Reference points: Travel guides for the Olympics

By Associated Press

July 20, 2008

Mobil Travel Guide Beijing ($17.95), Zagat Beijing Survey ($15.95)

The coming Olympic games in Beijing bring a slew of new guides to China, including two from Mobil and Zagat. Mobil has been rating hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958, but this is the company's first guide to a city overseas. It lists must-sees, nightspots, places to stay and eateries. None of Beijing's hotels received a five-star rating from Mobil; four received four-star ratings: the Grand Hyatt, the Peninsula, the St. Regis and the Shangri-La. A "best of the city" section in the front of the guidebook recommends, Peking duck at Li Qun or Dadong Roast Duck restaurants, shopping for original works of art at 798 Art District, martinis at Centro in the Kerry Centre Hotel, and a stroll through the Imperial Garden in the Forbidden City. The Zagat Beijing Survey ($15.95), from the company best-known for restaurant guides based on reviews by diners, includes dining, hotels, attractions, shopping and nightlife in the city.