Hotel Kapok Beijing

Overall a fantastic option. Is it a 5-star hotel experience? No, but you're not paying for one either. Location is great, just next to the East Gate of Forbidden City and within 5-10 min walk of a high-end shopping area filled with tons of restaurants and street-food options. Note that the bathrooms do not have doors, but a curtain instead as the walls are all glass as part of a 'modern' decor--might pose some issue for those with privacy concerns in the restroom. Beds are also on the hard side. But clean and good service, and the room-rate was awesome. The concierge also arranged a car & English-speaking driver for us for a day tour of Great Wall & Summer Palace for RMB700, not a bad price.

The hotel is in walking distance to the Forbidden City, Wangfujing Road, Tiananmen Square and the nearest subway station. It's the perfect place for a city trip. We had a nice room with a very generous bathroom. But be aware, the bathroom doesn't have a door, that was new. Overall, a great hotel which I can recommend to everybody.

We had a great experience at Hotel Kapok. Initially I had signed up for a Garden/Courtyard room but since I wanted a King size bed, we were put in a Fashion room facing the street. I'm glad I went back to the front desk asking for the Courtyard room... they were able to move us the next morning to one on the second floor facing an apartment building. It was much more spacious and peaceful than the Fashion room. The bathroom with the windowed walls was interesting and um, intimate, as there was just an opening (no door) to the room and wrap-around curtains for privacy. The curtain gave enough privacy though. Another interesting touch was the courtyard which was set in the front of the room (facing the inside courtyard lobby) with a long, exposed hallway from your door. They had a sheer curtain for privacy along this hallway and you could not see into the room, but if you like complete darkness at night, you won't get it as you get the lighting from the courtyard and the lobby. However, there are courtyard rooms with the gardens in the rear/outside. Also, be warned... their beds are FIRM! This place was really close to the Forbidden City and Wangfujing/Street Food Market. It's also within a block of an ATM and grocery/convenience store (great place to stock up on bottled water and snacks... only the first two bottles of water and two bottles of juice in the room are free). Even better, there is a fancy spa/massage parlor half a block further called Dragonfly with pretty affordable rates (for a Westerner that is, $50-80/2hr). The closest subways were Wangfujing and Tiananmen East on Line 1, an easy 5-10 minute walk away. Leo, the bellman, helped us a ton with itineraries and transportation (Great Wall, Chaoyang Acrobat tickets). Ask for him! I definitely recommend this place and all its comfortable amenities. We didn't eat at their restaurant as there were so many good eats around but the menu looked decent. All in all, a nice, clean, modern boutique hotel in the heart of Beijing!

This is a state-owned and run hotel and it shows. The staff are poorly trained and inexperienced. Overall a nice hotel but needs a lot to break in properly. However, the location is great and with a few more years the staff might come up to par. More of a good three-star than a poor four-star. I would probably not go back there again. It is a tourist hotel rather than a business hotel.

Good location and decent price. We actually stayed here twice on our trip. The first room smelled like smoke in a non smoking room. The second room was fine. The beds were a bit hard but that is China. It was soft enough but it wasn't a US mattress. Overall I would stay here again.

The location was between the night market and Forbidden City. Both were short walks away. The hotel staff, especially the bellmen were polite and helpful and spoke engish very well. I took a tour to the Great wall one day and walked to the Forbidden city the other. Both were worthwhile experiences.

Exactly what you can expect of the kinds of hotels secured through Orb... While it was central to the Forbidden City, there was nothing else accomodating about it. You know, I stayed at the Four Seasons in Shanghai for $200.00. That's a REAL five-star hotel. The Four Seasons was only $88.00 more per night. For me, an additional $88.00 is worth amenities like a pool, complete gym, sauna, whirlpool, 24-hour room service and a comfortable bed. Still, for those looking for a great price, you can't beat it. But, remember, "you get what you pay for."

Ok - there may be better appointed or more luxurious, but it doesn't get better than the Kapok. Fantastic location near the Forbidden City, Tianamen and the shopping streets, only about 2.5 KM to the silk market. The staff is fantastic. I travel the world for business and have found none better! Restaurant was quite good and a good value as well. When I am in Beijing, I don't even look at other places. This is my home away from home in China's capital city.

This place was dynamite. It is classy and elegant in an understated way. Much different feel from the Western brand five star hotels, but every bit as nice. Staff was fantastic. Very accommodating, friendly and available. My only issue was trying to regulate the room temperature was a bit more complex than it should have been. Other than that minor inconvenience, this place could not have been better!

If you are planning to go to beijing for 3 to 5 days, you would like to consider this hotel. close to the subway (really important in beijing considering the traffic issues they have). also close to the Forbiden City temple of the emperor. you can also book at the hotel any kind of toor, at a good price. we didnt have breakfast, but there is a really good mini market next to the hotel, really cheap and you can buy anything you need. really a good option.