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In Beijing, “budget” usually means “bad location” – most cheap accommodations cluster around Beijing’s southern periphery. University hotels are often far from the city center, may have annoying curfews, and need to be reserved well ahead of time. Many hotels that used to have relatively cheaper prices have been renovated, and managers have gladly increased prices to accommodate the ever-growing waves of foreign tourists.
The exceptions to the price binge are the international youth hostels. Teeming with backpackers, these outposts provide dirt-cheap dorms, bike rental, ticket and tour booking, Internet access, and plenty of fellow foreigners. In general, conditions are clean and comfortable, making these hostels the best deals in Beijing.
Beijing Saga International Youth Hostel, the Gongti International Youth Hostel, and Zhaolong International Youth Hostel are shining examples of the growing merger o0f budget and convenience.
During the summer, cheap rooms are snatched up quickly, and hotels generally don’t accept reservations. Your best bet is to suck it up, take a more expensive room for one night, and ask them to hold a cheaper room for you when one becomes available (and it inevitably will) in the morning. Those willing to splurge can find four- and five-star hotels everywhere. Most hotels have on-site restaurants and currency exchange, but only hotels with more stars to their name accept foreign credit cards (Visa and MC, but usually not American Express).
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