Beijing Travel Guide
Beijing Hotels / East Hotels / Hotel Hype / Hotel Openings / → All Tags
For the Business Traveler With a Life, The East Hotel Beijing Will Open This Summer
Speaking of China, there's some great news for folks who love the East Hotel in Hong Kong (of which we are a huge fan)-there's an East Hotel in the works for Beijing.
The "business hotel with a life" will be located at Jiang Tai in the Chaoyang district of the city between the 4th and 5th Rings, putting it close to both Beijing's hot art scene, the 798 Art District, and a slew of corporations like Siemens, Panasonic, Nestle, Motorola and Nortel.
While we aren't sure exactly what the hotel will look like, there will be a lot of similarities in sensibility to the East in Hong Kong.
Hotel Christmas Trees / Beijing Hotels / Holiday Hotel Decorations / → All Tags
Rocking Around The Christmas Tree: The Opposite House
All this week we'll be rocking around the Hotel Christmas Tree near and far to see how hotels are ringing in the holidays. So grab your eggnog, put on the Mariah Carey Christmas album (you know you own it) and come virtually admire these hotel Christmas trees with us!
The Opposite House in Chaoyang District of Beijing has done the opposite of a traditional Christmas tree with their “Solar Christmas Tree," an installation done in conjunction with Viessman Heating Technology.
The nearly 20-foot tall Christmas "tree" is actually made out of 105 reclaimed solar thermal vacuum tubes that are used to harness the energy of the sun. German graphic artist, Karl, Duschek, did the star atop the tree which is a three-dimensional solar energy icon. The tree is lit by using warm-white LED bulbs, energy-efficient of course.
Hotel Design / Design Thursdays / Beijing Hotels / Conrad Hotels / Andaz Hotels / → All Tags
Conrad Beijing Peeks From Behind The Curtains
Designboom got a peek at the new Conrad Beijing, which is still under construction, and is due for a 2012 opening. Around the 300-room hotel are the Peninsula Beiing, Hilton Beijing and Crowne Plaza. Additionally, Starwood's brand new 441-room Sheraton Beijing lies directly north, about 5 miles away.
Conrad Beijing's warped exterior is supposed to evoke The Flintstones "nervous tissue", though we find it strikingly similar to the facade at the new Andaz Shanghai, which also boasts a chunky, grid-like white exterior. Conrad's is decidedly more trippy, which makes sense, as Conrad, though always elegant, likes to keep things playful. A Shake Shack here, a submarine there. And now a big, white tower of blobs.
Beijing Hotels / Grand Hyatt Hotels / Hyatt Hotels / → All Tags
Inside The Grand Hyatt Beijing
Our travels recently took us to Beijing and required our Mandarin-challenged selves to put some research into our hotel search. Challenged may be an understatement. We knew one word going over (Nǐ Hǎo or hello) which was only going to get us so far. Therefore our Beijing hotel needed to be English friendly. From the front desk to the bellmen, with only one exception, the Grand Hyatt Beijing fit the bill.
The Hyatt's location is convenient for a first time visitor also. The Oriental Plaza, one of China’s largest commercial complexes, directly connects to the hotel. Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, two must sees on a maiden Beijing voyage, are both within walking distance. Non-Mandarin guests like ourselves looking to explore other parts of the city would be wise to inform the bellman of their destination before entering the cab so that he can relay the info. We forgot once and sat in awkward silence as the cabdriver shouted a lot more the hello at us. On the way back, showing our key card with the hotel address did the trick.
Have You Done This / Hotel Photoshoots / Park Hyatt Hotels / Beijing Hotels / → All Tags
Have You Ever Done This? Tree Pose By the Pool at The Park Hyatt Beijing
We all know that hotels aren't as forthcoming as they should be with photos of their rooms and public spaces on their websites but we still have a chuckle over the other kind of photos hotels put on their website--the totally staged shots of people doing totally random things.
Like this "hotel guest" who is doing a little yoga all alone at the indoor rooftop pool at the Park Hyatt Beijing.
Granted, the Park Hyatt Beijing is a stunning property with killer views of the city from nearly every futuristic nook and cranny in the place and while the pool (one of two lap pools in the hotel) may not be awash in heavenly light at all times, it is pretty spectacular looking.
But still, as a hotel guest, would you just bust out into tree pose by your lonesome here? Hey, maybe you would. Rates at the hotel start at $350 a night for a Park Room King if you want to give it a try.
Or if you've already done this, let us know in comments below! Extra bonus points if you send us a pic to show it's fer realz.
Chinese New Year Hotels / Hotel Package / Beijing Hotels / Swire Hotels / China Hotels / → All Tags
Hotels for the Chinese New Year: Beijing's Opposite House
The Chinese New Year is on Thursday, and if you're heading to China for it, you know that like nothing will be operating properly and everyone will be celebrating. In other words, it's the perfect time for a little treat in the form of a couple nights away. For the next couple days, we'll be looking at some last-minute hotel for Chinese New Year:
Although they're all booked up for Friday night, the New Year itself and the weekend is still open at Beijing's Opposite House, starting from $300 per night. As with their sister hotel in Hong Kong—the Upper House—the Opposite House includes free WiFi, goodies in the minibar, and use of the room's tech goodies.
Summer Cocktails / Hotel Cocktails / Beijing Hotels / → All Tags
The Opposite House Says It's Thyme For a Cocktail!
Who's thirsty? It's time for another installment of our Summer Cocktails series. All summer long we'll profile fun new summer drinks served at hotels around the world. Got one we should know about? Send us the recipe with a photo of the drink. Otherwise, enjoy and @reply us when you're wasted!
