Located in the city center's flourishing Wangfujing shopping district, the Novotel Peace Hotel provides solid four-star service, though you'll want to make sure you get one of the recently remodeled rooms, preferably one with windows. Only 15 minutes by foot to the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square and a 15-minute drive to the Beijing Railway Station, the hotel has gained excellent, fast and cheap access to much of the outlying city since the Line 5 Dengshikou Metro Station opens. Known for cleanliness and efficiency, the hotel itself is nothing to write home about (the lobby is quite impressive, however), but it provides an excellent base for exploring the city. The breakfast buffet gets good marks, though you'll want to get in on the action early, and the hotel includes two quite decent Western restaurants. Le Cabernet serves standard French bistro fare and features a good and affordable wine list, while The Square is good for a decently priced and prepared range of international dishes.