Conrad Beijing — The Honeycomb Tower That Turns Heads on the East 3rd Ring
Drive along Beijing's East 3rd Ring and one building stops you mid-sentence — its skin looks like a honeycomb net rippling and twisting among all the boxy glass towers around it. That's Conrad Beijing (北京康莱德酒店), designed by MAD Architects and now a genuine design landmark. Score 9.4/10 from around 5,791 real guest reviews. It sits at No. 29 East 3rd Ring North Road, in the heart of the CBD in Chaoyang, a short walk from the metro and close to both Guomao and Sanlitun. Straight up: this is not the hotel for someone who wants to walk to the Forbidden City. But if you're here for business in the CBD, or you simply want to sleep inside a building that's beautiful from the facade to the bedroom, this one is hard to beat.
Here's what sets Conrad Beijing apart first — the building itself. Designed by the renowned Chinese studio MAD Architects, the exterior is a metal lattice that reads like a honeycomb or a network of nerves, stretching and twisting as it climbs. In a CBD full of rectilinear glass boxes, this tower looks like something organic that wandered into the city. Plenty of guests say that just seeing it from the street made them feel they'd picked the right place — and that appeal doesn't stop at the facade.
Inside, the rooms are contemporary, wide and bright. The hotel has 289 rooms, including 17 suites, and the feature guests mention most is the roughly 3-metre ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Higher floors look out over Tuanjie Lake Park, the iconic CCTV building, and the Beijing skyline. The entry-level King Deluxe runs about 46 sq m — generously sized for a city hotel — and the soft beds and good linens are another thing reviews keep coming back to.
One guest recalls: "The building is stunning before you even walk in. Rooms are spacious, ceilings high, floor-to-ceiling glass with a great city view. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and the pool and gym were better than expected. Staff were warm and easygoing."
Be clear-eyed about location. Conrad Beijing sits in the heart of the CBD / East 3rd Ring in Chaoyang — a district of offices, luxury malls and embassies, not the old town. The nearest metro is Hujialou station (Lines 6 and 10), about a 6-minute walk (~0.5 km), which connects you across the city, and Guomao station (Lines 1/10/14) isn't far either. The big upside of this address: you can walk to Sanlitun, Beijing's most popular eating, drinking and shopping district. It's ideal for business travellers, shoppers, and anyone who wants a night out.
But if your goal is the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, or the old hutong lanes, here's the honest part: the hotel is about 6 kilometres from the historic core, so you'll need the metro or a taxi — there's no walking there like you would from a Wangfujing hotel. That's the main trade-off of choosing a CBD base. You gain business convenience and lifestyle, and you give up walking distance to the historic sights.
Dining is another area guests praise. The headliner is CHAPTER, a "gourmet library" restaurant styled like a grand European reading room, serving creative dishes in a setting that photographs beautifully. There's also Lu Yu, a Cantonese Chinese restaurant named after China's Sage of Tea, and 29 Grill, a steak-and-wine room for meat lovers. To unwind there's a 25-metre indoor pool, a spa, and a gym that reviews rate highly. Guests in Executive rooms also get the 29th-floor lounge with complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails.
A score of 9.4/10 from around 5,791 real reviews is steady and credible thanks to that large base. Guests consistently praise the design, the spacious rooms, the comfortable beds, the pool and spa, and the warm service. The criticisms worth knowing before you book: first, it's far from the old-town sights, so anyone focused on the Forbidden City should budget travel time; second, some reviewers find the atmosphere more business than resort — which is simply the nature of a CBD hotel.
Standard rates begin at around ~¥1,400 (฿7,000) per night, with a typical range of ฿7,000–13,000 depending on season and room type. China's Golden Week (October 1–7) and Chinese New Year are when rates climb and rooms fill fast, so book ahead and take a free-cancellation rate. The honest summary, friend to friend: if you're in Beijing for CBD business, you love shopping in Sanlitun, or you just want to stay in a striking design tower with a 25-metre pool and Conrad-level service, this is excellent value. But if this trip is mostly about the old town, look at the Wangfujing options in our Beijing list first.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ MAD Architects design — striking from the outside in
- ✓ Spacious rooms, 3 m ceilings, floor-to-ceiling city views
- ✓ 25 m indoor pool, spa and a well-rated gym
- ✓ Walk to Sanlitun and Hujialou metro
- ! Far from the Forbidden City and old town (~6 km)
- ! A business-CBD mood rather than a resort feel
- ✓ The honeycomb design tower is a CBD landmark
- ✓ Soft beds, quality linens, large bathrooms
- ✓ CHAPTER / Lu Yu / 29 Grill restaurants in-house
- ✓ 29th-floor Executive lounge — free breakfast, tea, cocktails
- ! Rates spike and rooms fill fast during Chinese holidays
- ! Metro or taxi needed to reach the historic sights
- 💡If this trip is mostly about the Forbidden City and old town · The hotel is in the CBD, about 6 km from the historic core, so you'll rely on the metro or taxis · Fix → see The Peninsula Beijing or Hilton Beijing Wangfujing in our list — you can walk to the Forbidden City from both
- 💡If you want a quiet, resort-style retreat · This sits in the middle of a business district — it's very much a city hotel · Fix → for hutong calm, look at The Orchid Hotel in the Gulou area instead
- 💡If you're travelling during Golden Week or Chinese New Year · Rates surge and rooms sell out fast · Fix → book 1–2 months ahead and take a free-cancellation rate in case plans change