OK I can't sleep due to jet lag and it's 3am so decided to write my monster review!!! Feel free to disagree with any of it.....

Hilton Wangfujing - Impressive but not 100% just yet:

This was my wife and my first trip to both Beijing and China, and following a little research decided to stay at the new Hilton Beijing in Wangfujing. We sped through immigration and customs at the huge, new Beijing airport and caught a taxi from the official taxi stand at the front of the airport. The journey took about 40 minutes in moderate midweek, mid-afternoon traffic and cost 100RMB (@ 11 GBP/14USD) including the 10RMB toll. We had already pre-printed a note in Mandarin and English, thanks to a FlyerTalk colleague, that said ‘Please take me to the Hilton Wangfujing, address…..etc’ and the driver had not problems finding the hotel. If you would like a copy of this note, please feel free to PM me.

The Hilton Wangfujing has been open since last summer but is in a ‘soft opening’ phase, generally meaning the hotel isn't fully open for business; perhaps some of the rooms aren't furnished, the restaurant isn't open, or the pool not yet been built. In some cases, the building is ready but the staff needs to be trained. But in return you do often benefit from lower prices and fewer visitors particularly off-season, as Beijing is in March when we visited. I believe the official launch is planned for late July 2009. Before booking I had read a number of reviews that complained about construction noise, particularly at night/early hours, so given that we were staying for an unusually long 11 nights I emailed the General Manager. He was apologetic and assured me that this had been addressed and that all night work had stopped, but construction at the hotel and nearby was on going during the day.

As we drew up, I feared the worse. The lower floor is surrounded by construction hoardings, there was a lot of work, dust and noise going on the Hilton itself as well as two very large construction projects on two sides – one a new hospital. These seem to be in early days and have several months to go. I believe in the Hilton they are building a shopping Mall (‘The Macau Centre’) on the ground floor, whilst additional work is being done (offices?) on floors 2, 3 and 4.

The entrance is at the back of the hotel in a side road, which is probably what confuses most taxi drivers, however don’t blame the Hilton for this as we found taxi drivers generally useless at finding places! As we drew up we were greeted by the ever-cheerful doorman/concierge, Henry, and as we entered the lobby any fears soon melted away. First impressions were striking, the hotel has a large lobby with very high ceilings, polished stone walls and floors with the odd carpets and a central decorative fireplace. To your left are the reception and concierge desks, whilst to your right is a large waiting/meeting area of plush sofas and tables, as well as a café/patisserie and adjoining lounge room called ‘the Library’; although this is really just a business meeting place IMHO.

There was no queue, as one might expect mid afternoon off season, and we were greeted warmly by the charming Asst Front Office Manager, Eden, who also personally showed us to our room. As Hilton Honors Gold members (and probably also because it was quiet) we were upgraded to one of the new Deluxe Plus rooms, which was a welcome surprise. We also were given Exec lounge access, although I believe breakfast and managers cocktail hours access come with this room as standard; you’d need to check first. As exited the lift on the 8th floor, the plushness of the lobby continued with thick carpets and wood panels – continuing the same colour scheme as the lobby (and also the rooms) of beige, black, dark browns, smoked glass and a mix of light and dark woods. However, the best surprise was on entering the room – stunning. I’ve stayed in some top hotels across the World and for a first impression this was one of the most jaw-dropping. Wow. First off it was huge (62SqM) - as opposed to the normal and exec rooms of 50SqM) - with a desk/work area with its own LCD TV, a sofa (we though this might double as a kids bed but on second thoughts I very much doubt it) and table area, a vast (and very comfortable) bed, a walk in wardrobe, a walk in bath/shower room, separate WC and an open plan double wash basin area in between. However, it is worth noting that panels can be drawn across this area for more privacy from the main bedroom. This was without a doubt the best Hilton room I’ve stayed in by a mile and was much larger than some so-called ‘suites’ I’ve had in the past. The actual suites at this hotel must be monstrous.

