c.l.i.a

This could be a common issue at many hotels in China. They turn off the central AC system of the whole building when they "think" AC is not needed (in the winter time, or night time sometime in spring and fall). In your room you will have air ventilation only regardless the temperature you set. 80F at sleeping time is definitely uncomfortable.

Now, I try to remember which hotel allows you to have full control of your room temperature year-around and book those facilities whenever possible.

c.l.i.a

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BLazarus22

Are there any recent reports on this hotel? I am not looking for anything substantial on the quality of the facilities since much of that info is available on other sites (but if someone has a recent report all the better). What I'm really wondering is whether this hotel is a reliable option for tourism. It appear close to a non-existent subway stop on Google Maps - so the crux of my concern is unreliable info from Google regarding proximity to highlights.
We live in NYC and therefore understand the need for subways and taxis on a constant basis but I don't want to spend $200 a night on a hotel when there are so many cheaper non HH properties, this one being the exception.

moondog

I haven't been there in several years.

The only thing that has changed with respect to the location is that Line 7 is now operating, and the Doubletree is close to two stations on it.

That having been said, this is only a minor improvement IMO because Line 7 isn't especially useful in and of itself:

https://explorebj.com/subway/

If you want to stick with the Hilton brand, the Conrad is my top pick because it is a nice hotel, and its subway access is great. Line 6 is especially slick because it's an express line (stations are further apart than others), and it can get you to/from Nanluo Guxiang in 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Line 10, while often insanely crowded, can get you to/from the CBD or Sanlitun, as well as the Airport Express (though I usually take taxis to/from the airport if I have any luggage bigger than an 18" roller).

The Hilton Beijing isn't a terrible option. While it is tucked into the NE corner of the city, this is far better than being stuck in the SW (Doubletree).

Then, there's the Hilton Wangfujing. I don't like staying downtown myself because there isn't much to do at night, and there are much better dining options in Chaoyang. For me, going there for day trips, and returning to Chaoyang in the evening is the best way to play it.

Finally, if you decide to go off brand, the Gulou/Houhai/Nanluoguxiang/Beiluoguxiang area is worth a look. While a bit touristy, it's always bustling, and has some pretty cool restaurants, shops, and bars.

BLazarus22

Thank you so much for the detailed reply. I will reconsider the hotel solely based on area which was the biggest concern.

moondog

Got you. Most people in the Hilton forum who stay at the Doubletree do so because it is cheap (on both points and cash), and they simply accept the bad location. My feeling is that, if not using points, it's worth going off brand if you're spending cash; Y700 is sufficient to fetch a pretty nice hotel near Nanluo Guxiang.

YuropFlyer

Considering the size of Beijing, it's quite arguable if there really is a "good" location or a "bad" location. As long as the hotel is reasonably in the centre and nearby a metro, the differences are relatively slim. Line7 is less crowded and gets you to some of the tourist hotspots itself, so I'd definitely NOT say the location of the doubletree is anyhow bad.

If the places you'll be visiting are reasonably covered, it's quite a good choice (there is still "local" food nearby, which other hotels are pretty much missing) - and with the opening of the new Beijing airport, cards might be shuffled again a bit anyway.

Oh, and forget about Google Maps. Get yourself Baidu Maps. MUCH more reliable.

BLazarus22

​​​​​​Where can I get a version of Baidu that is in English though? Or am I being naive and just need to figure out how to crosswalk the language?

moondog

1. Line 7 passes well south of most tourist spots, though the fact that it's often possible to sit down is kind of nice
2. Precisely because Beijing is big, it's important to choose a decent location IMO
3. There isn't much to see/do/eat near the DT
4. I use both Baidu and Google maps
-the former is much more detailed, but there isn't an English version

German Expat

The Doubletree is fine if you leave in the morning for sightseeing and return in the evening and accept a bit a longer travel time for a lower (in our case quite a while ago) lower points rate. Also their Chinese restaurant was quite good especially if you just want to eat and not go out again. So if you just stay a couple days and have full day plans to the main tourist attractions anyway the travel time plays less of a role. If you want to go back to the hotel during the day to relax and then go out again its a different story.

We are recently staying at the JW Marriott in the Chaoyang District to be close to where we need to be. Beijing is huge and traffic can be a real pain and therefore I would pick a hotel (regardless of the chain) that suits your travel pattern best. Also public transportation is the way to go (but avoid the rush hours).

Cathay Dragon 666

Don't bother with this hotel. I've made the mistake of coming here when there are plenty of other options.

1) The room is screaming renovate me. The TV is so small it's smaller than my computer monitor back home. That's not the worst of it. The worst is the shower floor actually have metal bars sticking out! YOU WILL CUT YOUR FEET IF YOU DON'T COVER IT WITH ANTI-SLIP that they've provided. How cheap and pathetic is that?

2) The lounge is so small that it can't barely fit 20 people. They don't have a self-serve fridge and they put 2-3 cans of soda out at once, and of course when it's gone in seconds it takes them forever to refill, and if you asked the staff for it they will say "ok, wait a minute" and takes 5-10 minutes to bring out more.

3) Food selections in the lounge is poor and low quality. McDonalds chicken-nuggets? Got to be kidding me.

4) Finally, horrible customer service at the front desk. I've got up to ask for change to break a 100 bill to smaller bills so I can tip the hotel staff. There were 4 of them gathering just giggling and telling each other jokes. I went up, at least 2 saw me but proceeded to ignore me standing there and finishes up the joke and burst out laughing. I finally called out for attention and one of them came and actually said "what". I've proceeded to ask for change and was told flat out "we don't give out change here", and then I asked "for a 5-star hotel you don't have cash at the front desk?" She gave me a smirk and said "not enough to give you change" and proceeded to ignore me, the rest of the 3 simply smirk behind her.

Horrible, ridiculous, worst hotel ever.

YuropFlyer

Kinda cute what qualifies at "worst hotel ever" for some people..

The Doubletree Beijing - at least in my eyes - is far from being that. It's not a great hotel by any means, but perfectly adequate.

I think the main problem is having the wrong expectations. Yes, officially it's 5 stars, but it's definitely NOT in the same category as many real 5* hotels in PEK. But then, it doesn't charge the same room rates, either. It's a decent 4* property, and pretty good at that.

Yes, the rooms aren't brand new, the hotel is 10 years old, and back then, that was what an average hotel TV size was about. But I'd rate a hotel TV size in it's importance not very highly up.

So it seems your main complaints besides the TV were that you needed to use the anti-slip in the bathroom? And that the food in the lounge wasn't to your liking, and that service wasn't as fast as you expected it?

And you probably don't know, but hardly anyone in China uses cash anymore. It doesn't surprise me that it took them a while to find proper change. At hotels and foreigner places/big shopping malls, you can pay by credit card, or debit cards, and at smaller shops you simply pay by WeChat/Alipay. Some shops don't even take cash anymore (similar to other countries who moved away from cash-based systems like Norway, Sweden.. you might get into similar problems there)

Also, DO NOT TIP in China. You simply don't.

moondog

While I almost never tip in China, it's difficult to overlook the spread of the practice, and this shows no signs of abating.

purr9

How's the upgrade for diamond member from base room for this property recently?