Where to Stay in Beijing with Kids: What 10+ Visits Taught Us
So far every trip to China our family took, started in Beijing – which led us to visiting the city with kids 10+ times! We love the city and we love starting our big adventures with something a little bit familiar.
But Beijing is huge, and it might feel overwhelming to look for the right location and hotel in a big city. Which is why in this guide I will help you get to know the areas and plan out what is the best option.
All hotels mentioned in the blog post are either somewhere we already stayed in, or researched with family with focus, especially hotel amenities, room sizes and proximity to the metro station.
🌟 In a hurry and want one great recommendation?
Jen Beijing by Shangri-La is our personal favourite. We stayed there multiple times over the years and it is very popular with foreign guests and families. Great breakfast, great views, English speaking friendly staff.
General tips for booking accommodation in Beijing with kids
Stay close to the metro station
Walking with kids 1km just to get on a metro really ads a lot of pain to your daily wanderings. Make sure the hotel is close to the metro station. It is more important than the actual neighbourhood (as long as you don't stay really far).
Don't stay directly by tourist hot spots
We made this mistake in Shanghai by staying by Nanjing Road – the busiest pedestrian street, and it was really annoying. You don't want to start your days on busy streets and tourists spots are notoriously bad for finding good food.
Pick hotel with breakfast or abundant street food
The last thing you want to do is to wake with (h)angry. Kids are different than adults and when they are hungry or tired their little brains cannot cope. Having a breakfast readily available. Important to note that hotels in modern/finance districts have less to none street food options, so it is wise to have breakfast there. If staying in some more local neighbourhood, you are best off getting fresh jianbings (Beijing savoury pancakes) or baozi (steamed buns).
Stay close to a park
Parks in Beijing are amazing – in fact that is one of the reasons we love Beijing, and China, so much. In the early mornings parks come to life – aunties dancing, old people doing tai chi, seems like the whole city is out. If you are a walking distance from the park, you can start your day with local breakfast and people watching in the park – I guarantee it will be the highlight of your kids' day.
Neighbourhoods to stay with kids
There are generally few neighbourhoods in Beijing consistently recommended (not only by me) to stay in Beijing:
- Dongcheng – this is where the main tourist attractions like The Palace Museum (former Forbidden City), Tiananmen Square, Qianmen Pedestrian Road, Temple of Heaven all are.
- Chaoyang – finance/expat district with great nighttime panorama of the CCTV tower, the landmark of modern Beijing. Inside the district best locations to stay are Guomao and Sanlitun
- Xicheng – quieter older hutongs and close proximity to Beijings most famous imperial gardens, Beihai Park, and the lakes.
Both districts offer quite different benefits – Guomao is modern and easy, with 2 metro lines and amazing Ritan Park at the doorstep. Xicheng offers a more local feel and opportunity to experience old Beijing.
I would not pick Dongcheng, unless you find some quieter location there, or maybe stay more south close to the Temple of Heaven park.
If you want to understood Beijing's geography a bit better, here is my post about Beijing neighbourhoods:
Magda Sawyer
Booking family hotels in China
Chinese hotels are far more relaxed about room occupancy than European ones. Most let children stay free when sharing a bed, and many offer a free cot or extra bed up to a certain age. Check the hotel’s child policy on the booking page before you reserve.
Trip.com sometimes warns that a room doesn’t fit your whole group, but we’ve never been turned away. A few times we were even upgraded to a bigger room for free.
Family-friendly hotel recommendations
Modern & Easy
Jen hotel
Choose Jen for: easy transition
This is our favourite hotel in Beijing where we stayed in repeatedly. The hotel is not really a "family" hotel, but it is very convenient and easy for first-timers. Staff speaks English, breakfast is excellent and has both Chinese and Western options, there is a really good swimming pool. The hotel is very popular with foreign tourists and we have noticed first hand that its popularity with foreign guests has increased in recent years.
Atour
Choose Atour for: convenience, consistent standard & great value for money
Atour is a Chinese hotel chain. While it might feel like a business hotel, it is very convenient for families. It is super clean and comfy, and every hotel has a free laundry self-service (so practical when traveling light with kids!), a gym and a consistent standard you can trust.
In Beijing I would recommend considering either the one in Guomao or just by the entrance to the Temple of Heaven north gate.
Atour Hotel Beijing Guomao CBD Huamao Center
Choose this location if you want the convenience of the Guomao district.
Atour Light Hotel, Qianmendajie Street
Choose this branch if you want to start your days with quiet walks around Temple of Heaven.
Cute & Cozy
Peking Garden Siheyuan Boutique Hotel
The biggest upside of this hotel for kids will be the garden and a little playground, plus the cats (consider a different property if you are allergic). The common spaces are also very homely – it really looks more like somebody's house than a hotel.
This is a really cute and cozy hotel, in Xicheng district, with family suites and a courtyard and a garden. This property also has cats, so take that into account if you are allergic. It is also 700m away from the nearest metro – manageable, but also worth considering.
The JOYCourtyard International Hotel
Kids will enjoy the courtyard and adults will appreciate relaxing in the common spaces. The downside is that the metro station is 800m away, so if you have small kids you might want to reconsider.
Forbidden City Hutong Courtyard International Hotel
The highlight of this hotel are family rooms with private terraces and proximity to Xisi metro station – it is less than 300m away. The rooms are also pleasant and well designed.
Typical Family-Friendly
Ascott Raffles City Beijing Service Apartment
Ascott hotel chain is what you should keep in mind when you are looking for your typical family-friendly hotel in big Chinese cities. The hotel has family suites with kitchenettes and laundry, kids playground and swimming pool – and it is more like a serviced apartment than a hotel room. It is ideal if you need space and kids amenities, and for longer stays. We stayed in Ascott in different cities and our kids love it.
This hotel is located 100m from Dongzhimen metro station, making it very convenient.
Beijing Purple Horse Garden Hotel Wangfujing
Also located in Dongcheng district, the hotel features family suites and a little playground and children books. There is also a rooftop pool and a bar. Great place for a summer holiday in Beijing to have an atmospheric place for downtime on a hot afternoon.
Plan your family trip
We have visited Beijing repeatedly with our kids and we love it!
Once you pick your hotel, make sure to read more about exploring Beijing with kids:
Magda Sawyer
Magda Sawyer
Magda Sawyer
