Chapel Hill Guy

OP did, at least anecdotally:

We spent six days at the Hilton on the third ring road and used taxis extensively. We had some minor delays, but nothing different than any other large urban area.

And one can argue that enduring the subways is even worse than taxi delays. Incredibly crowded and a massive push-a-thon to get on the cars. I'd rather sit in traffic. YMMV.

moondog

Yeah, the current "network" isn't very useful. Plus, the old subway cars (which are being phased out, fortunately) are not air conditioned.... think mobile steam room with ~1000 strangers.

nologic

All these hotels are cheap, as are the taxis.

The Great Wall is 90 minutes away...so I unless I misunderstood and the GW Hotel is in BJ, like th St. Regis (which is a good deal) or the Grand Hyatt (which is very contemporary), I don't get the question...

moondog

Yes, it is just south of the northeast corner of 3rd Ring.

Thunderroad

Apologies to the moderator, who correctly moved post of mine to another forum because it wasn't really Starwood-specific, and to those who responded to a related thread comparing the two hotels for tourist purposes some time ago.

I have a number of appointments next week right near the St. Regis, but it's out of my price range. I'd welcome comparisons of the Westin and Sheraton in terms of which one is closer to the St. R, which is a nicer hotel, and which location is easier for getting around town by taxi. From searching other threads I understand that the Westin is in a pretty boring spot, but that's not very important to me for this business trip.

Thanks for any info.

Moy

The Sheraton is much closer to the St Regis. Westin is probably nicer, but Sheraton is recently remodeled (at least some floors/rooms).

stimpy

Just an update that Financial Street has been almost completely made over, between the Westin and the Ritz Carlton. There is a fancy upscale mall with Italian designer boutiques, a TGIF and other assorted western fast food type places and two cigar bars. Someone is clearly pumping money into this place to make it nicer.

At a recent Westin stay FC Barcelona was there too, on a promotional tour. All the stars were out and lots of fans too. The Westin was nearly sold out that week. But the crazy thing was the bar was packed one night, and they tried to close it around 11pm. We told them they were nuts and kept demanding drinks til after midnight. Why would they intentionally turn away tens of thousands of RMB? The players were all ordering top shelf wine and Champagne.

moondog

After you left town last time, I mentioned your enthusiastic review to the Westin manager that we know and she told me that the overall number is still sub 20% occupancy. Plus, it is widely rumored that Goldman Sachs is considering moving back over to the CBD (because few clients that matter, including yours truly and colleagues, are willing to make the treck). As I've said before, I think Financial Street's long-term potential is still solid. However, I'd be shocked if it turned the corner before 2009.

stimpy

I agree, but they will have their special weeks with bookings like I saw when I was there. And of course they will have the Olympics. But after that Financial Street will have to find a way to survive on its own.

bobo809

Stayed two non-consecutive nights at Westin FD, and one night in St. Regis.

Westin FD
Pros
- check-in at the lounge, served drinks while I was checking in
- excellent lounge serving great selection of food and wines in the evening hours
- upgraded to nice suite for plat, large living, work and bath areas, large LCD TV and Bose hifi (even included a nice selection of CDs), fruit basket
- renewal room also very nice, rm is large and lookout to the city, nice view at night, bathroom has tub and view to outside, tub and shower in same enclosed area
- nice gym, pool and sauna facility
- excellent breakfast in the morning, comp for plat
- bar is pretty busy in the evening, with singer and band playing
- excellent service (front desk, concierge, bell captain and lounge attendents)
Cons
- nothing much around the area within walking; there is only a luxury mall next to the hotel if you are so inclined
- need taxi to get around in the city; however, it's easy to catch a taxi at the hotel; going to central city (Forbidden City, WangFuJing) took about 20min and CNY15. My friend told me the hotel is still considered centrally located.

St. Regis
Pros
- location is closer to central city
- upgraded to suite, has separate living area, powder room and bathroom
- lounge served with food and drinks
- nice pool and gym
Cons
- tired room, furnitures looked old and out of styles, room felt cramped, unimpressive suite
- small lounge, old furnishings, small food selection, only one attendent and the service is so so
- no comp breakfast for plat; lounge only opens at 10 am, so they dont have to serve breakfast? Every spg hotel in Shanghai and Beijing offered free breakfast to plat; this hotel is the only exception!
- hard to get a taxi during rush hour; this was told by the bell captain. We and others waited like 5 minutes before a taxi drove up to drop off passengers.

Overall, the Westin is a much better hotel. They treated plat very well. I don't find the location to be a problem. Beijing is a vast city and you need taxi to go anywhere. Westin is still considered centrally located. St. Regis is unimpressive. Except a little nicer hardware in the bathroom, I felt I was in a Sheraton. Compare to St. Regis Shanghai, the one in Beijing is a disappointment. That's why we went back to Westin again the third night.

We went to a multi-stories shopping mall near Westin (about 5 min taxi). They have everything from clothing, accessories, gifts, toys and household goods. The mall has hundreds of shops, and they compete. Prices were good (need to bargain). I highly recommend it. Tell the concierge or taxi driver you want to go to "Tian Yi" Market.

stimpy

There is more than a luxury mall. There are fast food places, a TGIF, Cigar bars, a more moderately priced department store and you may not have noticed the subway? That can get you around Beijing a heck of a lot faster than a taxi. At certain times, a taxi back from the Forbidden City can take an hour. The Silk market is even longer. But they are both a few minutes on the subway.

bobo809

Yes, I never checked out the mall, but why should I? TGI Friday? We have plenty in the US. Luxury brands, probably cheaper in the US or HK. From outside, it's a nice mall, but it's western style. For me, it's more interesting to visit local markets, like the Tianyi Market where you will find some great gifts.

No experience with the subway. I always travel with my local friends and use taxi or private cars.

In any case, we agree that Westin is not located in the sticks.

michswiss

I'm in the middle of a four night stay at the Sheraton GW. All I can say is that my experience so far has been extremely disappointing in terms on room quality, heating and cooling, noise and staff. FWIW, I've spoken to the duty manager this evening and he is aware of some of the issues.

I had really hoped to be able to push as many stays as I could to SPG now that I'm traveling again. But regrettably, I don't have a realistic option to stay at the other SPG properties in Beijing. So, as much as I don't like the location, it's back to the Intercontinental.

nologic

4 days at the Great Wall? Stay at the St. Regis is Beijing,and take a daytrip/tour out to the Great Wall. You're going to want to be in Beijing proper to tour the Foridden Palace.

socalterp

What are you talking about??? The Sheraton Great Wall is in Beijing...