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THE EYE-POPPING Beijing experience begins the moment you touch down. Designed by Sir Norman Foster to resemble a coiling dragon, Beijing International Airport’s Terminal 3 has a floor area of a million square metres and took Rmb21 billion, 50,000 workers and four years to build. Bigger than the combined size of all Heathrow’s terminals, it's just one of the many contemporary flights of fancy across the capital that sprung up prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Factor in the imposing monuments of earlier eras and you’ve got a city built to impress.
Beijing is an immense but neatly arranged metropolis. The ancient city was built on two axes, with concentric ring roads emanating from the Forbidden City. The modern city is largely following suit: the 760-hectare Olympic Green lies directly to the north of the Forbidden City, and a sixth ring road has been completed. It all looks very straightforward on a map, but the traffic is choking, so choose your hotel location carefully and allow plenty of travelling time.
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Arriving at Beijing Capital Airport
Beijing Capital Airport (en.bcia.com.cn) consists of three terminals and six concourses. Most domestic and international flights arrive and depart from Concourses C-E in Terminal 3, except the majority of Hainan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and China Southern Airlines flights which still use Terminal 1 for domestic and Terminal 2 for international flights.
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| Tian An Men/ photo: Vijay Verghese |
From the airport, the quickest (16 minutes) and cheapest (Rmb25) way to reach downtown is via the Airport Express (www.bjsubway.com). The 28km light-rail express line has four stops: Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 of the airport, and two in the city, at Sanyuanqiao (with transfers to metro Line 10) and Dongzhimen (with transfers to metro Lines 2 and 13). Airport-bound trains depart Dongzhimen 6am to10.30pm. City-bound trains depart Terminal 3 from 6.21am-10.51pm and Terminal 2 from 6.35am-11.10pm.
Airport buses run from Xidan, Beijing Railway Station, Gongzhufen, Fangzhuang, Zhongguancun and Wangjing to Terminal 3, with shuttles between the terminals. Personal vehicles and taxis should take the Airport Southern Line exit from the Airport Expressway.
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As you exit the airport, ignore the taxi touts and jump in an authorised cab (the meter starts at Rmb12 and goes up in Rmb2 increments per kilometre after three kilometres) for the 45-minute or so trip downtown. There is virtually no English spoken so make sure to have the hotel address in Chinese characters or, better still, call the hotel and have them direct your driver in Chinese. There is an extra Rmb10 charge for the Airport Expressway toll.
On then with our Beijing guide and a look at some Beijing boutique hotels, budget digs, and business options.
Central Beijing business hotels, boutiques, courtyard inns
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| Historic Raffles Beijing/ photo: Verghese |
Beijing business hotels span all genres and styles. Let’s start with a Beijing grand dame. The present-day Raffles Beijing Hotel on stately Chang’an Avenue close to Tiananmen Square is the capital’s oldest hotel building and something of a Beijing institution. When the Beaux Arts-style building opened in 1917, it boasted the city’s first private baths with flush toilets, and telephones in each room. Despite now being sandwiched between dour wings of the old Beijing Hotel, a US$12 million renovation has revived the nostalgia and romance of its early 20th century heyday, complete with Venetian chandeliers, marble staircases and Persian carpets.
The 171 rooms blend French whimsy and chinoiserie while discreetly integrating modern toys for today’s travel elite, including flat screen TVs in gilt frames, free WiFi and a 24-hour valet for every guest. We particularly like the nine Personality Suites, dedicated to luminaries associated with the hotel – from Deng Xiao Ping to Charles de Gaulle (who forged bilateral diplomatic ties between China and France here in 1964).
Behind the original building, a skylit atrium connects a ’90s tower, which now houses 77 Raffles Inc Executive Rooms, with access to a sleek executive lounge, gym and indoor swimming pool. Signature French restaurant Jaan seats just 40 beneath vaulted arches alongside the original 1926 sprung wooden dance floor. La Vie serves classic high tea on silver tiered stands, while the distinguished Writer’s Bar offers comfy leather armchairs and "Beijing Sling" cocktails – adapted from its Singapore parent’s famous recipe.
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| Grand Hyatt room/ photo: hotel |
Just across the pedestrianised Wangfujing, the Grand Hyatt occupies an enviable location above the popular Oriental Plaza shopping mall, which has a handy basement supermarket. Standard rooms are sleek, if somewhat small, while the higher rooms offer views over the winged rooftops of the Forbidden City. The real show-stopper here is the flamboyant Club Oasis, with a 24-hour gymnasium, massage facilities, solarium and lagoon pool surrounded by stone columns, waterfalls, luxuriant foliage and a synchronised virtual sky. The ever-popular Made in China restaurant serves up some of the best Peking duck in the capital from its wood-fired oven. This is one of the best Beijing business hotels in town. Sitting just off Wangfujing behind a traditional painted gate, the wing-roofed Peninsula Beijing offers emperor-worthy accommodation. Originally opened in 1989, (with a recent US$35 million renovation), the Peninsula may not look as cutting edge as its peers, but offers superior service and classic corporate comforts.
