Soon the citizens of Beijing might be able to smell the Four Points signature apple pie scents wafting through their very own Four Points Hotel. The hotel is set for opening on August 1, just in time for the Olympics.
Unlike other Four Points near airports in America, this one seems to be in the midst of all that is "happening" in Beijing:
Our hotel is located in the heart of Beijing’s technology district – Haidian District – a short drive from major government and business organizations, research centers, Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, and universities. The Summer Palace, the Great Wall of China, and the Olympic Stadium “Bird’s Nest”, among other popular sightseeing attractions, are all within easy access.
The hotel also has three restaurants--a 24-hour cafe, an Italian restaurant and a Chinese restaurant--along with an indoor pool. And is it just us or does that building look like Aloft?
Just in time for the 2008 Olympics, The St. Regis Beijing has reopened after dropping $27 million big ones into a seven and a half-month, top-to-bottom restoration and renovation of their hotel. From the official press release:
Overlooking the property's tranquil gardens, the upgraded guest rooms and suites feature extraordinary furnishing including cherry wood armoires, Chinese silk upholstery, fine European tableware, flat-panel LCD televisions and spacious work desks. In addition, WiFi service is available to all guests, throughout the hotel.
The St. Regis Beijing is located in the city's diplomatic district, near Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The hotel has one of the city's best Italian restaurant, Danieli's, as well as The St. Regis Spa & Club. Topping off the services, each guest will be able to take advantage of the St. Regis Butler Service.
Of course, you'll have to pay for that WiFi service. This is a St. Regis afterall. Nothing is for free.
We couldn't find anything open in the second week of August but if you are interested in visiting Beijing during the games, Starwood is directing guests to this site to leave their hotel stay requests.
If you're in the process of psyching yourself up to jet to Beijing for the Olympics (brave soul, you are), maybe you should think about checking yourself into a boutique-y oasis to ensure you'll have a bit of reprieve from the craziness.
And it doesn't get much more boutique-y than the 14-room Hotel Cote Cour S.L. in Beijing's historically-protected hutong area.
The decor of the place -- which was originally a "courtyard mansion" -- is done in sort of an "East meets West" creative fusion: bright colors, modern finishes with traditional Chinese pieces mixed throughout.
Admittedly, the pictures on the website seemed a bit too good to be true, so we checked out some customer reviews. Surprisingly, guests seem to have nothing but good things to say about the place.
