Discover Hidden Luxuries at the St. Regis Beijing: An Unforgettable Stay Awaits

Beijing, the political and cultural capital of the People’s Republic of China, is an incredible city with much to offer. It perfectly blends ancient history and modern innovation, where centuries-old traditions seamlessly intertwine with rapid urban growth.

I got to know the city well on my one and only visit back in 2015, when I was living in China. In fact, Beijing was the very first major city outside of the U.S. I’d ever visited by myself.

Recently, since I had a Marriott Bonvoy free night award set to expire, I thought Beijing would be the perfect place to use it. Beijing has numerous hotels to choose from, and many bookings can be made using points. Ultimately, I booked a 1-night stay at the St. Regis Beijing.

Here’s an in-depth look at my wonderful experience at the property and why you should consider staying there when visiting Beijing.

Booking the St. Regis Beijing

Beijing has many Marriott properties, many of which offer reasonable cash rates and points redemptions. Many consider the St. Regis brand the epitome of luxury, on par with Ritz-Carlton. So, when I saw that I could use my expiring 35,000-point free night award at the St. Regis Beijing, one of the city’s most historic and luxurious hotels, I immediately booked it.

I received the free night award as a card anniversary benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card, which is one of my favorites as it offers several incredible perks and benefits.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

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Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Welcome Offer

Our best offer is back! Earn 5 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card. Certain hotels have resort fees.

5 Free Night Awards

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $1,750

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn big when you use your card at thousands of participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
• Earn big at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
• Automatic Silver Elite Status

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Marriott Silver Elite Status is the lowest status tier

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Card Highlights

• Our best offer is back! Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
• Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
• Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
• 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
• Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Card.
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Marriott Bonvoy

I noted that the cash price for a standard room was ¥1,225 ($170) before taxes and fees. I felt good about this redemption since the Marriott Boundless card’s annual fee of $95 was much lower than the cash rate.

When redeeming the free night award, I had several room options, including larger guest rooms. Since the price was the exact same for each room type, I clicked on the Larger Guest room, 1 King, City View.

After picking the room I wanted, I selected the free night award rather than Marriott Bonvoy points.

At the bottom of the confirmation page, I noticed a message stating that I could use a Nightly Upgrade Award to upgrade to a better room. A Nightly Upgrade Award is a 1-night, confirmable upgrade to a premium room or suite.

Once you ask to use your Nightly Upgrade Awards for a hotel stay, Marriott begins to search for upgrade availability 3 days before arrival. Since I had a few to use, I decided to try and see if it would go through.

With the upgrade request, I had several rooms to choose from. Unfortunately, all the room types were incredibly similar, with no descriptions. So I went ahead and selected all of the rooms with a king-size bed because it increased my chances of being upgraded to a nicer room.

On the final confirmation page, I received a message stating that Marriott was working on my upgrade request.

Ultimately, the Nightly Upgrade Award was approved and I was given a 1 King Bed, City View, Large Suite. That upgraded suite was going for $438 per night, not including taxes and fees. This was a major win.

The St. Regis Beijing Location

The St. Regis Beijing is in the Chaoyang District, home to most of Beijing’s foreign embassies and the city’s Central Business District, which is the primary area for finance and business.

The property is within walking distance of several Beijing tourist attractions, including the World Financial Center, the Temple of the Sun, the Place shopping mall, the Today Art Museum, and the Beijing Ming City Wall Ruins Park.

The closest subway station is Jianguomen Station, a 9-minute walk from the hotel. Jianguomen Station is a stop on both Line 1 and Line 2 of the Beijing subway.

Checking In

After getting off at the subway station, we walked about 10 minutes to the hotel. Fortunately, the St. Regis Beijing was easy to spot.

We arrived at the property at 4 p.m., an hour after the hotel’s official check-in time.

We were greeted by a friendly bellman who took our bags and directed us to the concierge and the hotel’s check-in desks. However, before we turned to start the check-in process, I stopped to admire the intricate designs of the ceiling and chandeliers and the marble finish throughout.

The hotel’s concierge and check-in desks were directly to the left in the hall past the entrance to the hotel.

Neil, the staff concierge, warmly welcomed us to the property and engaged in some small talk while we waited to speak to a front desk representative.

After about a minute, a front desk representative welcomed us to the hotel and requested our identification to look up our reservation and to make a copy. Shortly after, she confirmed our 1-night reservation.

Since we were traveling in China by taking advantage of China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy, the hotel staff needed information about the hotels we had already stayed at, as was required by Chinese law.

The staff member then asked me for a credit card for incidental charges. I handed her my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, as it earns 6x points for Marriott stays.

The front desk representative told me that I booked a reservation that did not include breakfast. However, she mentioned that, thanks to my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, I could have breakfast at the hotel (essentially choosing my welcome amenity, although I wasn’t presented with a choice). I accepted.

The front desk representative then handed us our room key cards. That was it.

She did not provide a single bit of information about the hotel. She did not tell us what kind of room we were in, that the hotel upgraded us to a suite, or what our room number was. She did not even direct us to the elevators.

There was a significant language barrier between me and the front desk representative. I have traveled enough worldwide to know when to slow down when I speak. Still, this seemed more of a hospitality issue than a language issue.

I was so surprised at the lack of communication that I directly asked the representative if she could provide us with some information about the hotel. She was unsure what to say (as I looked visibly surprised, according to my wife) and looked directly at Neil, who had to step into the conversation. Neil then provided information about the hotel’s amenities, restaurants, and how to get where we needed.

After giving us our room key cards, the concierge told me he would have my bags sent to my room.

Bottom Line:

Unfortunately, the check-in service was not up to what I expected, especially at a 5-star luxury hotel brand that’s part of the biggest hotel chain in the world and known for providing top-notch service. However, the concierge stepped in and was helpful with whatever we needed throughout our stay.

