Renaissance Beijing Haidian Hotel

My stay was spoiled by two things. First, I’d paid extra for a "club room with club lounge access". At check-in, the front desk lady said, with a straight face, that as a Marriott gold member I’d been upgraded to club, then told me lounge access was only for diamond members. I checked my booking and returned to the desk, where a young man said he needed to check from "MY end" because that was what it said on "YOUR side". The "my side" was the Marriott app, which is theirs too, right? He eventually "granted" me access, but the attitude and whole experience were unpleasant. The other problem was the heat in the room during winter. There was no way to cool it down. Daytime sun came straight through the window and radiated through the wall, bringing the room close to 27 degrees. At night it dropped to 24/25, but no lower. I called service, and a man came to open the ceiling and seemed to work on something, then said it was fixed. He also offered a portable AC unit, which made me suspicious. The "fix" changed nothing. I think he knew there was no solution because the heater was on throughout the building and no cool air was being fed into the rooms. The so-called "AC" was just a blower fan with a bag of ice, which barely helped. How much BTU could a bag of ice provide? The ice had to be replaced every 4 hours, which was disruptive at night. I gave up because it made little difference and only added noise. I didn’t enjoy the stay, and I liked the pretentious attitude even less.

The room looked clean when we first saw it, but there was a bad smell as soon as we walked in. At check-in, the front desk tried to record my ID using a personal device, and we had to stop them. They also told us the elevator was being maintained and the power in our room would cut out on and off. Work was happening on the outside of the building too. We were told to keep the curtains shut if we stayed in the room. For a place rated five stars, this was a very disappointing stay, and I wouldn't recommend it.

Being a little outside central Beijing worked out well for us. We got to explore the north of the city, and the staff arranged a private driver to the Great Wall, sorted our tickets, and saved us $400 compared with the quote we got on Klook for the same service. They were also wonderful with the small things. When our daughter wanted to try the local McDonald’s, they called us a cab, helped with the order by contacting McDonald’s, and offered to arrange the ride back. They even took the initiative to coordinate with drivers for us elsewhere during the stay. The hotel is gorgeous, with comfortable rooms and a polished urban feel. The breakfast buffet was fresh and restaurant quality, and the selection was great. Definitely worth booking a rate that includes it. The staff were attentive throughout, and several spoke English well. A translator could be useful for anyone who has trouble communicating with staff who speak less English. Our family had a terrific time at the Renaissance Hotel. We were sorry to leave and would choose it again next time we’re in Beijing.

The happy hour spread was a standout, and breakfast had both a great atmosphere and plenty of excellent choices. I was impressed by how new and comfortable the suite felt as soon as I walked in. I drove there and parking was free. The staff were professional, upgraded me to a suite ahead of time, and arranged a birthday gift, which I really appreciated. For context, the Platinum members checking in that day included 1 ambassador, 15 titanium, 8 platinum, and 5 gold. I hadn’t stayed at a Marriott Renaissance before. Comparing weekday and weekend prices, I noticed the October 2 points redemption was low, so I booked right away. Renaissance Beijing Haidian Hotel is a place I’d like to return to when I’m back in Beijing.