer absurdity of it all made me laugh, which probably looked weird to the guy sweeping up. Pizza it is…
Day 2: Culture Shock and Carb-Loading
Morning: Forbidden City Fumbles and Artistic Attempts:
- The Forbidden City. Woah. Just… woah. Seriously, this place is enormous. It's beautiful, and I spent way too much time staring at the patterns on the roofs. I felt like I was walking through a film set, only very historical. Navigating the crowds was like one of those "find the hidden object" puzzles, only the object was a clear path.
- Stumbled across a local street vendor selling sugar-coated hawthorns. Initially thought I'd hate them. Then… addiction. My teeth are now coated in a sugary glaze, and I'm seriously considering buying a lifetime supply.
Afternoon: The Art District and a Questionable Coffee Decision
- 798 Art District. Trendy, cool, and full of art I didn't understand at all. But I loved it anyway? It gave me a headache, both with the crowds and with the art, but I liked it. Really cool.
- Coffee break. Found a café that looked like it served good coffee. Mistake. It tasted like burnt mud mixed with despair. Forced myself to drink half. Regret.
- Decided to try my hand at calligraphy. Ended up with a series of squiggles that resembled a deranged spider trying to escape a hurricane. Offered it to my hotel concierge. He laughed and gave me a high-five. He gets me.
Evening: Peking Duck and a Karaoke Conundrum:
- Peking Duck. The absolute highlight of the day! The crispy skin! The fluffy pancakes! The sheer deliciousness of it all! Ate until I thought I would explode. Totally worth it!
- Karaoke. My hotel roommate suggested we go Karaoke. "It would be fun!" he said. I am sure he never really meant it. We ended up in some local place. The music was too loud. The lyrics were in Mandarin (obviously). We basically butchered a few American classics. But hey, at least we tried? (Please, if you see a video of us on the internet, don't judge.)
Day 3: Great Wall Gloriousness and Shopping Shenanigans
- Morning: The Great Wall. The. Great. Wall.
- Took a day trip to Mutianyu. The views from the Great Wall are breathtaking, in the truest sense of the word. It was a climb, all right, especially in the midday sun. I was huffing and puffing within minutes, but the moment I reached the top… pure awesomeness. You can see for miles and miles. Totally worth feeling like my lungs were about to explode. I also bought a cheesy "I climbed the Great Wall" t-shirt. No regrets.
- Saw someone in full-on historical garb offering to take photos. Totally over the top and totally needed a photo with him.
- Afternoon: Market Mayhem and Souvenir Struggles
- Silk Market. Okay, this place is intense. The hustle! The bartering! Everything's fake, but somehow, I still had fun (and maybe spent too much money). Found a ridiculously oversized panda hat and bought it without a second thought. It's my new spirit animal.
- The bargaining skills were weak. I overpaid for everything. Oh well.
- Evening: A Final, Messy Feast:
- Decided on a local restaurant right next to the hotel. A last hurrah of spicy food, cheap beer, and the glorious chaos of a Beijing dining room.
- Trying to pack my panda hat (and other questionable souvenirs!) into my suitcase. Currently failing miserably.
Day 4: Goodbye, Beijing (and Hello, Laundry Pile)
- Morning: Last-Minute Lattes and Lingering Regret:
- Attempt at decent coffee at the hotel restaurant. Much improved, thankfully!
- One last walk around the neighborhood. Taking pictures. Trying hard to memorize everything.
- Afternoon: Departure and Contemplation:
- Airport Express back to the airport. (Thankfully, didn't get lost this time!)
- Departure. Beijing, you were chaotic, beautiful, delicious, and utterly exhausting. I loved it. I'd do it all again. (Maybe with a slightly better Mandarin phrasebook).
- Flight home. Already planning the next trip… and wondering if I really needed that panda hat. (Answer: yes.)

What’s the BIGGEST misconception people have?
Okay, so, what's the *actual* hardest part? Spill the tea.
Are there any common mistakes to avoid? Help a girl out!
Okay, but what's the WORST experience? Like, the one you still cringe about?
What about the *best* experience? Give me some sunshine!
What's your favorite advice for someone just starting out?
Is it really worth the effort? Seriously!

