Shangri-La Shougang Park Beijing

The airport is a long way off, about a 90-minute drive, but the area around the hotel is interesting and the food and service were both great. The building itself is striking: an old power plant turned into the lobby, conference rooms, and dining area, with guest rooms linked by a covered third-floor walkway. I attached photos of the room and facilities, though they don't really capture it.

The last few days were lovely. Breakfast had a delicious, much better spread, and the hotel itself is beautiful with thoughtful design. There was one night when the bath water wasn't hot enough, though, which made me wonder if they were cutting back on the water heater too. We checked in on April 29, two days before Labor Day, and got two rooms on the eighth floor, the top floor. They were unbearably hot, like saunas. The air conditioning only pushed warm air, even with the thermostat turned way down, and an engineer measured it at 30C. Turning it off didn't cool the rooms either. I moved to the fifth floor, where it was a little better, and the staff tried to help by bringing a fan. Later, a staff member let slip that they had switched off the air conditioning until May 1 because there weren't enough guests. After May 1 it started working, and the breakfast selection grew a lot. I understand changing the breakfast offerings, but turning off the AC during a warm spell at a five-star Shangri La is unbelievable and disappointing. It doesn't fit the brand. The hotel is a beautiful, distinctive boutique property in a quiet neighborhood that doesn't feel very touristy. It's a good spot for a relaxing stay or for an event or conference nearby, but not so convenient for sightseeing. Getting to Beijing's main attractions takes about an hour. With better management, this could be an amazing hotel. As it stands, I don't think it meets Shangri La standards.

Weekend breakfast was fantastic, with lots of choices. I especially liked the Peking Duck roll and the deep-fried Taro roll. The room was a decent size, and I loved the washroom area. One odd thing: when we boiled water in the kettle a second time, it came out yellow, maybe from long use. The staff brought us another kettle that looked brand new.

The natural setting is lovely, and the design makes great use of the site's distinctive heritage. The employees were very nice. It was built for the winter olympics, but the surrounding nature makes it worth recommending from spring through autumn too.