Latest reviews for Hotels & Travel in Beijing, China

Hotel Kapok - Understated Luxury Next to the Forbidden City by Litro_K

Litro_K — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:55:03 +0000

Review by Litro_K

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 86-10-6525-9988

I was booked into this boutique hotel by a work colleague of mine who had stayed there before. He raved about it. So I asked for the works - a hotel car to pick me up from the airport and a nice garden courtyard room. It's my last stop in China, I thought. Why not?

Well, I got to the airport and there was no sign of my ride. I rang the hotel and went through a succession of receptionists, each with slightly better English than the last, only to be told that the driver was on his way and I should wait there.

I rang again in 20 minutes and had to once again speak to several different English-speakers before I spoke to the same receptionist as before. She assured me it wouldn't be much longer.

40 minutes later, I rang again, exasperated, and told them I was fed up of waiting and was frankly not impressed. I got in an ordinary cab which was faster and much cheaper than the 400 RMB the hotel had quoted me. Where's the understated luxury, I hear you cry?

As soon as I arrived at the hotel, my travel-weary cares melted away. The building is a beautiful green slab of light-filled coolness on a leafy street. I was welcomed by name when I checked in and the receptionist apologised profusely for the lack of transportation. As a gesture, she said, I had been upgraded to a suite for the duration of my stay. Ah, such sweet words!

As I followed the bellboy to my room, I tried hard to disguise my excitement with cool indifference. 'Yeah, I get upgraded all the time' is what I was going for. We got to the door and the first thing I saw was a walk-in wardrobe/dressing room, then acres of mahogany wood floors. Then I saw a huge corner sofa, floor-to-ceiling windows, a desk, and a glass-encased bathroom with the hugest circular spa bath I have ever seen. Probably bigger than the bed. There was fresh juice, fruit and a platter of biscuits on my table. The whole room was bigger than my last flat. 'Is your room all right?' He asked. 'Sure,' I said, and tipped him. As soon as the door closed, I was dancing across the room and had to restrain myself from jumping on the bed.

In a nutshell then: I slept well every night, breakfast was great, staff were friendly and helpful, the room was always immaculate when the maids had been, and the location was spectacular, right next to the gate to the Forbidden City. I probably shouldn't give 5 stars because of the initial transfer problem. But they really more than made up for it and completely turned my opinion around, which is fantastic customer service in my book. I really couldn't have asked for more and I would recommend it in a heartbeat.
I was booked into this boutique hotel by a work colleague of mine who had stayed there before. He raved about it. So I asked for the works - a hotel car to pick me up from the airport and a nice garden courtyard room. It's my last stop in China, I thought. Why not?

Well, I got to the airport and there was no sign of my ride. I rang the hotel and went through a succession of receptionists, each with slightly better English than the last, only to be told that the driver was on his way and I should wait there.

I rang again in 20 minutes and had to once again speak to several different English-speakers before I spoke to the same receptionist as before. She assured me it wouldn't be much longer.

40 minutes later, I rang again, exasperated, and told them I was fed up of waiting and was frankly not impressed. I got in an ordinary cab which was faster and much cheaper than the 400 RMB the hotel had quoted me. Where's the understated luxury, I hear you cry?

As soon as I arrived at the hotel, my travel-weary cares melted away. The building is a beautiful green slab of light-filled coolness on a leafy street. I was welcomed by name when I checked in and the receptionist apologised profusely for the lack of transportation. As a gesture, she said, I had been upgraded to a suite for the duration of my stay. Ah, such sweet words!

As I followed the bellboy to my room, I tried hard to disguise my excitement with cool indifference. 'Yeah, I get upgraded all the time' is what I was going for. We got to the door and the first thing I saw was a walk-in wardrobe/dressing room, then acres of mahogany wood floors. Then I saw a huge corner sofa, floor-to-ceiling windows, a desk, and a glass-encased bathroom with the hugest circular spa bath I have ever seen. Probably bigger than the bed. There was fresh juice, fruit and a platter of biscuits on my table. The whole room was bigger than my last flat. 'Is your room all right?' He asked. 'Sure,' I said, and tipped him. As soon as the door closed, I was dancing across the room and had to restrain myself from jumping on the bed.

In a nutshell then: I slept well every night, breakfast was great, staff were friendly and helpful, the room was always immaculate when the maids had been, and the location was spectacular, right next to the gate to the Forbidden City. I probably shouldn't give 5 stars because of the initial transfer problem. But they really more than made up for it and completely turned my opinion around, which is fantastic customer service in my book. I really couldn't have asked for more and I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Shanghai Hilton Hotel - Shanghai Hilton Hotel : Staff Aided with Medical by sfharper

sfharper — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:52:42 +0000

Review by sfharper

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 01186216248000

Website: http://www.hilton.com

Tags: delicatessen, massage, healthy food

We liked our room in the Shanghai Hilton. Although we were on the 37th floor, I adjusted. I donâ¬"t really like heights due to agoraphobia, I was comfortable enough to look out every night and watch the changing light show over the city. Many of the buildings in Shanghai light up in various colored lights. The highway below is a steady necklace of the moving diamonds and rubies of personal vehicles.

