Jianguo Hotel

This eight-day stay was a real disappointment. I gave one star only because there was no zero-star option. After more than a decade of good memories, I feel sad that the experience has changed so much. I first knew Jianguo Hotel around 1985 or 1987, when my uncle came from Canada to visit my dad. Back then it was upscale, atmospheric, and the service was excellent. I stayed there for the first time in 2011, and it was still a decent hotel. My 2023 stay was so regrettable that I won't return. The service was poor. After more than ten hours of flying from Australia, we got out of the car and the doorman acted as if he hadn't seen us, then walked away. Nobody greeted us in the lobby until we were nearly at the front desk. I may be remembering wrong, but a decade ago there was a separate check-in area for executive rooms. That's gone now. There's no room service, and not even a proper restaurant. Getting utensils in the buffet restaurant was a struggle. The breakfast staff were extremely rude, and the chef frowned and glared when asking what I wanted. Housekeeping didn't change the bed linen unless asked. When I asked for fresh towels, they folded dry ones and put them back. I realized this after finding my son's towel, stained with his nosebleed, neatly folded and reused. The breakfast was monotonous, with very hard food that was extremely unappetizing. The facilities are rundown. The lobby, floors, corridors, and rooms have no Chinese cultural touches or cozy feel, more like a low-end budget hotel in China. The room decor used to have an ancient charm and warmth, but that's gone. Outside the window was a dilapidated building, and the Grand Hotel Beijing was the only thing visible in the distance. It felt as if the view was saying, 'If you don't have money, this is the only hotel you can afford.' The room facilities are outdated, elevator doors close very quickly, and a slight delay can get you caught in them. The hallways smell of smoke, reportedly because guests secretly smoke in their rooms. There aren't enough power outlets, and somehow there isn't one by the bed.

We had a great stay in April 2018. The room was spacious and very clean, and the hotel was handy for both the subway and the ancient observatory. We loved the breakfast buffet. The pools were lovely too, with different fragrances and water temperatures from the hot springs. We'd stay here again if we come back to Beijing.

I like the hotel's setting and think it has a lot of potential, but the standards need to improve. Internet was too slow for business use, and we struggled to send and receive emails. The hotel seems set up for business travelers, including international visitors, yet hardly any staff speak English and most only speak Mandarin. The breakfast restaurant looks classy and is nicely presented, but the extra cost doesn't feel worth it. The bread wasn't fresh, some was stale, and there was very little fresh fruit. Dinner was overpriced too. My medium-rare steak came completely overdone. We were given a book of wines, then after choosing one were told only two red wines were available. They could have saved us time by listing the wines actually on offer and their prices.

The buffet breakfast was amazing, with Asian food as well as options for Europeans and Americans who don't want Asian dishes. I enjoyed having something different each morning. The rooms were quite big, and so was the bathroom, though it sometimes smelled a bit. I didn't complain since I wasn't in the room much. It's also very close to the subway, and from that station it's easy to reach the places you want to visit. I'll definitely come back.