Researching for accommodation in China is quite overwhelming and we often found that we had to rely on reviews on booking sites like Trip.com as there weren’t many written reviews online. After thralling through many listings, we decided on CitiGo Sanyuanqiao, as it was one of the most affordable options for our last minute trip to Beijing.

In This CitiGo Sanyuanqiao Review

Getting to CitiGo Sanyuanqiao + Check-in

We took a DiDi directly from the Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and it cost around RMB73 including tolls. The ride took close to 45 minutes. The drop off of the hotel is not easy to locate as it is blocked by hedges (more on that in the location section of this review), which caused some confusion.

The hotel lobby was small, which was expected. As we got there before 8am, we weren’t allowed to check-in as the staff mentioned that the front desk only starts operations at 8am. This was quite weird as we never encountered anything like that. The usual procedure we’re used to is that we would be allowed to check-in even when we arrive before the official check-in time, just not allowed up to our rooms.

Thankfully, we could leave our luggages at the hotel without checking in, and made our way to the first stop of our Beijing itinerary.

We got back to the hotel around 4pm and finally managed to check-in. Check-in procedure was quick, nothing fancy as well. The staff will also direct you to take the amenities you require from the baskets on the front desk. Items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and shower caps were not provided in the room, but rather, you’ll have to get them yourselves from the front desk (but you’re free to take as many as you need/want).

The Room

First impression upon entering the room was that it was a rather small room, and not very cleverly designed. The main room door opens right next to the shower. The room we got was the Huanyi Double Bed Room.

The Bed

Not much to complain in terms of the quality of the bed, but the way the bed was positioned was horrible. The bed was placed with one side against the wall, making it really inconvenient for the one sleeping inside to get out, especially if someone is lying down on the outside already.

Room Amenities

As mentioned earlier, basic necessities such as toothbrush and toothpaste have to be taken from the front desk. In the room, you’ll be provided with slippers, hairdryer, towels and soap.

There wasn’t a cupboard or much space to hang our clothes and even the towels were hung on this rack right by the door.

Toilet

The toilet was in a separate space, away from the shower. However, both the toilet and shower doors were transparent, so if you’re sharing the room with a friend, it can be really awkward.

The basin was also in an open area in the room, sharing the counter/desk area that runs in front of the bed. I often find the counter area and floor wet from splashes, and had to keep our belongings further away from the basin.

Facilities

There is a well-equipped gym on the first floor of the hotel, as well as a pool table in the lobby. There are also service robots, which is a big thing in China. These robots deliver stuff in place of a staff, helping to save on manpower needed.

Free Supper!

Free supper is also provided every night at 10pm! Though we didn’t try, supper was a bun or a dumpling as stated on the posters in the hotel.

Wifi

The Wifi connection throughout the hotel was great, but if you know anything about the great firewall of China, you’ll know that you will not be able to access certain apps while being on the Wifi. You can access China apps like Redbook, Wechat and Alipay, but not Instagram and Tiktok. Google and Gmail doesn’t load as well.

It’s best to have an international roaming eSIM, like Airalo, if you need access to apps like Gmail or Tiktok while in China as a local SIM card would not allow you access to those as well. It’s also much easier than having to figure out how to use a VPN.

P.S. You can use code JIAXUA4798 for $3 off your first Airalo purchase!

The Service

Overall, the service was warm, and the staff was always willing to help. We had trouble with making a reservation as we didn’t have a local number, so a staff actually used her own Dianping account to make a reservation for us.

Location of CitiGo Sanyuanqiao

Citigo Sanyuanqiao is located in an area that is surrounded mainly by office buildings, as such is pretty quiet after office hours and on the weekends. The hotel is also a 3-minute walk to the nearest Metro station, Sanyuanqiao, which is a stop on Line 10, Line 12 and the Capital Airport Express. In addition, Citigo Sanyuanqiao is in a quieter area, the roads in the area are not as busy as those in the city centre.

Although not entirely related to location, as mentioned earlier, the drop-off of the hotel is not easy to locate. The drop-off is a very narrow semi-circular road (see image below, red arrow) right in front of the hotel and only fits 1 car in terms of width. This makes it difficult for drivers to wait here, especially if you hired a private driver for the day and the driver arrives earlier than stipulated pickup time.

This isn’t a deal breaker though, just slightly troublesome that we always had to direct drivers to drive into that narrow road, or walk out to the road (green arrow in image below) to find the car.

Price

We paid SG$440 in total for 5 nights at CitiGo Sanyuanqiao, working out to around SG$88 per night, which was the average price for hotels outside the city centre but still within 30 minutes drive of popular spots around Beijing. This was also an acceptable price for a last minute trip, as we booked it 2 weeks before our actual trip.

Final Rating

Though far from perfect, CitiGo Sanyuanqiao does a good job at being an affordable hotel in one of the more expensive cities in China and is definitely a good choice if you’re in the city for a work trip or don’t want to be caught in busy areas like Wangfujing.

Cleanliness: 4/5
Price: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Remote workability: 4/5

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