Road warriors will appreciate the directional hints in the guestrooms – push/pull engravings on the shower door, pre-set mood lighting, bedside master switches – making you feel instantly at home in the surrounds. There’s also 42-inch plasma screens, MP3 docks, free Wi-Fi, delicious Davi bath products, a DVD player with complimentary movies in each room, and a luxury shopping arcade including the likes of Harry Winston, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, and Dior. An ESPA features Oriental, Ayurvedic and European wellness treatments for women and men in lush surrounds, while the Peninsula Academy can take you to the National Acrobatics Academy or a Beijing furniture restoration factory in your leisure time. This is among the top Beijing business hotels.
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| The Opposite House/ photo:Verghese |
Next door to the Pen, the 255-room Hilton Beijing Wangfujing is a premium Hilton property. Although part of the Macau Centre, which sits right on the shopping promenade, you enter from the rear of the complex. This gives the hotel an intimate feel, enhanced by a stylish lobby with fireplaces. Hilton plays up the design cachet throughout – especially in flamboyant restaurants Chynna and Vasco’s Macanese – and features a 24-hour gym and business centre, spa and indoor swimming pool. Carefully considered rooms start at 50sq m and come with a large walk-in wardrobe and neatly tucked-away bag rack. The open-plan bathroom features a deep-soak tub, double-jet massage showers and Crabtree & Evelyn products. Other top-level in-room amenities include 42-inch flat screen TV, DVD player, iPod docking station, VGA plug-in cable, pillow menu and even a pet goldfish to keep you company. Executive rooms include fax/printer/copier, on-call concierge team and access to the Executive Lounge with views of the Forbidden City.
China’s prolific budget chain, Motel 168, has nabbed a prime location opposite the Peninsula near Wangfujing. Branded as a Motel 268, the 256-room property offers basic rooms starting from, you guessed it, Rmb268. Double-storey Family Rooms come with two bathrooms and an extra pull-out bed for Rmb538.
Also close to Wangfujing, the Regent exemplifies contemporary urban class. The design by Hirsch Bedner Associates delights with clean lines, glass lifts and pretty splashes of violet, but also integrates ornate traditional carvings from the owner’s sandalwood museum. Café 99 hosts one of Beijing’s best Sunday brunches, or you can tuck into prime steaks on leather club chairs at the Bar & Grill. All 500 rooms come with plasma TV, DVD, floor-to-ceiling windows, coffee press and lemongrass-infused bath products. It is worth, however, paying extra for access to the Executive Club nestled at the top of the hotel – where soaring windows offer dazzling sunset views of the Forbidden City.
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| Baroque Legendale/ photo: Verghese |
Why have a trite souvenir shop in the lobby when you can have a Rolls Royce dealership? If you are not in the market for a Rolls, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati showrooms are parked next door. A Southeast Asian spa, light-bathed gym, and heated swimming pool with "floating" pool tables and bar round out the excellent facilities. The affiliated four-star Park Plaza adjoins the hotel.
Just opposite The Regent, the Legendale hotel is an uncompromisingly baroque, Parisian confection seemingly plucked off the Seine and plonked down in Beijing. It is a breathtaking, if incongruous, edifice. Step inside to marvel at the astonishing faux-Euro flourishes – marble busts, chandeliers, bronze statues, and carpets deep enough to swallow your foot. With a sibling in Macau (the Landmark Hotel), the level of opulence is unsurprising. The 390 rooms circle a central, well-lit atrium, offering plump beds, drapes, ornate bathrooms, a large laptop-size safe, free plug-in Broadband, an iron and ironing board and classic Roman numeral clocks. An ajoining tower offers 79 apartments and a popular Portuguese and Chinese restaurant.
Just past the cathedral on Wangfujing, the almost ageing Crowne Plaza’s freshly renovated look belies its mid-range rates. Its 360 cheery rooms feature fashionable carpeting, small flat-screen TV, and frosted glass bathroom. A soaring lobby is home to the comfortable Atrium Lounge and Champagne Bar.
Past the infamous Donghuamen Food Market and into a quiet neighbourhood behind the Forbidden City, Hotel Kapok wraps its distinctive milky-green latticed frame around a five-storey former government building. Designed by influential local architect Zhu Pei, the 89-room hotel flips the traditional hutong concept on its ear – re-working the system of courtyards and public spaces in the vertical for the modern-day traveller. Glass corridors wrap around a central courtyard leading to the 27 suites and 62 standard rooms, some with private pebble courtyards.
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| DuGe Boutique Hotel/ photo: hotel |
Rooms feature a small flat screen TV, gingko print wallpaper, and a spacious glass bathroom. The Kapok suites are a luxurious 106sq m with an enormous circular soaking tub. Unfortunately the TV doesn’t grow with the room size and you may find yourself straining to watch the screen from the modular chaise lounges. A nice setting to be sure but, unfortunately, Kapok suffers from lacklustre, hands-off management that will see you fending for yourself.
Beijing’s traditional courtyard residences are well suited to being redeveloped as boutique residences. Several enterprising owners have created small inns – though the results tend to be more homely than hip. Hotel Cote Cour SL is a delightful exception among Beijing boutique hotels. This 14-room gem set around a 500-year-old courtyard mixes traditional Chinese charm and contemporary chic. Expect flat screen TVs, free WiFi and a swanky lounge where the chef cooks up whatever is fresh from the market that day. Though not as spacious as the suites, the Deluxe Superior (number 203) is the room to book, with higher ceilings and bustling street views. A second launch hotel by the same folks is in the 798 Art District.