We thanked the manager and set about exploring the room – as you do! Apart from the sheer size, exceptional cleanliness and modern design, it was the little touches that you notice first. The varied lighting, all accessible from panels either side of the bed, ranged from all lights on, to select reading lights, mood lights and even a night light that shows you the way to the bathroom/door in the night without disturbing your partner (or, as I did, whacking your leg on one of the tables…ouch!). Additionally, there are both curtains and a semi-transparent blind that can be drawn across the window, again, both controllable electronically from the bedside panel. Like kids we had some fun playing with that for about 5 minutes. In front of the bed is a large 42in LCD screen with mainly local Chinese channels but also a handful of English language ones: HBO, AXN, CNN, BBC News, Discovery and National Geographic. I have to say though that the programming on these was pretty substandard and it would be nice if the hotel invested in some others. However, additionally, there was a DVD attached and a large library of films that you could select from the concierge, or watch one of the cheap ones you picked up in town. Notably, there was an HDMI lead also that one can use, as we did, to connect your HD camcorder to the screen and watch the day’s home movies. If you don’t have HDMI there was also three phono cable connections (video, sound L/R) that could be used. Apparently, you could also connect a digital stills camera via USB but we couldn’t work this out for the life of us and frustratingly all instructions were in Mandarin. If the hotel could make all this simpler it would be nice as it was quite complicated to sort out. By the ‘office’ there was also a plug panel with various A/V and plug connections but ours was broken and one of the front panels had even come off the power plug which was a little concerning. These minor teething points I’ll comment on later. At this point I’ll also mention, for the last time you’ll be glad to read, the huge comfy bed (complete with little Hilton Wangfujing teddy bear sitting on a pillow – nice touch).

The bathroom was also impressive, and included a deep, free standing roll-top bath – complete with squeaky plastic duck (nice!) and mini LCD screen (although ours didn’t work or only showed the Hilton promo channel with no sound), a dual head massage shower and a ‘rainfall’ shower. All three encased in a polished stone and smoked glass wet room. Simply heaven.

By the front door was the walk in wardrobe/closet which had the usual electronic safe, several large drawers and a show stand. There were a handful of hangers, but I would say that the hanging area was rather small for a longer stay and we quickly ran out of space for coats, shirts, pressed trousers and jackets. Another modern touch is that the ‘Please do not disturb’ and ‘Please make up my room’ notices are electronic lights that can be switched on and off from the door frame, as well as the usual plastic coated door hangers.

So what about the rest of the hotel? Having raved about the room, perhaps its time to get the big disappointment out of the way; the pool/spa on the 6th floor. We were aware that the pool would be opening in March, but wasn’t open yet and for a long stay, perhaps too long for one city, we really really would have welcomed a break from sightseeing by using the pool, however even by the time of leaving it was still closed, fully finished but awaiting a license. Talking to the staff, it seems unlikely to get it in March and they were hopeful for April but one had the feeling from the resigned staff that it seemed to be an ongoing saga. I would double check its status before you go if having a pool is important to you. However, we did take a sneak peek with the attendant which really stuck the knife in because it looks truly fantastic. A large pool in a similarly sized enclosed space with light from floor to ceiling windows as the side, surrounded by loungers with deep, red cushions and even a cabana or two. I could have dived in there and then. I’m sure this will be a key feature when it finally opens….ho hum. Next to the pool area was a surprisingly small gym that I used once or twice only, with standard Hilton Precor equipment, 3-4 running machines, a couple of rowers, some free weights and a couple of bikes and steppers. Bottled water and towels in the room, but no music that I could find, so take your iPod. The gym is open 24 hours.

