Fairmont Beijing

The dining downstairs was shockingly bad for $100 per person, more like fast food or a premade meal. During just two nights I had to change rooms four times because of different problems, and an AC issue even woke me up in the middle of the night, something that has never happened to me at a hotel, not even a MOTEL. They eventually upgraded me to a better room, and I also asked them to fix some lighting issues. With a location this nice, no wonder the place is so inexpensive. It gave me PTSD.

The hotel was clean, cozy, and well maintained, and staff were quick and attentive when we needed anything. Everyone spoke good English, which made the stay convenient. Tommy was especially helpful, arranging our Taobao packages and explaining how to get around Beijing, buy tickets, and navigate the city. We stayed at Fairmont Beijing from March 19-24 and had a great experience. Also booked through @alpine.luxuryhotels on instagram for the best promos. I'd definitely recommend staying here when visiting Beijing.

We found the rooms dark and dated, and the hotel really needs updating. Dinner at the Steakhouse Restaurant was poor, and we were the only guests there. We're usually big Fairmont fans and often book the Gold Floor, so finding out the day before arrival that the Gold Floor Lounge was closed was disappointing. At check-in they offered breakfast and happy hour in the Lobby Lounge, but then said those benefits covered only one of us and the other guest would have to pay. The manager sorted it out, but it left a bad taste that lingered through the stay. This experience won't change our feelings about Fairmont, but we wouldn't stay at this hotel again.

The room looked fine, but the bed made it impossible for me to sleep well during my five nights here. The mattress sagged and felt worn out, and the pillows were so soft they gave no support. I asked for a firmer pillow, but still couldn't get a good night's sleep. The front desk was painfully inefficient, making unnecessary small talk with each guest while a queue formed and showing no urgency or respect for people's time. On my last day, the doorman was rude and grabbed my phone to photograph the screen when my airport pickup arrived. He said he needed the driver's information to complain because the driver had insulted him. Using a guest's device for a staff dispute was a serious privacy breach and completely unprofessional. The location was inconvenient. There is a subway nearby, but not even a convenience store. This didn't feel like a four-star stay, and I've had much better experiences with luxury brands like Sofitel. I wouldn't stay here again.