PLANNING YOUR FACT-FINDING TRIP - Living Abroad in Beijing - page 109

walking distance to the Sanlitun embassy area, the Sanlitun shopping and dining precinct,
and the Dongzhimen transport hub.
Five-star hotels can be found all the way down the East Third Ring Road, from Sany-
uanqiao down to Guomao in the heart of the CBD, at which point there is an explosion of
premium hotels, taking up iconic locations on the city's landscape. Less obvious, but more
practical from a fact-finding perspective, are places like East Apartments (59 Fulicheng,
East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang, 北京全方位服务酒店式服务公寓, 朝阳区东三环路富
力城59号 , tel. [phone], www.eastapt.com ), which are a little farther down the road at
Fulicheng, beside Shungjing subway station (Line 10, exit A). Many expats working around
Guomao choose to live in either the residential section of this property or the other high-
quality housing complexes in the immediate surrounds. A stay here puts you right by a
shopping mall, an international cinema complex, and Melody KTV, one of the best karaoke
places in town for English songs.
To give yourself some breathing space away from the commercial hot spots, stay a
bit farther out at Lido in the new East hotel (22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district, 北京
东隅, 朝阳区酒仙桥路22号 , tel. [phone], www.east-beijing.com , from RMB798).
This hotel is specifically aimed at the business crowd, and offers high-tech modern con-
veniences in a casual contemporary setting. If you have meetings in Liangmaqiao or Sany-
uanqiao, it's just a 10-minute drive (in good traffic) and not much more on a bicycle. It will
also be a good test location for if you have kids who'll be heading out to the schools at
Shunyi.
Finally, one more that will help to immerse you for the short term in an expat lifestyle
is Lanson Place (Tower 23, Central Park, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district,
北京逸兰, 新城国际, 服务式公寓, 朝阳区朝阳门外大街6号, 新城国际23号楼 , tel. 10/
8588-9588, http://beijing.lansonplace.com ). Located inside Central Park, these home-style
apartments are well equipped, and just above a village-like setting of cafés and restaurants.
Most guests are long-term here, so vacancies for short-term visits can be limited and you
usually need to book early to secure a room. Daily rates are calculated from the monthly
rate of the available room.
Xicheng District
Over in Xicheng district, almost any five-star hotel you could want to stay at is located
by Financial Street near Fuchengmen subway station (Line 2). It's pure business in this
part of town, and other than what's in the hotels, entertainment options have been slow
to develop. To give your visit a little more interest, consider Shichahai Shadow Art