Executive lounge: The lounge is located on the 16th (top) floor of the hotel and is one of its strong features. Larger than some lounges I’ve been in, it is decorated in much the same way as the rest of the hotel, with a handful of sofas and tables, as well as standard dining tables and chairs. The lounge staff were very friendly and the service was excellent, if a little too attentive at times. Lots of trainees in there learning their job. There is free WiFi and also an internet computer in the corner. Breakfast in the lounge was superb and hugely varied, including the standard Hilton cooked Western breakfasts, cereals, juice, fruit and pastries, but also lots of Asian foods, cold meats, cheese, cakes and even a full honeycomb. Something for everyone and more. A chef is on hand to whip up eggs however you like them as required. During the day, refreshments are limited to teas, coffee and soft drinks, with a variety of small sweet and savoury snacks available mid afternoon. In the evening, unusually there is no bar, but a managers ‘cocktail hour’ that runs from 18:30 to 20:00. This is the only time alcoholic drinks are available, although there is a large selection of snacks to choose from, including freshly cooked chilli king prawns on a Thursday night. Fantastic if you want to try some truly delicious local flavours, although mainly seafood based. It’s a shame this is the only time drinks are available as I prefer to go out and eat early evening, indulging in a relaxing night cap later in the evening when I return, without having to go to the formal main bar or delve into the hugely expensive mini-bar – why do hotels still bother with these? The executive lounge has windows on three sides with good views, peaking between neighbouring buildings and when the smog lifts, of the sprawl that is Beijing; including a little corner of Tiananmen Square and a few of the buildings in the Forbidden City. Nice, but given the neighbouring buildings, not as great as possibly hoped. The 16th floor is also home to some of the executive rooms and suites, although most of these are smaller that the deluxe plus rooms. Out of interest, if booked on to this floor I might not like room 1616 which is right next to the lounge and kitchen, nor the neighbouring 1615 and 1614 which open out on to the lounge entrance and lifts. However, those that have stayed there can better tell you about noise, footfall and privacy.

Restaurants/Bar: The hotel has two restaurants and one bar on the fifth floor, which is also shared with the conference/business facilities and rooms. When we were there only one restaurant, ‘Chyna’ (Chinese menu), and the bar ‘Flames’ were open, although the menu from Vasco's the second restaurant (Portuguese/Chinese fusion) was available in Chyna. The restaurants were large and beautifully designed, with continued excellent service as one would expect. Surprisingly for week day nights and off season there were quite a few customers in Chyna, where we ate two or three times. I have to say that we tried the Chinese menu and the food was delicious, I highly recommend you try it. Price-wise a meal for two with wine came to about 400-700 RMB (@50-80 GBP) which I thought was pretty reasonable by home standards, although dining out in Beijing is very cheap generally and so is perhaps a little pricey locally; but we didn’t mind at all as your really didn’t feel you were in a hotel restaurant. A couple of niggles though. The bill includes a non-optional 15% service charge, which I don’t mind if the service is good, but I was told by the staff that it does NOT go to them as tips, but is part of the restaurant profit; therefore there is a line on the receipt for tips as well. If true, I think this is very bad practice on the part of the restaurant and something that is being stamped out publicly in the UK. The second point is perhaps cultural, and that is that smoking in bars and restaurants is still common practice. We were seated next to a table of six businessmen one evening who puffed away like chimneys the whole evening and so we asked to be moved straight away. If smoking does bother you, then the restaurant is more than large enough to ask for a non-smoking area. Perhaps they could consider setting a formal non-smoking area aside for when it does get busy in the future? We didn’t try the bar, Flames, as it always looked empty had a typical ‘Lost in Translation’ type lounge act crooning away and quite frankly looked over-‘designer‘.Then again, I suspect that the bar isn’t aimed at residents – at least not your typical solo businessmen or traveller. One gets the feeling that they would like this to be a trendy local bar attracting the trendy, well heeled young Beijing crowd, similar to the Sanderson or Met bar in London or the W and others in NYC. Already, I saw local business networking nights pencilled in for April etc. However, I really don’t know if it will achieve it. All those bars mentioned are directly accessible from the street and ground level, whereas this is hidden away on a hotel’s fifth floor. Happy to be proved wrong and I’m sure they’ll push it heavily, but it does alienate guests on their doorstep in the meantime. Of course, it may just be me and I’m getting old!

