Offering a combination of timeless Chinese artistry and craftsmanship, the Peninsula Beijing is the Premier All-Suite Hotel which offers cutting-edge technology and superlative service in the heart of China’s dynamic capital. Suites start at a spacious 645 square ft. and each offers a separate bedroom, living area, marble bathroom and dressing room. Guests can enjoy the Classic Peninsula Afternoon Tea and the refined international dining at The Lobby restaurant; contemporary French cuisine at Jing; traditional Cantonese fare at Huang Ting restaurant. Other amenities include a fitness center, heated indoor pool and The Peninsula Spa. The hotel has achieved the prestigious five-star rating from 2018 Forbes Travel Guide, which is the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants and spas.
"After staying here, it's clear why it's considered ultra-luxury; there's a definite gap in quality compared to others.
1. The room decor is excellent. After a full renovation, the rooms feature entirely smart controls (though no voice control). All switches (including curtains) are touch-sensitive, and there's also a tablet for tapping away. It's slightly less responsive than ideal but still acceptable. There's even a printer under the desk and two TVs, so you can watch simultaneously in the living room and bedroom.
2. The hotel facilities are also impressive. The thermal facilities and lounge at the spa on the third floor are absolutely amazing, no need to elaborate! The gym offers free yoga instruction videos.
3. The bed in the room is incredibly comfortable! So comfortable, in fact, that I could almost overlook the rather casual service.
4. The cleaning staff were excellent, very polite and efficient, and worked quietly.
5. The hotel offers many recreational activities, such as Hutong tours, children's experience courses, and yoga classes. Although most require payment, I feel they are well-designed to leverage existing resources and create a great guest experience.
Cons:
1. The service truly lags. I felt the front desk staff seemed keen on projecting an 'aloof but firm' persona, but in reality, they were unprofessional and impolite. During check-in, when confirming order details and assigning rooms, they remained completely focused on their computer screens, never looking up at the guests when asked questions – I've never encountered this before. The room tour only covered hotel facilities like the restaurant and gym; once we got to the room, not a single thing about it was explained. Also, don't expect any special treatment just because you booked through Trip.com; there was absolutely none (I didn't even receive the spa voucher that was supposed to come with the booking).
2. The concierge department seems to lack experience. Guests would walk out, and they wouldn't even ask if a taxi was needed; they just stood there.
3. The hotel's call center was unanswered in the middle of the night! When I reported the issue the next day, the manager was very apologetic and said they would investigate thoroughly, but no compensation or appeasement followed. Sigh, everyone just seemed a bit haphazard. Cheerful but cold.
4. The turndown service left a thin mat by the bed, which I didn't like. I prefer the soft, plush mats like those at the Mandarin Oriental Macau; they're incredibly comfortable to step on barefoot when getting out of bed.
Notes:
1. Deliveries are not allowed upstairs. The delivery person will leave your order on the concierge's luggage cart at the entrance. If you go to pick it up, the concierge will warmly greet you, ask for your room number, and help you find it.
2. Trip.com bookings are not eligible for the 'Peninsula Time' benefit."