For boutique on a budget, try Guxiang 20 housed along trendy Nanluoguxiang Hutong. Rooms here start from Rmb480, ranging up to Rmb1,399 for its three spacious suites, all of which come with big wooden patios overlooking the hotel’s rooftop tennis court.
Just off Nanluoguxiang, DuGe Courtyard Boutique Hotel is a handsome new addition to the courtyard accommodation scene. The Qing dynasty residence has been remodelled to include10 bedrooms with private en suites, each with its own design theme – such as Silk Road Courtyard and Gold Lotus Room – and featuring original antiques, custom-designed furnishings and contemporary artworks. A small pavilion bar and lime-lacquered Chinese dining room opens onto a sunny courtyard. Beijing’s funkiest shopping boutiques and several cool diners lie on the doorstep too.
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| The Peninsula / photo: Verghese |
Another courtyard charmer is the Red Capital Club Residence, owned and operated by the people behind the Red Capital Club, one of the city’s most endearing dining destinations, which sits two blocks away through ramshackle alleyways. Home to a mere five suites swathed in the Red Capital Club’s commie-chic style, the converted courtyard is hidden in an alleyway near the Swissotel, and makes up in elegance what it lacks in space. A bomb shelter in the central courtyard has been converted into a climb-down wine cellar.
Outside town, is the sibling Red Capital Ranch, offering rustic luxury at the former site of a hunting lodge along a section of the Great Wall dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221BC).
Lu Song Yuan used to be a stop on the backpacker circuit until renovations took things up a notch. The hotel, a series of traditional courtyards, is located in the hutongs near the Drama Academy, and the ancient grey-brick neighbourhood is perfect for wandering. Due to the size of the traditional courtyard residences, the above options don’t feature health clubs or business centres.
Beijing business hotels to the East, hip hotels
If you're in need of a hip and happening hotel in Beijing with all the trimmings, you can’t go past Swire's 99-room small luxury hotel, The Opposite House. Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the emerald cube glass exterior gives way to minimalist, Zen interiors around the central atrium, which look more like a mod art gallery than a hotel. Sunlight filters through a giant gauze drape, creating a kaleidoscope of mood and light as it encounters red glass walls, brushed oak floors and a giant Perspex medicine cabinet in the lobby. This constant interplay of light and colour is just one more element that separates this playful, multi-textured hostelry from stiff-neck cookie-cutter establishments. Where else would you walk into a lift chamber called “The Egg”? Well, boil me up Scottie.
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| Cubist Opposite House/ photo: Verghese |
Equally spaceage, is the absence of a reception desk. Guests are whisked through the check-in procedures by hosts in Jetsons-like uniforms wielding futuristic digital clipboards and cameras, then beamed up in glass lifts to the keycard-protected residence floors. Ninety studios and nine suites feature minimal Zen lines and easy-to-use electricals with a do-all button switching on the lights. Expect heated floors, personalised service, and the soothing golden hues of American oakwood. Deep soaking bathtubs are constructed entirely of wood and the kick-ass sound system is wired all the way through to the rainshower.
The Opposite House lies at the southern end of The Village at Sanlitun, Swire Properties’ colourful new retail and entertainment development, and close to the infamous Sanlitun bars strip. But then, why step outside when it’s always hopping inside, thanks to Northern Asian restaurant Bei, southern European hottie Sureno and sexy lobbyside cocktail lounge, Mesh (see Beijing nightlife for more about these venues). (The Opposite House is showcased in our exclusive Top Asian Hotels Collection, featuring the best Asian hotels, resorts and spas in a printable A4 page with stunning visuals.)
Close by in the Sanlitun area, Hotel G Beijing (no relative of g hotel in Manila and Penang) is another great-looking boutique property. The room categories are simple – Good, Great, Greater and Greatest. Take your pick. The smallest is 45sq m. Further whimsy permits guests to choose their own window "mood" lighting resulting in lively, if unpredictable, bursts of colour across the facade. The 110-room hotel offers sexy ’60s Hollywood-inspired interiors, a burger bar called 25 Degrees, Japanese eatery Morio and an Imaad Rahmouni-designed rooftop restaurant and wine lounge. Reasonable rates include bonus ‘goodies’, like complimentary WiFi, breakfast, local calls and mini-bar.
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| Park Hyatt Beijing view/ photo: hotel |
The lofty Park Hyatt Beijing on the city artery Jianguomen Avenue, spans the 37th to 49th levels of the Yintai Centre, opposite the China World Trade Centre and new CCTV tower, and right above Guomao metro station. The 63rd floor lobby is a stunning entrée, with wraparound views of the sprawling metropolis and hills beyond. The 237 rooms and suites flip traditional room design layout and have guests entering into a limestone-lined open bathroom with massive deep soaking tub, heated floors, separate toilet and rain shower and a walk-in wardrobe. Pass through this spa-like space to the luxe living quarters equipped with hi-tech amenities like plasma TVs, DVD players, Wi-Fi, adjustable mood-lighting, electronic blinds – and more great views. Staff is efficient and welcoming, intuiting guest requirements, ensuring everyone is speedily served.
