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Headed to Beijing for the summer Olympics? If you love cool interior design as much as you enjoy ogling athletes' chiseled bodies, check out the funky Design Hotel The Emperor.
With interiors designed by Graft Labs (recently in the news for partnering with Brad Pitt on the design of a Dubai hotel), the 55-room property is located in the heart of Beijing, adjacent to the Imperial Palace.
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by Jenna
Looks like the Park Hyatt Beijing is slated to be open in time for the Olympics!
If you have the guts to go out to China for the Olympic chaos this year, this hotel will get you high to help you get away from the craziness.
Er, high in the sky, that is: the new hotel will be in the Beijing Yintai Centre, the tallest skyscraper on Chang'an Avenue -- and its restaurant on the 66th floor will be "the highest restaurant in the city, featuring international cuisine and 360-degree views of Beijing."
The whole thing is pretty far up there; the lobby is actually on the 63rd floor of the building.
According to the website, the 237-room hotel isn't taking reservations just yet -- but you should give 'em a ring just to be sure.
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The Opposite House opens this month in Beijing and it appears awash with comfort, style and, just for fun, loads of movie references.
The property's 99 rooms are said to be the largest in Beijing, with more than half being over 230 square feet. Rooms are simply decorated with natural wood floors and white bedding--ultimately looking like a set from The Karate Kid got a luxurious and contemporary upgrade, replete with rain showers, flatscreen TVs, mood lighting and free Wi-Fi.
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by jennm
Thinking of braving Beijing for the Olympics this summer? Enjoy words that start with G? Upset that the only G-words associated with the Olympics are, like, "games" and "giant muscles" and also "Germany"?
Perhaps you should check out the soon-to-be-opened Hotel G -- where the "G" is for "Glitzy, Gracious and Glamour." And also, "Gosh, we are not very creative today."
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How do you say "Desperate much?" in Chinese? That's what we would say to a few of the hotels that have been offering reporters cold hard cash in return for favorable coverage of their properties.
The main offender is the Gehua New Century Hotel, which is the 2008 Beijing International Media Center and official host of the non-accredited media. The hotel was offering reporters 200 to 300 yuan ($145) and more for favorable coverage.
The Guardian reports:
Once verified by the public relations department...media can claim 500 yuan for a "positive" article on the hotel of 100 to 500 words in length and 1,000 yuan for an article of between 500 and 1,000 words.
"We want to extend our reputation through the opportunity of the Olympics, it is necessary to promote our brand," PR manager Zhao Xiaoda told Reuters by telephone on Monday.
"I understand it is different from international practice. It was a decision of the PR department not the hotel."
Well at least the PR director is being honest about it. However, there is some concern that the practice might be happening at other Beijing hotels. So be on the lookout for any glowing Beijing hotel reviews this summer.
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by juliana
We've had a good look at many of the big chain hotels in Beijing recently--you know, because of that big sports thing comin' up--but we've been neglecting the cute boutique hotels (that aren't called boutique because most of China doesn't know about that yet).
One little place in the Dongcheng district of Beijing has caught our eye: the Tianxiang Heritage Courtyard Hotel. It's got just 22 rooms and is tucked into a quiet side street, but anyone who finds it seems to love it.
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by amandak
We all know about the drama that ensues when you show up to a hotel and your reservation is suddenly "missing." But how about if you are staying in a hotel and due to a hostile takeover of the hotel by a bank you were kicked out of the hotel with no new accommodations?
That's what happened to a bunch of guests staying at the Tatami Hampton Hotel in Hong Kong. Australia's Herald Sun reports:
A notice posted in the hotel lobby said it had been taken over by lawyers representing the bank and the bailiff pursuing a court order, the report said. TV images showed the hotel doors bolted shut.
Granted the Tatami isn't (wasn't?) one of Hong Kong's premiere hotels. One reviewer compared the place to solitary confinement. The budget hotel actually looked like a 1970s predecessor to the Yotel brand.
Still, turning away hotel guests because of a bank takeover is pretty bad and the previous (current?) owner of the hotel is voicing his outrage on the hotel's website. It's a bunch of confusing Hong Kong legalese but the owner says:
The Bank's right to possession does not mean it can cold-bloodedly drive away hotel guests.
The owner also offers guests options for refunding their hotel room (expected to be paid by the big mean bank) and a hotline for more information.
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Are the 2008 Olympics going to be a huge flop or what? We say this because we think it's really weird that the most popular hotel in Beijing (according to TripAdvisor reviews, at least) isn't even booked out on the night of the Opening Ceremony.
This #1 hotel is the Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing, and it's popular despite being located in a less-than-convenient spot (most people say taxis are cheap and easy enough that the exact location doesn't matter).
Apparently the big attraction at this hotel is a concierge named Storm Li, whose good deeds are described in literally dozens and dozens of detailed TripAdvisor reviews.
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