Getting laundry done in Beijing?
 

With four of us travelling, I assume that having laundry done by the hotel will be prohibitive. How do I get laundry done -- are there coin-ops (I bet not) or services? In the latter case, how do I find a decent one?

We will be staying at the Grand Hyatt.

Thanks for any who can help -- guidebooks don't seem to mention this!

Dick

Dick,
Good choice on the Grand Hyatt. I love the pool at that hotel! And be sure to score rooms on the Club Floor. The two story club has quite a spread of food.

I thought your thread title was funny. Just from the stereotypical Chinese laundryman scenarios. (I think there is even an old piano tune about this).

If you need a driver, I have a person who I trust completely. I can also email him about your laundry question if you don't get a response. Feng Wei is your go-to guy! We had a huge lunch for $4 (total 3 people). My diet coke was probably $2 of that.

Never thought about the Chinese laundryman, beginning to fear that this is the first time I have ever asked a question on FT that no one knew the answer to (usually within hours).

I have PMed you -- would really like contact info for your driver, it sounds ideal for us.

Edited to add: Sounds like I should import Diet Cokes from Japan (where we are coming from on this trip).

Bump, as this is the first question I have ever asked on FT where no one had an answer, so I'll try again!

I'm sure "prohibitive" is a relative construct. Contact the Hyatt and ask for their rates. Until this is done, you cannot begin to evaluate.

Questions:
Would it be prohibitive for the same price in San Francisco as...
1) Wash and Fold
2) Laundry
3) Dry Cleaning

I just had laundry done in BKK and TPE and thought it was reasonable compare to my local "cleaners" in San Rafael and it was very convenient.

Just a little food for thought. No answer of course.

Scho

Of course, I'll do that when we get there. I am generalizing from my typical experience, which is that international chain hotels, even in low cost countries, really stick it to you for laundering undergarments and socks -- and in this case, I will be paying for 4 people's worth!

I consider it to be a ripoff when the hotel charges roughly the same amount to launder the item as it cost me to buy it. I see this all the time, although I suppose one could argue that the real problem is that I need to buy better quality underwear.... :) :)

need English-speaking driver for Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, and Hong Kong.
 

Need driver in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian. Do you know of someone?

Dianna

I also need driver in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xian
 

Do you know of someone in these cities who speaks English well that can either drive us and/or serve as "guide"?

Dianna

There are laundries all over the place in Beijing -- just ask your concierge. Otherwise, the bathtub strategy works quite well in a pinch (most Chinese hotels have a clothes line in the shower).

The answer about how to do laundry, if you are staying at the Grand Hyatt, is that you get cheated. The concierge was only willing to recommend one laundry -- the one in the mall under the hotel. We just used it and while it is considerably cheaper than the GH's price, it is still outrageous. We just paid 300 yuan (USD37.50) for a week's worth of underwear and T-shirts for 4 people.

Given that one can get a dinner in a decent restaurant in a good part of Beijing for about 50 yuan, or rent a taxi and driver for an entire day for 300 yuan or less -- well, you get the idea. However, the laundry did hang everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, on hangers for that price. Anyone need 50 wire hangers?

Simple fact: the concierge at this hotel will pretty much ONLY recommend something if they get a kickback. I would guess that is fairly universal throughout China.