Splash out at the highest dining room in the city, the China Grill on the 66th floor, a relaxed international eatery under a glass pyramid with prime meat and seafood and cloud-piercing views. China Bar on level 65 is a great place to unwind in style. There is also a two-storey Tian Spa, two gyms, two stunning pools and crisp business facilities. All in all, Park Hyatt is a premier luxury Beijing business hotel choice.
The Grand Millennium Beijing arrived in April 2008, with 521 rooms, a spa, indoor swimming pool, sauna, and butlers on the executive floors. Part of Fortune Plaza, it is close to the new CCTV headquarters and The Place shopping. The adjacent TVCC building, which was to house China’s first Mandarin Oriental was damaged by a fire in January 2009 and the hotel operator has postponed plans to open in the capital.
A cosy choice among top Beijing business hotels, St Regis, is located in the leafy diplomatic quarter smack in the central business district. It has been smartly refurbished and returned with its hallmark classic touches – Chinese quilts, bronze artefacts, gleaming wood cabinets, big-screen TVs with DVD and, of course, butlers. Rooms are spacious, the decor rich and inviting, and the colour tones have been lightened, brightening up the entire feel of the place.
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| St Regis Diplomat Deluxe/ photo: hotel |
Shangri-La manages four Beijing properties, most of which lie within spitting distance in the eastern Chaoyang district. In keeping with Shangri-La’s group-wide initiative launched in January 2009, all hotels now offer free WiFi throughout. A big corporate thumbs-up. The 487-room Kerry Centre hotel forms part of an office, residential and retail complex. Its rooms appear somewhat dated, but sports nuts will appreciate the comprehensive fitness facilities, including indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis and squash courts, a full-size basketball court, and an abundance of weight training and cardiovascular equipment.
Plush Centro is one of Beijing’s hippest lounges with well-mixed cocktails, live music and a glittery clientele. Guests at the Kerry Centre hotel also get substantial discounts at the neighbouring Kerry Mall.
The 716-room China World, a favourite with the government, is about as "Imperial Beijing" as it gets – all lacquered red columns, Ming vase lamps and carved staircases. Things tone down in the guestrooms decorated in comfortable neutrals with Internet access and flat screen TV. Aria is a mod-European restaurant with a fine wine selection and live jazz. The fitness centre features a heated indoor swimming pool and an Oxygen Room, and there’s an extensive shopping mall in the basement. Shangri-La’s four-star Traders Hotel shares China World’s five-star fitness facilities and luxury shopping. Yet another hotel by the brand is slated to be moving into Beijing’s tallest building, the China World Trade Centre Tower III, currently under construction nearby.
There’s another Shangri-La out west, just past the Beijing Zoo. This pleasant garden hotel’s 142-room Valley Wing, is full of top-end delights like the Blu Lobster fine-dining restaurant and a 1,000sq m CHI Spa, dressed in rich, earthy chocolates and ochres, with teak sliding doors and traditional Tibetan artefacts.
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| Sofitel Wanda/ photo: hotel |
Ladies should try the 150-minute “Empress Imperial Jade Journey”, designed especially for CHI Beijing. Based on Empress Cixi’s beauty regimen, the treatment features a lotus milk bath, milk and honey wrap, and pampering jade facial using golden caviar and a customised piece of jade to massage along the meridians.
Back in Chaoyang, Accor’s global Sofitel flagship is quite a surprise. The 417-room Sofitel Wanda Beijing anchors the mammoth Wanda Plaza integrated urban hub. Ignore the unprepossessing exterior and wander into the bright lobby with its huge choice of sitting areas scattered around like so many cosy living rooms. Conjuring French art de vivre with classy chinoiserie flourishes, the brand’s new luxury ambitions are evident in the seductive black and gold furnishings, hand-painted silk wallpaper, free WiFi, 42-inch flat screen TVs and L’Occitane bath products. Suites come with magic bathroom windows that frost-over at the flick of a switch, and toilets have the added delight of a 27-inch TV screen.
Le Pré Lenôtre is the first China outlet of this renowned French institution, while Le Spa features a range of massages, beauty and wellbeing therapies using Lancome products. The Sofitel Wanda is a Beijing business hotel with a difference and with 3,277sq m of meetings space it is no slouch when it comes to organising conferences or small corporate meetings. (Sofitel Wanda Beijing is showcased in our exclusive Top Asian Hotels Collection, featuring the best Asian hotels, resorts and spas in a printable A4 page with stunning visuals.)
Another property that has opted for European-style intimacy over sweeping Forbidden City-esque grandeur is the Ritz Carlton Beijing, just down the road from the Sofitel. In fact, the Ritz Carlton has the smallest five-star lobby in Beijing, a wood-panelled parlour entered through bevelled glass doors that gives it a residential feel. It is classic old-world elegance and top-drawer service all the way at this 305-room stunner decked with chandeliers, sconces, flocked wallpapers and silk armchairs; not forgetting the plasma TVs (in the room and bath) and iPod docks.
