Originally Posted by
halibahs
Hello all,
I'm thinking of a 5-6 days trip to Beijing during the Chinese New Year. We're planning to stay 2 nights in PH Beijing and another 2-3 nights in Aman Sunmer Palace. It's not our first time in Beijing so probably just an excursion to the Great Wall and some R&R.
I heard the ground and rooms at Aman SP is amazing (but no bathtub in some rooms?! that I cannot stand..) but the service standard and food are not up to the usual Aman standard. Have anyone stayed in the hotel recently and can provide some insight on service and food options (and costs)?
We're also planning to join a great wall excursion with Aman with the hope that they will select a section of less visited great wall with fewer tourists. Have anyone done the excursion?
Thanks!
I did pretty much this exact trip about 4 months back. Several nights at the PH Beijing followed by three nights at Aman SP to relax after working for several days in the city.
First, I'd recommend you book the PH via a Virtuoso agent. We received an amazing double upgrade to an absolutely incredibly suite with a soaking jacuzzi the likes of which I didn't know any Park Hyatt's had. Stunning views from a special and very high corner suite - it was stellar - and I found the service (particularly Benny, the head concierge) to be really top notch. Contact them pre arrival to arrange everything. Also suggest VIP butler service at the airport for fast immigration connecting to a hotel operated transfer in a sedan to the property. Nice way to arrive in style.
Aman can then arrange, for a fee, to pick you up at the PH. Once again, we received a complimentary upgrade through Virtuoso to a Courtyard Suite I believe it was. There was a tub but it was small. Very small. Coming from the PH, to be honest, the Aman room was almost a step down. Although the exquisite traditional architecture and furnishings finally made me feel like I was really in China. The suite itself was fantastic and the bed area extremely romantic and one of a kind.
Correct, I found the food to be sub Aman standards. Even the recommended Chinese restaurant which I found to be just "ok". Western food at breakfast was unimpressive. Western lunch I found to be pretty good. The movie theater and associated popcorn / snacks were fantastic and the underground indoor pool was excellent as was the spa.
We did the Aman provided Great Wall excursion which featured a dedicated English speaking guide and driver, in an Audi A6 or A8 I believe. We went to a quieter section of the wall and the guide took us to some less known areas with incredible views. Highly recommended. We liked her so much that we had her provide the Summer Palace tour (free when booked with Virtuoso) which was also nice, although the Great Wall was much better. SP itself is interesting but very crowded. The side private entrance that Aman has is quite nice, you'll feel special there among the crowds of Chinese tourists.
All in all, I loved both the PH and Aman SP. If I was back in Beijing for business, I'd choose the PH hands down for location and overall excellent service and experience. For relaxation in Beijing, Aman SP can't be beat IMHO, although if I was looking for a nice relaxing vacation, I'd opt for something like Amanpuri over a more urban location like Aman SP.
Happy to answer specific questions as well.