Hotels in Beijing, China

A bit of mixed feelings about their service levels. On the one hand, they rendered services that were totally unexpected (such as acknowledging my birthday with a 6” cake and b-day card). But on the other hand, they completely flopped on simple expectations. On our booking, we had requested for a room on the highest floor available/possible. We were placed on the 3rd floor (the lowest possible). This aside, we inquired about the closest metro/subway station and were given directions that required us to walk approximately 10 minutes (around the block), whereas, we could have walked out their side door that would have cut the time to about a 3 minute walk. We had to discover this route on our own. Why was this not told to us? Overall, hotel is clean and quiet (although on 3rd floor, street noise was non-existent). But service is questionable!

Immediately upon arrival at the Grand Millennium Beijing, you will be treated--and feel--like royalty. I have stayed in some nice places before, both in the States and abroad, and this hotel is among the best. The staff at the hotel in Beijing are pros at making the customer feel welcome and going above and beyond to ensure everything is as perfect as possible. The rooms (my fellow travelers and I were in "executive club" rooms) were spotless and the bathroom had both a tub and shower (separate). The desk (free wireless in room) also contained power converters, and the TV and (free) mini-bar area were nice as well. There is an in-room safe, free slippers, robes, and information on laundry as well. The bed was very large and comfortable, and there was a nice couch/lounger as well. The views of the city from the large windows in the bathroom and bedroom were superb. Particular staff members who were helpful included Abbie and Mark in the executive lounge, and Sam (concierge/baggage). A complaint is that every transaction seemed to take a long time, compared to the US. Although there was not much of a language barrier, it took nearly 45 minutes to check out on our final day (we actually stayed at the hotel on two separate occasions during our week-long trip to China) since I was playing cash for several rooms and trying to sort out expenses charged to the room. It was not entirely their fault, but considering they knew we had a car reserved (via the hotel) for our trip to the airport, it should have taken 15 minutes... A small quibble to be sure. Another one is that there is no free wireless in the lobby, which was ridiculous as there is a lobby lounge with tons of seating. It was fairly inconvenient for me while waiting for my party to arrive. But otherwise, a painless stay at a wonderful hotel.

My family of 8 adults and 5 kids stayed in 2, two-bedroom apartments here, mid-February. Great location and so nice to have kitchen, dining and living room areas. A warning that the 2BR suites have 1 large master with a King bed and a smaller bedroom with queen bed only (not 2 king beds). The apartment was quite spacious and nice that each room had a separate thermostat and bathroom. The furnishings are worn, and the apartments could use a good spring cleaning (ie. dusty curtains), but adequate for the great price and location. Oh, and free wired internet in the rooms was great and not at all slow as previously reviewed. I brought a router and just plugged it in! Forbidden city is about 15-20 min walking (not too far if you're used to walking), and the DongHuaMen night market, just down the street (turn left out of the hotel)- they start to set up around 4pm. There is a small supermarket just around the corner of the hotel (turn left) where we stocked up on snacks, water and juice. As I'm wary of Chinese milk, we bought some at the Ole supermarket (French) in the basement of the Oriental Plaza. Doormen were all extremely pleasant and friendly. Front desk staff seemed more confused and spoke less English. Only one key per apartment which was a pain as you need the key to access the elevator for your floor. We would leave the key for each other at the front desk, and ask the front desk staff to swipe the elevator for us if needed. Children's playroom was great as weather was quite cold, and swimming pool was adequate. Did not use gym but looked nice.

The Jade Garden Hotel exceeded the expectations of my fiancee and myself in almost every aspect. Best of all, it is close to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square... shopping in the downtown district... and a great morning and lunch buffet. The bed is the best I have ever.. I mean "ever" slept on... very comfortable... quality bedding... and the room was immaculate in all respects. There was only one downside to the room... an extremely small closet with hanger space for shirts or dresses... and only two drawers for stuff like socks and underwear... no big deal if your stay is short and you don't mind living out of your suitcase. We were here for 12 evenings, so it was very challenging to us. Big plus for the room... a large flatscreen TV that also served as the monitor for a computer system with wireless keyboard and mouse... free ethernet connection to the internet which we hooked to our Apple laptop... and plenty of desk space for a business stay. The staff was very helpful... kudos to them... and also very friendly. Word to the wise... beware of the taxi drivers in Beijing... they remind me of a Clint Eastwood movie... The Good, The Bad and The Ugly !! The hotel staff can hook you up with quality taxi service, but anything on the street is like gambling in Las Vegas which is no big deal if you embrace a little adventure in your life. A taxi is needed to see Tian Tan or the Great Wall or a trip to the "new" Beijing downtown to see the Birds Nest and other Olympic venues. A tour bus is recommended for the Great Wall... we found an excellent tour for 300 yuan for two people on a quality bus, with guide, with lunch, pickup and dropoff at the hotel, and a stop at the Ming Tombs enroute to the Great Wall... tremendous value. Our tour was organized for English speaking visitors, but the guide was gracious and also communicated in Chinese if necessary. If you are interested in tours and guides, be careful... there are some great values and quality service available... and others designed only to open and empty your wallet.