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| Shangri-La's Kerry Centre/ photo: hotel |
The Lobby Lounge is a great spot for classic high tea, while Executive Club guests get the run of a delightful lounge straight out of an English country manor, with five food and beverage presentations throughout the day and evening. There’s also a ritzy spa and even a wedding chapel. Cognoscenti in search of Beijing business hotels with style, luxury and understatement can simply plonk down here.
Right next door, the JW Marriott opened by the same owners comes equipped with similar high-end conveniences, along with views over the neighbouring power station from back-facing rooms. The contemporary design is a bit bland, but we do like the Quan Spa, in sophisticated chocolate tones designed to appeal to male corporate guests. Both hotels are part of China Central Place with easy access to the excellent Shin Kong Place shopping centre. Service here is attentive and efficient with ready smiles.
Another Marriott worth noting (there are ten Marriott hotels in the city) is the humongous Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall, which opened in 2008 in a central locale near Beijing Railway Station and the Second Ring Road. The cupola-topped monolith boasts – wait for it – 1,312 rooms, making it the largest Marriott outside the USA. It also has over 4,000sq m of banquet and meeting space, five restaurants and bars, a Quan Spa, gym and swimming pool and a full-service business centre. Courtyard by Marriot Beijing is a mid-range property with easy access to downtown shopping at the New World Centre and nearby Pearl and Silk Markets.
Hilton Beijing is located in the northeast of the city at a convenient entry point to the Third Ring Road. The 15-year-old hotel has a new executive tower with 126 rooms, bringing the total number to 503. Rooms feature ergonomically designed furniture, LCD screens in both the living area and bathrooms and Bose CD players. Five function rooms and the availability of WiFi throughout the entire tower make rooms here a smart choice for business travellers.
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| Ritz-Carlton Executive Suite/ photo: hotel |
Doubletree by Hilton Beijing situated on the Southwest 2nd Ring Road within striking distance of the Financial Street office area, offers contemporary 30sq m rooms and 60sq m one-bedroom suites with 32-inch flat-screen TV, and iron and ironing board. Pin-stripers can avail of cell-phone rentals and a business centre.
Not far away, the 17-year-old Swissotel opposite the Poly Theatre has recently completed a long renovation. TVs are of the boxy variety and the tub resembles a footbath, but other amenities are fresh and comfortable. They also offer free local calls, faxes and Broadband on the executive levels, a Hong Kong International Medical Clinic, Bank of China and post office. This is an old timer that chugs on happily with a useful location for in-town calls or a quick airport getaway.
The Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Centre is quite a mouthful but does offer a decent blend of business and leisure facilities with 526 rooms, a functional Executive Club floor and lounge, seven restaurants including a great little deli in the lobby, a wellness centre, heated rooftop pool and beauty salon. The hotel also prides itself on its ability to manage meetings of various descriptions. Mark it down on your list of Beijing conference hotels.
The Great Wall Sheraton was China’s first international five-star hotel when it opened in 1984 with its signature gleaming reflective glass facade. Years later its location still works to its advantage. The 827 rooms have had a bright and contemporary makeover and feature the obligatory Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed. If it’s meetings you’re after, this is among the more useful Beijing conference hotels with over 1,700sq m of space to play with.
Beijing business hotels to the North
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| Aman at Summer Palace/ photo: hotel |
The Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing opened in September 2008 next door to the Qing dynasty imperial heat retreat in the city’s northwest. In fact, Aman’s pavilion suites are housed in century-old dwellings once used by palace guests awaiting an audience with the Empress Dowager Cixi. The seductive design unfolds like a mini Forbidden City, through a procession of meditative courtyards, willow-studded lakes colourful corridors and pavilions, often adorned with a guzheng player or master calligrapher in action. Rooms in the heritage buildings celebrate ancient Chinese culture in Aman’s contemporary streamlined style and feature king-size four-poster beds, high-tech conveniences, butler service and private grassy courtyards. Although it has just 51 guestrooms, Aman has 357 staff and four restaurants, including The Grill, The Chinese Restaurant and excellent French kaiseki diner, Naoki. The resort also boasts an underground spa, a pool, two squash courts, a gym, Pilates studio, private hairdressing suites and a cinema with reclining sofas. Work, entertain, and play, at a price.
Westin and InterContinental both opened second properties in the city’s north prior to the Olympics. The Westin Beijing Chaoyang offers 550 rooms and suites, and eight restaurants and bars. The top four floors of the hotel hold Westin Executive Club rooms where guests have access to a private lounge with food and complimentary drinks, as well as business services. Business travellers are well catered for with ample meeting facilities and a Meeting Concierge on hand for tech support. There are also plenty of options for relaxation at the Heavenly Spa, which covers the whole of the fourth floor and contains a 25m swimming pool, gym, Jacuzzi and saunas. InterContinental Beijing Beichen features 333 guestrooms and 42 suites including four restaurants and lounges, a Spa Intercontinental, 24-hour gym and Executive level premium services.
