The Minzu Hotel Beijing Minzu Fandian opened in 1954 and is situated in a mixed business-residential neighborhood within walking distance of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Its a great choice for certain kinds of travelers, namely those who prefer to be close to, but not in the midst of, tourist central and who dont mind a few rough edges in exchange for enthusiastic service. The hotels been busy renovating they may be done by the time you read this, so some of those rough edges may have been smoothed out recently, solidifying its four-star rating.