Prime Hotel Wangfujing (The Forbidden City)

The only difference between the room types is the floor level. My colleague's 1088 room was on the 7th floor, and my 1588 room was on the 10th floor. The room layouts were identical; just the floors were different. Also, the front desk service had an attitude problem. There was a tissue box on the round table in the room. When I tried to move it to the bedside table during my stay, I only picked up the top part of the box; the base and tissues fell onto the table, and that's when I realized the tissue box was broken. When checking out, the male receptionist asked about the tissue box. I told him what happened honestly. He then gave a sarcastic snort, like 'Heh, are you saying you didn't break it? Our staff said it was fine before.' I was speechless. If you're going to treat every guest with the mindset that 'customers are liars, customers always make excuses, customers will never admit fault,' then where's the sincerity? Did you thoroughly inspect it? Do I need to call someone over immediately to verify when I find a broken amenity? Is that really necessary? And finally, please enjoy the nearly 200-RMB breakfast; the stir-fried dishes were beyond words.

This hotel has been in this location for many years and has recently undergone a renovation. The post-renovation experience is much better overall, with a high-quality feel from the lobby to the rooms. The room setup is very meticulous and thoughtful, and the staff are friendly. The stay was comfortable and convenient. The only minor drawback is the paid parking, but given the location, it's understandable.

My experience was absolutely terrible, right from check-in. The front desk staff registered me for a hotel membership using my contact information without asking for my consent. When I finally asked why, they told me it was to upgrade my room. Upon entering the room, the overwhelming perfume smell was unbearable. After I switched rooms, the guest services center was constantly unreachable by phone. I've stayed at many hotels, but I've never encountered such arrogant service at this price point. When I went down for breakfast, I asked a staff member in the elevator what time it was served until, and they said 10:00 AM – it was 9:55 AM then. However, once I got to the breakfast restaurant and saw how many people were there, I asked another staff member and was told 10:30 AM. I woke up that morning feeling a bit itchy but didn't think much of it. After checking out, the red rash became much more noticeable. Remembering this, I suspected it might be a linen cleaning issue and inquired with the hotel through the platform. Their response was for me to go to the hospital for a diagnosis first... There was no basic greeting or concern shown (I paid for all medications myself afterwards and never sought reimbursement from the hotel). During my stay, I reported the guest services center being unreachable through the platform, and they replied that the duty manager would contact me to resolve it. I never received any explanation from the hotel by the time I checked out (does the hotel consider an unreachable guest services center to be normal?). For a brand with this kind of premium, I'm willing to pay more for good service, and clearly, this hotel doesn't deliver.

The hotel's location is excellent. It's just across the street from China Art Museum Station on Line 8, and you can see the subway station from your room. It's also only a ten-minute walk from Wangfujing. The room looked quite new and had electric curtains, but no smart toilet. The toiletries smelled great, and the soundproofing was good. The mattress was just right – neither too soft nor too hard – but the duvet was too thick and heavy, making it uncomfortable. Upon check-in, we received a box of tea, but breakfast for the child wasn't included, and we had to pay over 90 for it. Breakfast was decent, nothing special, but they had all the basics. Service was pretty average. They called beforehand to ask about check-in needs, and I mentioned needing kids' toiletries and a bed rail as we were with a child. The bed rail was installed but very dirty, and the kids' toiletries weren't provided. Staff we encountered in the hallways wouldn't proactively greet us and avoided eye contact, a stark contrast to the Universal Studios Grand Hotel where we stayed the day before. Only four tiny bottles of water in the room were complimentary; all other food and drinks came with a charge. Overall, the hotel felt a bit stingy, and the stay was just so-so.

I first stayed at Huaqiao Hotel many years ago to watch a play at Beijing People's Art Theatre. My impression back then was excellent, and I always thought I'd stay here whenever I visited Beijing again. Later, for a while, I couldn't book a room and found out it was undergoing renovations. This time, I stayed to see an exhibition at the art museum, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the hotel is even better after the renovation! The facilities have been upgraded, and the breakfast is as plentiful as ever. A very satisfying stay!

Absolutely amazing! It only takes a little over ten minutes to get to the Forbidden City and Yonghe Temple, and Wangfujing is within walking distance. It's also close to the subway.