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| Pangu 7-Star Suite/ photo: hotel |
Pangu Plaza stretches the length of seven football fields along a perimeter of Beijing’s Olympic Park and is home to a high-rise office tower, shopping mall and a “seven-star hotel”, where Bill Gates, Henry Kissinger and Evander Hollyfield were rumoured to have stayed during the Olympics. The Beijing Pangu 7 Star Hotel offers 234 rooms decorated in European style with Chinese flourishes and precious antiques. Traditional Chinese "courtyards in the sky" come with wooden columns, magnolia trees, a swimming pool and sweeping views of the stadiums and Olympic Green. Dining options include Japanese and French restaurants, 26 Chinese private dining rooms and a top-floor lobby bar, along with a banquet hall and three multifunctional halls. The striking Pangu 7 Star Hotel is almost a mini-destination with developing spa features and an immense ballroom that is expected to rank this address as one of the best Beijing conference hotels around for meetings of all sizes and persuasion. MICE planners take note.
aloft Beijing, Haidian, mixes modern, urban design with hi-tech amenities in a new-age “haute hostel” concept for the budget conscious. Rooms are pared back, but funky and functional, offering a well-edited selection of necessary luxuries. Suffer the paper coffee cup with one-serve tea and coffee bags, soap dispensers in the bathrooms, canteen-style breakfast trays and absence of robe, toothbrush and mini-bar, but delight in free WiFi throughout, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, Bliss bath products, high ceilings, designer flourishes, and of course, the low rates. Refuel at “re:fuel”, a complimentary snack bar that is open all day and night. Other dining options include Nook, “re:mix” or “w xyz”. There’s also a “re:charge” mini gym and indoor lap pool. Aside from the jazzy Four Points by Sheraton hotel opposite, and massive but rather miserable shopping complex down the road, there isn’t much happening in this university area. The hip entry from Starwood is a new concept tested in the virtual world of Second Life. Really. Well, unreally, actually...
Beijing business hotels to the West
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| aloft by Starwood/ photo: hotel |
Skipping across town (easier said than done) to Financial Street: a modern district along the western section of the Second Ring Road lined with over 300 financial institutions and several impressive hotels.
Top of the pops is the Ritz Carlton Financial Street, a sparkling modern complement to the aforementioned Chaoyang property. Clean lines, sensual Sino design and cosy dimensions have won this 245-room hotel a slew of industry awards. Be sure to visit the moody pool with moulded marble Jacuzzi beds and a movie screen, as well as signature restaurant Cepe, one of the capital’s best mod Italians. For a spot of glitzy Beijing shopping just head next door to the giant Lane Crawford, Dior and Louis Vuitton.
InterContinental Financial Street is extremely comfortable and corporate, though not quite as impressive as its newer neighbours. Its X-Change bar is a chilled spot for drinks and live music, while Steak Exchange serves mammoth cuts of Australian beef and oversized desserts straight out of Alice in Wonderland. I-Spa pampers with organic Jurlique products.
Westin Financial Street is a massive twin-tower complex around a contemporary Zen garden housing 486 rooms and no less than seven restaurants (Senses does a big Sunday brunch). As per the brand’s holistic approach, there’s a 2,094sq m Heavenly Spa, a 24-hour gym, heated pool with underwater music, nightly unwind rituals, bath butler and running concierge. The building complex additionally houses 205 residences and one of the largest ballrooms in town at 890sq m. The total meeting space at the Westin Financial Street is over 1,686sq m in various combinations, making this a solid choice among Beijing conference hotels.
That’s the long and short of Beijing business hotels, budget finds, and Beijing conference hotel options. Take your pick. Remember to have everything written down in Chinese and pick your location wisely to beat the traffic jams.
A quick Look at Beijing shopping and fun stuff
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| Westin Financial Street/ photo: hotel |
Beijing shopping is rife with deals if you know where to look. Bargain hungry shoppers can haggle to their hearts desire at the Silk Market (corner of Jianguomenwai Dajie and Dongdaqiao Lu) where over 1,700 stalls sell clothes accessories, trinkets and pearls, and the excellent antique market at Panjiayuan (Panjiayuan Qiao, Chaoyang District), which attracts 10,000 vendors and up to 70,000 visitors on a busy day.
Dashilan, with its look of genuine antiquity, is back after a long renovation with a host of restaurants and traditional shops. Look out for Qianmen Street, which showcases several of Beijing’s “time-honoured brands”.
The usual designer brand shopping is everywhere in hotel shopping arcades and larger malls. Expect everything from Dior and Louis Vuitton to BVLGARI, and an eye-catching Shanghai Tang (at the Grand Hyatt). For more unique finds, check out the boutiques along Nanguoluxiang Hutong (Xicheng District). Grifted at number 32 and Plastered at number 61 sell funky Beijing-inspired gear by locally based graphic designers.
Delve into the contemporary Chinese art scene at 798 Art District (Dashanzi, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District). The 798 Warehouse, and international heavyweights Ullens Center For Contemporary Art and Faurschou Gallery, are especially recommended.
For more eye-popping stuff and sightseeing, Beijing’s latest architectural icons need to be seen to be believed. Start at the Olympic Green in the city’s north where the pale blue, bubble wrapped " Watercube" National Aquatics Centre sits calmly beside the strapping steel " Bird’s Nest" National Stadium built by Herzog and de Meuron. Head towards Tiananmen Square to the futuristic translucent dome of French architect Paul Andreu’s National Grand Theatre. Finally, on the East Third Ring Road don’t miss the astounding new CCTV headquarters designed by OMA, whose two 40-storey, 60-degree-leaning towers twist to connect at the bottom and top.
