Hotels.com City Guide looks at Beijing, a city that has been catapulted onto the 2008 destination hotlist as it prepares for the Olympics this summer

Where to stay

New hotels

JW Marriott (five-star)
Water therapies and Eastern massages
From £129 per room per night
Opened at the very end of 2007, the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing is located close to attractions such as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the National Museum of China.

The hotel boasts a stunning indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness centre, while the luxurious Quan Spa offers Eastern massage beauty treatments and water therapies such as Vichy and Drench showers.

The hotel also has a fantastic steakhouse restaurant where guests can enjoy a traditional rotisserie grill and a bar that displays the fish catch of the day. Most of the spacious guest rooms feature 42-inch flat-screen televisions. To book go to www.hotels.co.uk or call 0871 200 0171.

The Ritz Carlton Hotel Beijing, Downtown (five-star)
Shopping, eating and wine tasting
From £144 per room per night
Opened in December 2007, The Ritz Carlton Beijing Downtown is located next to the famed Chang An Avenue (which boasts an array of the city's finest shops and restaurants).

The hotel's Italian restaurant features a wine-tasting room and a semi-open kitchen where diners can view the chefs in action. There is also nightly live entertainment and a 700-square-metre ballroom for parties. Many of the guest rooms have city views and all feature the hotel's iconic bedding and turndown services. To book go to www.hotels.co.uk or call 0871 200 0171.

Quirky hotels

Purple Jade Laguna Hotel Beijing (three-star)
Go back to nature
From £77 per room per night
In the Chaoyang District of Beijing, Purple Jade Laguna is an ecologically friendly hotel away from the noise of the city. Surrounded by dense forest that is home to more than 16,000 plants and 100 bird species, this hotel is an idyllic spot to get back to nature and escape the bustle of city life.

The hotel has two lakes and a huge garden where animals, such as black swans and spotted deer, roam free.

There is traditional Cantonese cuisine on offer at the Jade Lake Chinese restaurant or western specialties at the Oasis Western restaurant. After dinner, guests can sip a cocktail or two while enjoying stunning forest views from the Sky Lounge. To book go to www.hotels.co.uk or call 0871 200 0171.

King Wing Hot Spring International Hotel (three-star)
A natural hot spring haven
From £50 per room per night
The King Wing Hot Spring International Hotel is located in the commercial Chongwen sector of Beijing, just a short walk from the Auction Market.

For spa lovers, this hotel is a gem as it stands above a natural hot spring which is channelled into the hotel, for the very purest spa experience. As well as a spa tub, sauna and steam room, there is also an array of treatments in the individually designed Moroccan, Mediterranean and Chinese-inspired treatment rooms.

Other highlights include an expansive Shanghai-style restaurant, a traditional Chinese teahouse, a karaoke lounge and a 24-hour fitness centre complete with an indoor pool. To book go to www.hotels.co.uk or call 0871 200 0171.

Deals

Stay two nights and save 10 per cent at the two-star Beijing Dong Jiao Min Xiang. Within walking distance of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the hotel features a sauna, restaurant and coffee shop. From £47 per room per night with www.hotels.co.uk or call 0871 200 0171.

Top tips

You can't go to Beijing without visiting the Great Wall. However, to escape the hoardes of other tourists you should head to Mutianyu, just a short drive from the city centre and home to one of the best sections of the wall.

For those who don't feel like walking, you can take a chair lift up and toboggan down. A top tip is to make sure to bring water with you or you will be charged 500 times the regular price when you get there!

Visit the Hutongs for a true Beijing experience

Enjoy the sites and sounds of a traditional Beijing neighbourhood or Hutong, before they are all demolished in favour of high rise apartments.

The architecture is amazing and the glimpses you get into local Beijing culture are priceless. Some great antique bargains are also to be found in the many flea markets.