Beijing Hilton Beijing Wangfujing (September 2011)

My spouse and I spent three nights at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing in early September 2011. We redeemed Hilton Hhonors points for our 3-night reward stay (I think it was 30K per night for a room rate of $200+ per night). Our only room category choice using the award was a standard room, but we were told that we were upgraded, which initially seemed to be true. The room was terrific, but upon returning home and seeing photos that others had posted, our room seemed not as luxurious as others in the hotel. We can’t complain, though - the room was huge, with a separate seating and work area (but no separate TV, and the flat screen from the bedroom area was a bit far away. The room had lots of cool buttons and gizmos, even one switch to operate the drop-down curtains. The bathroom and closet area ran the length of the room, and various parts of it could be closed off by sliding pocket doors. The shower and bathtub area was really luxurious, including a TV, but the entire room became the shower, with a rainfall head as well as a wall attachment, so there were tons of jets (but be sure to use the rubber bathmat inside, because it was slippery). The vanity area featured double sinks, the toilet was in its own separate compartment, and the closet area was most impressive. Robes, slippers, and a safe were present, as well as a basket for shoe shining, a rubber ducky for the tub, and a tiny teddy bear. (We had initially packed the duck and the bear in our luggage, thinking they were “gifts” - the duck even had a tag around its neck that said “take me home to your own tub”, but we later thought we might be charged for them and decided to leave them in the room.) The minibar area was quite impressive. Two complimentary bottles of water were in the room when we arrived, and were replenished at evening turndown as well as when our room was cleaned each day. There is a dedicated Hilton Hhonors desk for check-in and check-out; these options were not available in the executive lounge as we had expected.

The Executive Lounge on the 16th floor provides free wireless internet access as well as two computers to use. The lounge is open from 6:30 am to 11:00 pm (breakfast 6:30 to 11:00, afternoon tea from 3:00 to 6:00, happy hour 6:00 to 8:30 [8:00 on Friday and Saturday] with complimentary drinks), complimentary pressing of one piece per day, and access to gym, fitness classes, pool, sauna, steam room, and jacuzzi. Smart casual attire and footwear are requested, and the entire area is non-smoking. (The entire hotel appeared to be non-smoking, except for the areas just outside the front entrance.) On the day that we arrived at the hotel (around 12:00 noon), the food offerings in the lounge consisted of some (possibly) homemade varieties of chips and dips available, along with serve-yourself non-alcoholic beverages. The food offerings provided at both breakfast and evening cocktails were terrific. There is a chef present to make omelettes and other made-to-order breakfast items, and at night, the chef prepares a signature dish on demand (one night it was an Asian soup, one night it was a fried sausage entree, and another evening he prepared a noodle dish), but there are various other hot and cold items available to serve yourself. We were able to make an evening meal from what the lounge offered, so it wasn’t necessary to leave the hotel for dinner afterwards (which was a welcome treat after some busy and tiring days of touring). The lounge area was not overly large, and space appeared to be at a premium during breakfast and evening cocktails (although we were always able to find a place to sit). The tables are a bit close, encouraging interaction with fellow guests rather than any privacy.

The public areas of the Hilton are very pretty and modern. The indoor swimming pool area was attractive, complete with daybeds for lounging, and the area opened to a small rooftop serenity garden where you could take in some fresh air. The hotel has no ATM machine, which we found surprising, and we had to walk down Wangfujing Street and try a few machines before we found one that would accept the PLUS symbol cards. The restaurant options looked appealing, although we did not eat inside the hotel. Vasco’s (Portuguese) serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, daily 6:30 am to 11:00 pm. Chynna (Chinese) serves lunch and dinner, daily 11:30 am to 11:00 pm. Flames and the Vintage Bank serve dinner only, daily from 5:30 pm. The Library (in the lobby) offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, daily 8:00 am to 10:00 pm in a more casual setting. 

The hotel is located just off the pedestrian area of Wangfujing Street and a few short blocks to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Although we had our own driver, we did attempt to catch a cab back to the hotel from the hutong area, and the driver had difficulty finding it, which surprised us. Even though we had the address written down in both English and Chinese, it didn’t help to locate the hotel. The hotel is steps from an indoor shopping mall with many stores and restaurants for fast food, casual food, and more fine dining, and there are many addition food options on Wangfujing Street. We purchased some drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for our room from a stand on the corner near the hotel, as well as from a supermarket that is just across the busy main street.

Aside from the possible trouble of cab drivers locating the hotel, we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again - the location was great, the public spaces and guestrooms were luxurious, and service was good.