Beijing Hotels

We are looking for a deluxe hotel in Beijing for a 5 day stay before a cruise in March of 2006. We are looking for a hotel with a good location (we would like to be able to walk to some of the major attractions), service, rooms, etc. We are considering the Grand Hyatt Beijing, The Grand Hotel, and the Peninsula Palace Hotel. Any opinions of these or other hotels? The cruise line will be using the Shangri-la Hotel which sounds nice, but looks to be quite some distance from things we would want to see.

We are staying at the Beijing Hotel in October, so I will let you know how it is.

This is the original hotel that foreigners were allowed to stay in, before China modernized. I just had to have a piece of history. Every President has stayed there on a trip to China. Mao had offices there, and a lot of trade agreements, treaties, etc. were signed in the buildings. A little more expensive than a lot of Beijing hotels, but we got an Executive Business Suite, with breakfast and airport pickup on a 3 day package for $685.00US. The location is in the middle of everything.

http://www.chinabeijinghotel.com.cn/en/main.asp

I have stayed at the Beijing Hotel and can recommend it. As the previous poster has said, it is very well located to major attractions of interest.

I believe that I read that the Beijing Hotel is being taken over and redone by a major hotel chain. I would check when this is scheduled and how it would affect your reservation.

Do you have any idea where you heard this? I can find no information anywhere. Frommers, Fodor's, google, etc-checked all the resources I could think of.

I thought the Chinese government owned the Beijing Hotel. I can't imagine them selling to a chain, but stranger things have happened. If you have any idea where you heard this, please let me know. There are a lot of hotels in Beijing, just as nice and much cheaper. I really want to stay there for the history.

We stayed at The Palace Hotel on our trip in 2003. It was a beautiful hotel and we had a great time.

This is the information on the Beijing Hotel

Alice

Beijing Tourism Group Contracts with Raffles International

to Manage and Rebrand Two of the Four blocks

of the Beijing Hotel

Singapore, 18 April 2005 – Raffles International Limited today signed an agreement with Beijing Hotel, a hotel under the Beijing Tourism Group (BTG), to rebrand and manage two of the four blocks of the Beijing Hotel under Raffles International’s luxury Raffles brand. After a period of renovations and refurbishment, it will be re-launched as the Raffles Beijing Hotel in 2006.

Thanks, Alice, for the information.

I will call Beijing tomorrow to find out if I am going to be staying in the middle of a construction site. And which buildings are going to be renovated and branded with the Raffles brand. Thanks again.

Gina

Gina,

I am glad that I could be of service. I hope that you are able to get the information on the renovation at the Beijing Hotel and that your plans are not interruped . At least you know to check and can make an informed decision.

Alice

Gina, can you tell me what you found out about the Beijing Hotel. We, too, are staying there in October prior to our Princess cruise.

Jim

Gina, can you tell me what you found out about the Beijing Hotel. We, too, are staying there in October prior to our Princess cruise.

 

Jim

Not much, really. Raffles is taking over MANAGEMENT, to ensure world class standards for the 2008 Olympics. One person at the front desk did note that some of the rooms will be redecorated. Now, does that mean new paint, wallpaper, sheets and pillows? Or does that mean they are tearing down walls? No one seemed to understand the word "construction site". I tried three or four times to rephrase my question, but didn't really get an answer. However, everyone I spoke to (3 people) were ADAMANT that Raffles will have no ownership in the hotel.

I am going to stay there, construction or not. I would say the construction will probably start in 2006, in prep for the Olympics. I am not going to miss all the history the Beijing Hotel represents.

Digby, where have you decided to stay in Beijing?;)

We are still waiting to hear back from the Peninsula Palace as to what their rates will be in 3/2006. They have yet to release them for some reason. It is still between the Peninsula and the Grand Hyatt.

Everytime we have gone to Beijing, we have stayed at the St Regis (which is part of Starwood--Sheraton, Westin, W, Luxury Collection). It is ideally located...only a few blocks from Tiananmen Square (keep in mind, their blocks downtown seem like 1/2 mile long!!!!) and the hotel is set in the Embassy district. Few hotels much closer to downtown, prices reasonable (breakfast prices outrageous!), nice neighborhood, great inexpensive local restaurants within short walk, spectacular service. Obviously, I have no qualms about recommending this place.

I couldn't agree with you more about the St.Regis.............best to get Breakfast included in your rate, however............I still cannot, however,:D get used to having sushi or dumplings in the morning!

Got a rate for $195 inclusive of breakfast,taxes, etc. at the Penninsula Palace- someone on the boards also wrote of their rate of $190......check it out. I think the Hyatt is a bit less, but not much- somewhere I recall $179, does that sound reasonable?:)

Gina, can you tell me what you found out about the Beijing Hotel. We, too, are staying there in October prior to our Princess cruise.

 

Jim

I wonder how this buyout will impact the management agreement at the Beijing Hotel. Probably put any "construction" on hold, which will be a blessing.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2005-07-18-raffles-sold_x.htm

I finally got the rates from the Peninsula Palace Hotel in Beijing after asking several times for March, '06.

Deluxe Room @US$190.00(single/double) per room per night

Grand Deluxe Room @US$210.00(single/double) per room per night

Executive Suite @US$300.00(single/double) per room per night