Beijing definitely has its pros and cons. One of the biggest pros of Beijing is the hotel prices, which tend to be reasonable even for higher-end properties. I was only going to have one night in Beijing so I wanted to stay at a nice property and settled on the St. Regis Beijing. I made the booking through the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which is a great program for holders of the American Express Platinum and/or Centurion cards. The FHR benefit for the St. Regis Beijing was a complimentary upgrade and a $100 food and beverage credit per stay.
Since the rates were pretty reasonable, and because I could eat at the hotel for “free” thanks to the FHR benefit, I splurged a little and booked a St. Regis Suite for the US equivalent of about $300. I also checked the room category types and found that the next category of suite was an Ambassador Suite.
(ATB Top Tip: always know the type of room you’d like to upgrade to and don’t be afraid to ask for it if it’s part of your hotel/status benefits)
The hotel charges way too much for an airport transfer so I decided to risk a taxi. Bad decision. I knew the subway station near the hotel and, once I determined we were in at least the right area, just paid the driver and got out in the middle of the road during a stop light. After about 30 minutes I found the St. Regis. I would have preferred to use the hotel’s car service but it was just too expensive for me (I pick weird things to be cheap about). The check-in process was quick and easy and I was happy to find out they had upgraded me to an Ambassador Suite without me even having to ask!
Ambassador Suite
I walked through the door of my suite and was immediately happy with my decision to splurge a little.
Entryway, Ambassador Suite
Off the entryway was a half bathroom.
Half bathroom, Ambassador Suite
The room was in a C-shape with a living room, dining/office area, and bedroom with a comfortable king-sized bed. The views outside were nice but nothing incredibly epic (the hotel is in the embassy area of Beijing).
The living room area was very nice with a large TV, comfortable couches, and a minibar among the cabinetry.
Living room, Ambassador Suite
The living room led to the dining/office area. There was a welcome amenity of snacks waiting for me on the dining table.
Dining/office area
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- Welcome snacks (chocolate)
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- Welcome snacks (fruit tart)
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- Welcome snacks (little oranges)
The bedroom was very nice, with a comfortable king-sized bed and another TV. The views outside were again very nice and I liked how the windows could open a bit in case you wanted to get some fresh air.
Bedroom, Ambassador Suite
Bedroom, Ambassador Suite
(note the other hotel in the window that does a good job of branding!)
Bedroom, Ambassador Suite
The bathroom was very nice with a tub and separate shower and had two AMAZING features: a TV in the mirror (similar to the St. Regis Abu Dhabi) and a Japanese-style toilet seat!
(picture will be added later today, sorry!)
I had big plans to walk over to Tiananmen Square and see the sights a little bit but unfortunately this was the second night of my trip, when the jet lag of the flight to Asia usually hits me like a ton of bricks. I accidentally fell asleep! But it was no matter, the bed was comfy and I got a great night’s sleep, which I would need for my trip to the Great Wall of China the next day.
Room Service for Breakfast
What I had originally planned was to split my $100 food/beverage credit between dinner and breakfast, but I fell asleep, which meant I needed to use it all on breakfast! I’m actually not much of a breakfast person so this was kind of a challenge and I ended up only using about $80 between the steak and eggs, french toast, and a glass of sparkling wine (they were out of champagne). I guess there was a fruit plate, bread basket, and coffee too now that I think about it!
Steak and eggs, Ambassador Suite
Tried to do the “pouring the syrup on the french toast” shot here
Fruit plate, Ambassador Suite
Sparkling wine, Ambassador Suite
Final Thoughts
Everything was wonderful at the St. Regis. I’ve still never taken advantage of the St. Regis butler service (where they will unpack or repack your things for you or draw you a bath, stuff like that) just because I don’t think I’d be comfortable asking someone to do that, but it was a very nicely-decorated room, the room service was great, and the hotel facilities were beautiful (although they asked me not to take pictures in the lobby with my tripod, boo).
While I wish their car service was cheaper I guess I understand why it’s so expensive: because Beijing taxis are so terrible and the St. Regis is a luxury property. If I’m honest I’d admit I’d probably just pay it next time instead of dealing with the confusion, so joke’s on me I guess!
All in all it was a great (albeit short) stay at the St. Regis in Beijing.
Isn’t some type of breakfast included with the FHR rate? I was bit surprised to read that you used your credit on that.
And about the hotel pictures: I would prefer a slightly more zoomed out, and more focus over the entire food arrangement (Just my thoughts). Otherwise, nice job with the pictures! And thanks for the tip about the cabs.
You’re correct, breakfast was included but I had to leave the hotel at 7am and didn’t want to waste the food credit!
Photos of the suite look great! What camera are you using?
Thanks! I use a Sony a7rII, I detailed my kit in another post here.
Thanks for the link! Checking it out now. Keep up the good work! I was looking at your suite pictures and I thought for a second that they were stock photos from the hotel site.
Your photos are fabulous. Definitely professional grade. Very impressed.
My caliber is still way below yours.
Rookie questions: 1. What type of flash did you use to get the interior lighting so perfect?
2. Did you combine photos/ use layers to get the window views to turn out so well?
In China I always have a problem with them allowing me to take photos, even with my phone camera. I have to do it when they are not looking.
Thanks. I look forward to more trip reports.
1. No flash, although I do typically use a flash if there’s an area or two that could use some more light.
2. Yes, I took an exposure for the interior and an exposure for the windows and combined them together in Photoshop