Ascott Raffles City Beijing

“北京聖誕節 (Christmas in Beijing)”

Last year seems so long ago, already missing our recent holiday in the mainland. Visiting different provinces in China during xmas was interrupted during covid years. So it was a relief when the wotld re—opened this year, as we resumed our tradition, choosing Beijing. We stayed with the CapitaLa… more

Last year seems so long ago, already missing our recent holiday in the mainland. Visiting different provinces in China during xmas was interrupted during covid years. So it was a relief when the wotld re—opened this year, as we resumed our tradition, choosing Beijing. We stayed with the CapitaLand Group, this time the Ascott brand (previously stayed with a Somerset). The location of the hotel, Ascott Raffles City Beijing (ARCB) is perfect, specifically if underground train system is your go-to means of transport for sight-seeing destinations, shopping, etc. (eg WangFujing). It was SO easy to travel to and from UNIVERSAL STUDIOS BEIJING! The Airport Express Line station is also walkable from hotel, as was ‘Gui Jie’ (street). And as mentioned in previous previews, hotel guests have private access to connected Raffles City mall. The grocery, Food and Beverage outlets in the mall, makes your hotel stay efficiently comfortable. And since we were in city central, it never felt far going to/coming back from the iconic Great Wall, Palace Museum, But this review focuses on our hotel/service apartment experience, starting from the airport pickup and transfer to hotel via hotel car, driver Donald who remained courteous and friendly upon greet, even as he took us ‘home’, after waiting for our arrival after midnight. Check in (on the 6/F, complimentary coffee/tea available) was smooth and quick, having been pre-paid vis agent, being assigned to the executive apartment, 2 bedroom on 21/F. We were high enough to see above buildings across from the hotel, to have a skyline and see the sunrise for the next 3 days. It’s an apartment, meaning it has a proper dining area and fully equipped kitchen, with crockery, cutleries, etc, which we did utilize, coming back from day trips into the city. Housekeeping did a very good job, servicing the apt, refilling/replenishing, etc, while we were gone, having us come back to a clean home…it was like checking in to a brand new room each time. Water pressure is strong, wifi is stable…room temperature was comfortably kept at 23-25’c vs the cold weather below 0 outside. Breakfast room is on the 6/F, basic fusion of western & asian foods. Guests continue to feel right at home, thanks to the care and attention of Franco, Cassie and team. Yes, the hotel is not new ∨ has the bling as some others. It falls more under the classics style of the 90s-early 2000s, which was fine for us, per our trip’s itinerary. We did our homework, looking into various hotel’s background, before deciding on Ascott, which is really what people should do, instead booking/gking in blindly then complaining when facilities are below (their) expectation. We have none and were happy with what ARCB has to offer, from arrival up until departure car/svc to airport. But the loudest shout out goes to Miki Wu of Guest Services, who I had been in contact with pre-arrival, during stay, up until check out day when we finally met. She always found the time to reply to queries, incl assisting with day tour+guide arrangement, authentic peking duck lunch location…. even going beyond than what her responsibilities entail, specifically on arrival day and xmas eve, which me & fam sincerely appreciated. It is employees like Miki that makes a hotel stand out, no matter new or old, no matter what facilities/services are offered. The hospitality industry will always only succeed, fully dependable on the good relationship formed between management/site staff and guests. So, bravo, Miki and staff…Thank you for sharing your home, making it ours, even for awhile last Christmas…

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“Passable Five Star Service flats.”

If the Ascott Raffles City were in a less competitive hotel environment – say Phnom penh instead of Beijing – it would be very desirable. The room is big, the furnishings are generally well maintained, the apartments have everything you would need including washing machine with dryer function. I… more

If the Ascott Raffles City were in a less competitive hotel environment – say Phnom penh instead of Beijing – it would be very desirable. The room is big, the furnishings are generally well maintained, the apartments have everything you would need including washing machine with dryer function. I found it very spacious, clean, and I appreciated their gestures towards sustainability by using bamboo toilet paper (though they still had individual tubes for the shower gel and shampoo, hopefully because they’re using up old stock). The pool is really nice : clean, wide, open early till late, and with a nice changing room too. However, in a competitive hotel market like Beijing, I feel that the Ascott needs to up its game. The floors need to be redone, the gym was very sorry, with equipment that was ordered by someone who doesn’t know weights or workouts. For instance, the abdominal crunch needs stack weights, of which there are none. The weight machines are the pulley type, ok for elderly. And the leg press is broken. On the plus side, the cardio machines were all in good working order. One issue was that there was no heat. It was 5 degrees in Beijing, but I couldn’t get the heat to turn on . I had to sleep in the living room because the bedroom was so cold. The hotel later told me that there is no heat supply until november 15 by policy. It's fine if the hotel must follow government policy, but in that case, they should inform the guests of the situation and offer them some extra blankets or even a space heater. On the plus side, it is very convenient, right above the metro station, and next to a big mall with lots of conveniences. The staff were all really nice. They helped me to order something from Meituan (foreign credit card doesn’t work). And they have a cute robot which makes deliveries to the room. It's very smart, If you're also waiting for the elevator, it will let you go first, and avoid getting into the same elevator as you (though perhaps for energy savings, they should program it to ride the elevator with humans). I am not sure I will return to the Ascott if in Beijing again but at least it would be a contender given that it’s less costly than a hotel.

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“Comfortable stay”

The hotel was clean and well-maintained, with friendly staff that added a pleasant touch to the stay. A standout feature was the cute robot delivering food straight to the room, offering a fun and convenient touch similar to Uber Eats. The gym was adequate for a quick workout, and the views from th… more

The hotel was clean and well-maintained, with friendly staff that added a pleasant touch to the stay. A standout feature was the cute robot delivering food straight to the room, offering a fun and convenient touch similar to Uber Eats. The gym was adequate for a quick workout, and the views from the room were impressive. Breakfast was tasty and offered a good variety, though it would benefit from more options for vegan and vegetarian guests. Overall, it was a comfortable and enjoyable stay with just a few areas for improvement.

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“Needs refurbishment ”

Pros - adjacent to subway & modern shopping centre with good selection of mid priced restaurants on the top floor and international supermarket in the basement. Cons - property feels tired and I doubt it’s had a refurb or anything spent on it in the last 12-15 years. Carpets grubby in high traffi… more

Pros - adjacent to subway & modern shopping centre with good selection of mid priced restaurants on the top floor and international supermarket in the basement. Cons - property feels tired and I doubt it’s had a refurb or anything spent on it in the last 12-15 years. Carpets grubby in high traffic areas. Asked about restaurants and they pointed to the shopping centre, and the in-house breakfast is pretty basic. Summary - if you are staying a long time or absolutely need a property with a small living area and kitchen with microwave (for example young kids) then stay here. Otherwise go somewhere else. There’s plenty of good hotels at similar price with on-site restaurants and close to the subway.

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