Former City Hotel Site to Re-Open as Chao on July 11

A landmark Beijing hotel will re-open this month after years of renovation. No, not The Peninsula Beijing. Instead, the former City Hotel will become Chao Hotel and Clubhouse, set to accept its first guests on July 11.

"Slated to open in the summer of 2016, the property will feature a 180-room hotel, a 3000-square-meter, members-only clubhouse, a 2000-square-meter art center and 40 serviced apartments," Chao's Facebook page says.

RELATED: Intercontinental Beijing Sanlitun Set to Open September 1

Although never a paragon of luxury, City Hotel was a Beijing landmark, one of the few locations that all taxi drivers seemed to know, and one guaranteed to put you right outside at The Den at any time of night.

Visiting the hotel's booking page reveals that the first guests will be welcomed on July 11, for a room rate of RMB 2,218.

Chao Hotel will beat the Intercontinental Beijing Sanlitun to opening by almost two months, as the Sanlitun upscale hotel market, dominated by The Opposite House since 2008, heats up. All three offer accommodation in the RMB 2,000 per night range.

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Photos: Chao Hotel and Clubhouse