Location: For a tourist the location couldn’t be better. Located behind the APM mall on Wangfujing Street, the hotel is in the centre of town with the tourist shopping district and the infamous night market with a variety of scorpions, sea horses, centipedes and other creatures on sticks and ready to eat – if you’re brave. I did see a young French couple trying fried scorpion, but heck XXXXXXXXXX. Within 10 minutes walk also is Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, with Bihai Park and Coal Hill a slightly longer walk if you fancy it. However, cabs are very cheap in Beijing, most journeys in central town from the hotel are between 10 and 30 RMB, whilst longer journeys like the Summer Palace or Olympic Park are about 60-80 RMB depending on traffic. Make sure you use a proper taxi with a meter and if possible take a taxi card with the destination (and your hotel) written in Mandarin – few drivers speak English. I’d also advise a map with English and Mandarin street names just in case. The concierge can provide you with both the maps and the taxi cards, alternatively we downloaded a good program for the iPod Touch and iPhone that has all the main locations, a speaking phrase book and much more as well. The business district is about 15-20 minutes by cab depending on traffic. For shopping, there are plenty of malls within 5 mins walk of the hotel ranging from tourist tat to Gucci stores and other high end shops. However, be aware that we found the prices to be much higher, perhaps 25-50%+ higher than in the UK or US for the same stuff, clothes or electronics. For cheaper goods, your fake designer gear and antiques, head over to the infamous Silk market, the Pearl Market or the weekend antique market at Panjiayuan. All within 10-15 minutes and 10-20 RMB by taxi from the hotel. Alternatively, there are two Metro stations within walking distance and for the second week we used this to great effect. Each journey is only 2 RMB wherever you want to go, it is very clean, easy to get around and the signs are in English as well. Highly recommended. Be aware though that pushing without waiting is common so get used to it. Likewise, they drive like maniacs so be careful crossing roads, cars will not and do not stop for pedestrians – even on designated crossings, so follow the crowd where possible – safety in numbers!

So, in conclusion. I like the Hilton chains because they tends to be standard across the World, you know what you’re going to get – albeit it a little bland most times – and they are fairly well priced. More importantly I travel to many different countries and they are ubiquitous, which is nice for building award points. I rarely think of them as luxury, in fact I don’t at all. The Hilton Wangfujing is the first Hilton brand hotel (as opposed to Waldorf, Conrad etc) I have stayed at where I thought, ‘wow’, this is something special. It is not quite up to the upscale class and elegance of say a Peninsula or Ritz-Carlton, at least not yet, but instead has more of a boutique, Malmaison type feel about it. It doesn’t feel like your average business hotel nor is it a tourist hotel and, depending on your point of view that means it either falls between the cracks, or appeals to both markets equally. Given its location and if the prices remain reasonable, I’m struggling to see why you would want to stay at either of the other Hiltons in the city and it would certainly be very high on my list amongst other 4 and 5 star hotels. Service is excellent, for example, it was out first wedding anniversary and unexpectedly we came back in the evening to find the bed turned down with rose petals scattered on the bed and in the bath, incense oil candles, a beautiful anniversary cake and a card from the manager. Simply perfect and first class service. Thank you.

But it is not without its faults, and to be fair, this could be expected during its soft opening phase where systems and wrinkles can be tested and ironed out. The lack of pool was my main regret, which would have been great given the long stay. However, there although it is the small details that make this hotel they can also be the ones that let it down. The service charge in the restaurant, the air con in our room didn’t work, broken plugs, TVs that didn’t work and poor finishing in the workmanship of the room – cupboards that wouldn’t close, lights that wouldn’t go off and glue marks across the glass panels, joins and walls. Nothing that is bothering in the slightest, but I guess it’s like taking delivery of a new Mercedes only to find that there are a few small scratches on the door and the stitching is loose in the seats. No doubt these will get sorted out over the coming months and given our generous upgrade I shouldn’t quibble. Equally, there is no construction noise at night, but there certainly is during the day from about 0830-1700, both in the hotel and outside. Not a problem for most who will be at meetings, sight-seeing or shopping, but if you do want to take a day out, catch up on jet lag etc then it was a pain. This of course will be less of a problem in the future.

Because the hotel is not yet finished then I’m giving it 4/5 rather than full marks – hey, they have to work towards something! ☺ However, for all the minor negative but hopefully constructive comments this is an excellent hotel if you are visiting Beijing, particularly if you are an HH member. We loved the hotel; I would very happily stay there again and would definitely recommend it to others. Thanks for a great stay.