The rooms were quite cozy, a soft chair, a desk chair, one large king-sized beds with cotton sheets and comforter. We were issued medium 12 ounce water bottle daily. We also had a little bit of difficulty getting the staff to stock the bar with gin. Eventually my husband asked to have the staff bring him someâ¬they brought one one-shot bottle. So he sent them back for another. Our baggage was delivered quickly.

The hotel staff was very well-trained. They helped me and my husband find medical treatment. Most of our meals at the Atrium were okay, except for the first night when we ordered steaks and the kitchen messed up the order and the cooking instructions. The next morning the breakfast crew was unfriendly, never bringing coffee, tea or orange juice. Eventually, the shift changed and we got better service. Right next to the Atrium, thereâ¬"s a candy shop that is hard to resist.

The hotelâ¬"s location is one block from their subway system and we managed to get around town without much difficulty. The hardest part was figuring out how much a ticket cost and how to pay for it. When we figured that part out, putting the cost on a VISA, everything went easily. Itâ¬"s also across the street from an older Temple and underground shopping center. A pedestrian skybridge made any direction free from interference from the substantial traffic.

The swimming pool and workout gym where provided for hotel guest at an additional charge.
We liked our room in the Shanghai Hilton. Although we were on the 37th floor, I adjusted. I donâ¬"t really like heights due to agoraphobia, I was comfortable enough to look out every night and watch the changing light show over the city. Many of the buildings in Shanghai light up in various colored lights. The highway below is a steady necklace of the moving diamonds and rubies of personal vehicles.

The rooms were quite cozy, a soft chair, a desk chair, one large king-sized beds with cotton sheets and comforter. We were issued medium 12 ounce water bottle daily. We also had a little bit of difficulty getting the staff to stock the bar with gin. Eventually my husband asked to have the staff bring him someâ¬they brought one one-shot bottle. So he sent them back for another. Our baggage was delivered quickly.

The hotel staff was very well-trained. They helped me and my husband find medical treatment. Most of our meals at the Atrium were okay, except for the first night when we ordered steaks and the kitchen messed up the order and the cooking instructions. The next morning the breakfast crew was unfriendly, never bringing coffee, tea or orange juice. Eventually, the shift changed and we got better service. Right next to the Atrium, thereâ¬"s a candy shop that is hard to resist.

The hotelâ¬"s location is one block from their subway system and we managed to get around town without much difficulty. The hardest part was figuring out how much a ticket cost and how to pay for it. When we figured that part out, putting the cost on a VISA, everything went easily. Itâ¬"s also across the street from an older Temple and underground shopping center. A pedestrian skybridge made any direction free from interference from the substantial traffic.

The swimming pool and workout gym where provided for hotel guest at an additional charge.

Crowne Plaza Beijing - Crowne Plaza Beijin, A Welcome Respite by sfharper

sfharper — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:22:13 +0000

Review by sfharper

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 011861059119999

Website: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com

Tags: delicatessen, massage, helpful staff

This hotel was a welcome respite after the long flight from Seattle to Hong Kong to Beijing. We were picked up at the airport by an AHI representative and driven to the hotelâ¬"s door front. Baggage help was available and our luggage delivered to our room quite quickly.

Our room overlooked the city. The hotel sits on a relatively quiet street about two blocks from the Golden road shopping area. The gardens are decorated really nice and a string of red Chinese lanterns hangs between street lamps up and down the road. You feel like youâ¬"re in China.

Our bedroom was really comfortable, with cotton sheets and a cotton comforter and a king-sized bed. Television was available but we never tried to use it. The hotel served one 8 ounce water bottle daily, not nearly enough when youâ¬"re dehydrated from using travel. They suggested using the teapot to heat water. I tried. Donâ¬"t. The water tastes like a chemical brew. I donâ¬"t know what heavy metals I ingested, but I can truthfully say not many since I couldnâ¬"t get down more than half a cup of tea.

The shower was quite comfortable and the shampoo and conditioner smelled nice. Most of the bathroom was covered in marble and had a spacious counter.

The swimming pool was a real treat. We used it by ourselves since no one else was around. The swimming pool is staffed and made sure you removed your shoes and provided refreshments along with other help. The workout equipment was pretty sparse.
This hotel was a welcome respite after the long flight from Seattle to Hong Kong to Beijing. We were picked up at the airport by an AHI representative and driven to the hotelâ¬"s door front. Baggage help was available and our luggage delivered to our room quite quickly.

Our room overlooked the city. The hotel sits on a relatively quiet street about two blocks from the Golden road shopping area. The gardens are decorated really nice and a string of red Chinese lanterns hangs between street lamps up and down the road. You feel like youâ¬"re in China.

Our bedroom was really comfortable, with cotton sheets and a cotton comforter and a king-sized bed. Television was available but we never tried to use it. The hotel served one 8 ounce water bottle daily, not nearly enough when youâ¬"re dehydrated from using travel. They suggested using the teapot to heat water. I tried. Donâ¬"t. The water tastes like a chemical brew. I donâ¬"t know what heavy metals I ingested, but I can truthfully say not many since I couldnâ¬"t get down more than half a cup of tea.

The shower was quite comfortable and the shampoo and conditioner smelled nice. Most of the bathroom was covered in marble and had a spacious counter.

The swimming pool was a real treat. We used it by ourselves since no one else was around. The swimming pool is staffed and made sure you removed your shoes and provided refreshments along with other help. The workout equipment was pretty sparse.