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| InterContinental Financial St/ photo: hotel |
Room rates may be subject to a 15 percent service charge unless stated otherwise. Several hotels offer promotional rates especially during slow winter months. The exchange rate is currently around US$1=Rmb6.83. Generally, only major hotels accept (or charge) American dollars. Credit cards are not generally accepted outside of major hotels. Pick up a copy of free listings magazine Time Out (www.timeout.com/cn/en/beijing) or The Beijinger (www.thebeijinger.com) found at many hotels and restaurants for the latest goings on.
Beijing business hotels and boutique stays
aloft Beijing, Haidian. Tower 2, 25 Yuanda Road, Haidian District. Tel: [86-10] 8846-2798, (e-mail: bejing.aloft@alofthotels.com or www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels). Rates from Rmb550. Free WiFi.
Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing. 15 Gongmenqian Street, Summer Palace. Tel: [86-10] 5987-9999, fax: 5987-9900, (e-mail: amanatsummerpalace@amanresorts.com or www.amanresorts.com). Rooms from US$550, suites from US$850.
Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall. 7 Jianguomen Nanlu, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 5811-8888, fax: 5811-9999, (www.marriott.com). Rates from Rmb1,200.
China World Hotel. 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 6505-2266, fax: 6505-0828, (e-mail: cwh@shangri-la.com or www.shangri-la.com/en/property/beijing/chinaworld). Rates from Rmb2,200. Free WiFi.
Cote Cour SL. 70 Yanyue Hutong, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 6512-8020, fax: 6512-7295, (e-mail: reserve@hotelcotecoursl.com or www.hotelcotecoursl.com). Rates from Rmb1,295. Free WiFi.
Crowne Plaza Beijing. 48 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 5911-9999, (www.ichotelsgroup.com). Rates from Rmb880. Wi-Fi Rmb92 per day.
Doubletree by Hilton Beijing. 168 Guan An Men Wai Avenue. Tel: [86-10] 6338-1888, fax: 6338-1800, (doubletree1.hilton.com). Rates from Rmb672.
DuGe Courtyard Boutique Hotel. Qianyuanensi Hutong No 26, Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-13] 81190-3373, fax: [86-10] 6406-0628, (e-mail: dugecourtyard@dugecourtyard.com or www.dugecourtyard.com).
Grand Hyatt. 1 Dong Chang’an Jie, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 8518-1234, fax: 8518-0000, (e-mail: grandhyattbeijing@hyattintl.com or beijing.grand.hyatt.com). Rates from Rmb1,700. Wi-Fi Rmb120 per day.
Grand Millennium Beijing. 7 DongSanHuan Middle Road, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 8587-6888, fax: 8587-6999, (e-mail: sales@millenniumhotels.com or www.mellenniumhotels.com). Rates from Rmb1,105.
Great Wall Sheraton. 10 Dong Sanhuan Beilu. Tel: [86-10] 6590-5566, fax: 6590-5878, (www.sheraton.com/beijing). Rates from Rmb680.
Guxiang 20. 20 South Louguxiang, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 6400-5566, fax: 6400-3658, (www.guxiang20.com). Rates from 480. WiFi free.
Hilton. 1 Dongfang, Dong Sanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 5865-5000, fax: 5865-5800, (e-mail: beijing@hilton.com or www.beijing.hilton.com). Rates from Rmb1,350. WiFi Rmb120 per day.
Hilton Beijing Wanfujing. 8 Wangfujing Donglu, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 5812-8888, fax: 5812-8886, (e-mail: wangfujing@hilton.com or www.hilton.com). Rates from Rmb1,600.
Hotel G Beijing. 7 Worker's Stadium West Road, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 6552-3600, fax: 6652-3606, (e-mail: info@hotel-G.com or www.hotel-G.com). Rates from Rmb1,088.
InterContinental Financial Street. 11 Financial Street, Xicheng District. Tel: [86-10] 5852-5888, fax: 5852-5999, (e-mail: reservations.fsbj@interconti.com or www.intercontinental.com). Rates from Rmb1,120. WiFi free.
JW Marriott Hotel Beijing. 83 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 5908-6688, (www.marriott.com). Rates from Rmb1,790. WiFi Rmb120 per day.
Kapok Hotel. 16 Donghuamen Da Jie, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 6525-9988, (e-mail: stay@kapokhotelbeijing.com or www.kapokhotelbeijing.com). Rates from Rmb825. Free WiFi.
Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center. 50 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 6465-3388, fax: 6465-1202, (e-mail: reservations.beijing@kempinski.com or www.kempinski-beijing.com). Rates from Rmb832.
Kerry Centre Hotel. 1 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 6561-8833, fax: 6561-2626, (e-mail: HBKC@shangri-la.com or www.shangri-la.com). Rates from Rmb1,500. Free Wi-Fi.
