Have you ever entered the lobby of a hotel and the first thought that went through your head was "Where am I and what have they done to the hotel that I'm supposed to be at?" That was my first reaction to the liveried bellmen, and 5 or so story-high marble, crystal and gold decorated lobby. I wouldn't have ever chosen to stay at a hotel like this, but since I wasn't paying for it, I decided to kick back and enjoy.

We were conveniently pre-registered and picked up rooms keys quickly and headed for the elevators.

From a size perspective, the rooms were not overly large. By the end of the week, my roommate and I would have to be very careful not to trip over our suitcases and purchases. The two full-size beds were blissfully comfortable, complete with down-filled comforters and pillows.

The large marble bathroom held two sinks, a large soaking tub, shower stall and toilet with a separate door. It was thoughtfully stocked with a variety of typical items, such as shampoo, shower gel, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste. No bottled water was provided: we were told that the hotel filtered all water. I didn't drink the water, but I did brush my teeth with it and suffered no ill-effects. There was a hairdryer. We were able to have an iron and ironing board brought to the room.

Having run out of clean clothes, I decided to use the hotel's laundry service. Yikes! I should have paid more attention to the price. It cost about $50 to wash, dry, press and fold/hang a small load of laundry. However, I didn't see any launderettes on the street and the clothes were too heavy to wash in the sink or tub.

Would I stay at the Palace if I were paying for it on my own? Well, since I had an extra night to spend in Beijing I decided to check into the cost. The hotel extended the group rate of $150/night to me, but I decided to pass and found less expensive accommodation closer to the Temple of Heaven, which was my destination for my last day in China. It was a beautiful place to stay, but you have to judge for yourself whether the "standard" rates are worth it to you.