Eaself Hotel

We booked this hotel under the Eaself brand and this is the name that is displayed in very large letters over the hotel. Apart from an initial blip concerning the lack of air conditioning, we found this hotel to be of a really good standard. Our superior room was huge with a pleasant sitting area, kitchen and breakfast bar. The bed was very comfortable, there was plenty of storage space and the complimentary toiletries were of a good quality. The bathroom was spotlessly clean and the shower excellent. A nice touch was the delivery of small biscuits each evening along with a turn down service. The panoramic view over Beijing from the wall of window was quite stunning. The kitchen area was bereft of crockery, cutlery and general equipment but there was a kettle and cups with complimentary bottles of water provided daily. The lack of equipment didn't bother us but if you were expecting to prepare anything food wise you would be disappointed. In fairness, when requested, we were provided with plates and basic cutlery. When we arrived at the hotel, the room thermostat was registering 30c and we had great difficulty trying to explain the issue as no one spoke or understood English. After threatening to leave and with the use of a translation app we eventually got our message across that we couldn't sleep in a room so hot. They asked us to wait whilst they attempted to resolve the issue. Our Chinese speaking relative arrived to help us and it transpired that they had put ice in the room, had sent someone out to buy fans and provided bottles of water and beer. The staff were all really helpful and tried so hard to please us in spite of the communication difficulty. It wasn't clear why there was no air conditioning but what seemed to be suggested was that the Government decided when hotels could use this facility or face penalties. We returned to our room with an army of staff carrying our luggage and making a great fuss to ensure we were satisfied. We were also given a complimentary breakfast the following morning. We had an eight day stay at this hotel and in spite of the initial problems we could not fault the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. We were the only non-Chinese guests for the duration of our visit and made to feel very welcome. The hotel is situated outside Beijing centre (perhaps equivalent to staying somewhere like Clapham in London) but on an excellent subway station that makes all the famous sites easily accessible. If you are prepared to battle with the language issue (a good quality language app highly recommended) or if language isn't an issue, I would certainly recommend this hotel to independent travellers.