Legendale Hotel Beijing. 90-92 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 8511-3388, fax: 8511-5566, (e-mail: sm@legendalehotel.com or www.legendalehotel.com). Rates from Rmb1,700.
Lu Song Yuan. No. 22 Banchang Hutong, Kuanjie. Tel: [86-10] 6404-0436, fax: 6403-0418, (e-mail: webmaster@the-silk-road.com or www.the-silk-road.com/hotel/lusongyuanhotel/index/html). Rates from Rmb670.
Marriott Beijing West. Tel: [86-10] 6872-6699, fax: 6872-7302, (e-mail: bc@bjmarriott.com or www.marriott.com/BJSMC). Rates from Rmb950.
Motel 268. 19 Jinyu Hutong, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 5167-1666. Rates from Rmb268.
New World Courtyard. Tel: [86-10] 6708-1188, fax: 6708-1808, (e-mail: nwbc@bjcourtyard.com or www.courtyard.com/BJSCY). Rates from Rmb479.
Novotel Peace, Beijing. Tel: [86-10] 6512-8833, fax: 6512-6863, (e-mail: novotel@novotelpeacebj.com or www.accorhotels.com/asia). Rates from Rmb638.
Pangu 7 Star Hotel Beijing. Tel: [86-10] 5906-7777, fax: 5906-7888, (e-mail: info@panguhotel.comor or www.panguhotel.com). Rates from Rmb3,500.
Park Hyatt Beijing. Beijing Yintai Centre, 2 Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 8567-1234, fax: 8567-1000, (e-mail: beijing.park@hyatt.com or beijing.park.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp). Rates from Rmb1,600.
Park Plaza. 97 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 8522-1999. Rates from Rmb800. Free Wi-Fi.
Raffles Beijing Hotel. 33 Dongchang’an Jie, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 6526-3388, fax: 6527-3838, (e-mail: beijing@raffles.com or beijing.raffles.com). Rates from Rmb1,588. Free WiFi .
Renaissance Beijing Hotel. Tel: [86-10] 6468-9999, fax: 6468-9913, (e-mail: ren@renaissancebj.com or www.renaissancehotels.com). Rates from Rmb800.
Red Capital Club Residence. 9 Dongsi Liutiao. Red Capital Ranch No. 28 Xiaguandi Village, Yanxi Township, Huairou District. Tel: [86-10] 8401-8886, fax: 8403-5303, (www.redcapitalclub.com.cn).
Shangri-La Hotel. 29 Zizhuyuan Lu, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 6841-2211, fax: 6841-8002, (e-mail: slb@shangri-la.com or www.shangri-la.com). Rates from Rmb1,200. Free WiFi.
Sofitel Wanda Beijing. 93 Jianguo Lu, Tower C, Wanda Plaza, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 8599-6666, fax: 8599-6686, (e-mail: reservations@sofitelwandabj.com or www.sofitel-asia.com/6215/detail/default.aspx). Rates from Rmb1,350. Free WiFi.
St. Regis Beijing. 21 Jianguomenwai Dajie. Tel: [86-10] 6460-6688, fax: 6460-3299, (www.stregis.com/beijing). Rates from Rmb1,520.
Swissotel Beijing. 2 Chaoyangmen Bei Dajie. Tel: [86-10] 6553 2288, (e-mail: reservations.beijing@swissotel.com or www.swissotel.com or www.beijing.swissotel.com). Rates from Rmb913. WiFi Rmb94 per day.
The Opposite House. Tel: [86-10] 6417-6688, fax: 6417-7799, (e-mail: answers@theoppositehouse.com or www.theoppositehouse.com). Rates from Rmb2,300. Free WiFi.
The Peninsula Beijing. 8 Jinyu Hutong, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 8516-2888, fax: 6510-6311, (e-mail: pbj@peninsula.com or beijing.peninsula.com). Rates from Rmb1,800. Free WiFi.
The Regent Beijing. 99 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng District. Tel: [86-10] 8522-1888, (e-mail: reservation.beijing@regenthotels.com or www.regenthotels.com/ribjn). Rates from Rmb1,200.
The Ritz-Carlton Beijing. 83A Jian Guo Road, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 5908-8888, fax: 5908-8899, (www.ritzcarlton.com). Rates from Rmb1,890.
The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street. 1 Jin Cheng Fang Street East, Financial Street, Xicheng District. Tel: [86-10] 6601-6666, fax: 6601-6029, (e-mail: beijingfinancialstreetinquiries@ritzcarlton.com or www.ritzcarlton.com). Rates from Rmb1,380. WiFi Rmb120 per day.
Traders Hotel. 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District. Tel: [86-10] 6505-2277, fax: 6505-0838/0818, (e-mail: thb@shangri-la.com or www.shangri-la.com). Rates from Rmb1,170. Free WiFi.
Westin Beijing Chaoyang. Tel: [86-10] 5922-8888, fax: 5922-8999, (e-mail: westin.chaoyang@westin.com or www.starwoodhotels.com). Rates from Rmb1,650.
Westin Beijing Financial Street. 9B Financial Street, Xicheng District. Tel: [86-10] 6606-8866, (e-mail: beijing@westin.com or www.westin.com/beijingfinancial). Rates from Rmb1,400.
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