Man, are we going to miss Summer Fridays. It's our favorite part of the week, not only because, well duh, it's Friday, and duh, it's time for a cocktail or ten—no, we're also going to miss them because oh, we do love making all these bad puns that seem to come free of charge with our Summer Cocktails.
And here's one just brimming with 'em (har har)! We'll skip the opposite jokes, but head straight for the name of this signature cocktail from the Opposite House in Beijing. It's simply called the Kiwi & Thyme, which is actually pretty funny, because we immediately thought of The Flight of the Conchords and... whaddyaknow? They're Kiwis! (If you don't get the thyme part of the joke, go here. Immediately.)
Airport Hotels / Hotel Openings / Beijing Hotels / Langham Hotels / → All Tags
Langham Place, Beijing: Chinese For 'Airport Hotel That Doesn't Suck'
Airport hotels are all about function. When you need one, they're a god send. But who says they have to be boring? Apparently not the folks at Langham Hotels, who are opening what they're calling the world's first 'lifestyle airport hotel' at Beijing's Capital Airport on September 1.
In this rendering alone, we can see that they've gone with a peekaboo bathroom, which screams 'boutique' in any language.
But how else does the Langham Place Beijing Capital Airport Hotel differ from its more staid, corporate cousins at airports around the world?
HotelChatter 2009 Awards / Hotel Hell / Mandarin Oriental Hotels / Beijing Hotel / Hotel Fires / → All Tags
Worst Hotel Hell: The Mandarin Oriental Beijing Burns Down Before It Opens
It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2009 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year (and the decade) all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in comments below.
WORST HOTEL HELL: MANDARIN ORIENTAL BEIJING FIRE
If you've ever stayed in a Mandarin Oriental Hotel before, it will likely be an luxury hotel experience you (and your wallet) won't forget. Which is why it was so sad that the Mandarin Oriental Beijing burned down just as it was nearing completion. Even sadder, the fire was a result of Chinese New Year fireworks that had been set off by China's state-run broadcasting company near the hotel. D'oh.
The fire-ravaged hotel is still standing and the hotel's website says that the project has (obviously) been postponed. According to the StructureHub blog, the hotel can be repaired but may not necessarily rebuilt. We hope something good can come from these luxury ashes.
Keep reading for more of the year's worst events.
Hotel Delays / Hotel Openings / Shangri-La Hotels / Beijing Hotels / → All Tags
Behind Schedule With Your Hotel? Do a Shangri-La And Hedge Your Bets
Here’s some skewed logic to start your week off. You’re a soon-to-be-open hotel, you’re not sure exactly how long it’s going to take for your paint to dry and your air con to get whirring, and you’re watching other new hotels around the globe getting called out for opening late. What’s the solution?
Well, if you’re Shangri-La, your solution is to hedge your bets. The bizarrely named Shangri-La China World Summit Wing in Beijing was originally slated to open "at the end of the year". And even now, despite Shangri-La just having appointed a GM, they’re not quite sure when it’ll be ready for us to bed down, announcing this weekend that it’ll open "at the end of 2009 or early 2010."
NYT Reviews / Beijing Hotels / Boutique Hotels / → All Tags
NYT Reviews Beijing's Cool 3+1 Bedrooms
We hate to strum our own chord, but usually by the time the New York Times reviews a hotel we’ve already heaped an overgenerous amount of hype on the place, and often have even already checked the place out ourselves firsthand. But we’ve got to hand it to them this week — they reviewed a tiny little spot in Beijing that wasn’t even on our radar.
The Chinese capital city is home to the hyperbolically understated 3+1 Bedrooms, a teensy hotel with just three guestrooms and one suite. “Too intimate to be pretentious,” writes the NYT, with “all the amenities (well, almost all) of a larger boutique property — minus, of course, the scene.”
The highlight: Location? Check: “…in the heart of old Beijing, a stone’s throw from the historic Drum and Bell Towers and a short walk to the shops, bars and cafes of the artsy-hipster Nanluogu Xiang alleyway and picturesque Houhai Lake.” Clean “minimalist’s dream” décor? Check: “more clean than cold.” And the writer’s room was 500 square feet, with “palazzo-height ceilings” and a private terrace lined with bamboo stands. A walk-in shower that feels “big enough to swim in”? Check. Free Wi-Fi? Check. Free mini-bar offerings? Check: Pellegrino, soda and beer.
Hotel Swag / Westin Hotels / Beijing Hotels / Hotel Promotions / → All Tags
A Free Westin Heavenly Bed Is Only Ten Nights Away
Do you often find yourself in Beijing, or are you perhaps planning a week or two visit soon? Because if so, and you're calling the Westin Financial Street your temporary home, you will be taking more than just the remainder of your in-room toiletries; you'll be receiving a complimentary Westin Heavenly Bed.
Before you wind up to take a flying leap onto the white duvet with the thread count of your dreams, be aware that scoring a Heavenly Bed requires you to accumulate 10 nights' stay at the Westin Financial Street in Beijing prior to December 31. Now consider that this Westin's Heavenly Bed package begins from 1800 RMB ($264) a night, and the service fee will probably bring that up closer to $300. Ten days at this rate and you've dropped $3,000 in pursuit of the perfect bedroom furniture.
In this case, it's probably more practical to look at this like a "buy a Heavenly Bed and get 10 nights free at the Westin Beijing" deal, since the beds run between $3,500 and $2,600 at Westin's online store. It's one heck of a way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Heavenly Bed, but it's only a deal for those with $3,000 burning a hole on their AMEX limits and a bedroom ready for rearranging.
[Photo: Westin Mina Seyahi]
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