Elite Benefits

I have Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status courtesy of my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, and this bestows several benefits, including:

• Enhanced room upgrade (based on availability)
• Welcome amenity (Marriott Bonvoy points or complimentary breakfast for 2)
• 4 p.m. late checkout

Lobby

We explored the relatively simple yet massive hotel lobby. Directly across the hall from the check-in desks was a small waiting area with seating for only 2 people.

As we turned right from the check-in desks toward the hotel entrance, there was a massive table in the center of the room with a nice floral arrangement (the same one I stopped to take a picture of when we arrived at the hotel.

To the left was a spiral staircase that led to the second floor, where some of the hotel’s dining venues were.

Behind the massive table was the hotel’s Garden Lounge.

Another table was in front of the Garden Lounge. This one was filled with various Chinese teas that guests could purchase.

Lastly, the hotel’s guest floor elevators were to the right of the large hallway with the check-in desks.

Bottom Line:

The St. Regis Beijing’s lobby was quite large, with an open floor plan and incredibly high ceilings. Although the hotel is nearly 30 years old, it still exudes elegance and luxury.

1 Bedroom Larger Suite, 1 King, City View Room

After exiting the elevator on the 17th floor, we followed the signs to room 1716, a corner suite.

Living Room

As I entered the room, I saw a large foyer and hallway that led into the living area. The entrance to the room’s secondary bathroom was to the right before the main living space.

The foyer led to the suite’s living room. As I walked into the living room, I was immediately shocked at how massive the suite was. I could not even see where the entrance to the bedroom was.

Directly to the left was a massive wardrobe and storage unit.

Both of the large vertical cabinets were entirely empty, with enough space to seemingly fit all the clothes I own.

The room’s coffee station, equipped with a Nespresso machine, was on a shelf between the 2 large vertical cabinets. The hotel also provided 2 complimentary bottles of water.

Below the coffee machines was a cabinet that held the room’s minibar. As expected, minibar prices were a little ridiculous, as a single can of Pepsi was priced at ¥25 ($3.50). No thanks.

Next to the wardrobe was a large plant. I loved the touch of green in the room.

The living room was quite large and featured a large plush sofa with 2 equally comfortable and plush armchairs. There was a floor lamp on one side and a side table with another lamp on the other side of the sofa.

Although the furniture was a bit dated, I think it exuded luxury through a feeling of simple elegance.

On the large coffee table in the living room, there was an assortment of complimentary treats, which included caramelized walnuts, a red bean paste dessert, and some type of cookie.

The living room’s flat-screen television was directly across from the sofa, mounted to an old, vintage dresser. In my opinion, this piece of furniture did not look luxurious and felt out of place.

Half Bathroom

The suite featured a half bathroom near the room’s entrance. This bathroom was covered in marble and felt luxurious.

Dining Room/Workstation

Stepping out of the living room was another room, which featured a dining table in the center and a workstation in the corner.

The square dining table was quite large, with seating for 3. I tried to move the table — it was easily over 100 pounds.

The workstation was in the corner of the room. In front of it was another armchair, even comfier than those in the living room.

The workstation featured a comfortable and ergonomic chair, which allowed me to do quite a bit of work. On the desktop, there was a book with information about the hotel, a QR code for room service, and 1 of the room’s 2 telephones.

Bedroom

The bedroom’s entrance was in front of the workstation. The room’s defining feature was the king-size bed between 2 identical nightstands. It also had a padded ottoman.

The incredibly comfortable bed featured a plush, padded headboard. Wall-mounted reading lights, light switches, and AC power outlets were on each side of the bed.

The bedroom’s television was directly across from the bed and mounted on the same vintage dresser-styled unit. Next to the television unit was a suede armchair.

There was a massive, oddly shaped mirror on the left wall of the bedroom between the closet and the bathroom entrance.

The massive bedroom walk-in closet was to the right, directly behind the room’s entrance. The room’s safe was on the right side of the closet above several empty drawers.

The closet had 2 bathrobes, an iron and ironing board, a foldable luggage rack, and several hangers.

Lastly, the bedroom’s windows were directly to the right of the bed (when lying in bed) and offered expansive views of local offices and several residential buildings.

Bottom Line:

Simply put, the 1-bedroom suite at the St. Regis Beijing was incredible. It was massive, and I loved how everything served its function. Some furniture was outdated, but the hotel room still felt luxurious.

Bathroom

The suite’s main bathroom’s was through the bedroom and covered in marble. It was among the largest and most luxurious I have ever seen in a hotel room.

To the left of the bathroom, there was a massive soaking tub. Like the rest of the bathroom, the tub was covered in marble.

The soaking tub was incredibly deep and difficult to get in and out of. Although I did not use it, my wife found it incredibly relaxing.

The large shower was in its own section and contained both an overhead rainfall showerhead and a handheld one. Additionally, a large mirror was inside the shower.

The shower included Asprey shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Although the toiletries were incredibly luxurious, I did not like the single-use bottles.

Directly to the right of the shower was the massive vanity, which featured a deep sink and standard hotel toiletries.

The toilet was in a separate room to the right of the vanity. It was equipped with a bidet, which was a pleasant surprise, as it is unexpected with toilets in China.

Amenities

As expected of any luxury hotel, the St. Regis Beijing offered several amenities for guests. The spa, fitness center, and indoor swimming pool were in a separate building that was part of the St. Regis Residences. Guests could access this building through a hallway past the guest room elevators.

Iridium Spa

The St. Regis Beijing features a large 1,500-square-foot luxury spa called the Iridium Spa. The spa has a natural hot spring and features more than 25 treatments, including massages and hydrotherapy.

Although we did not try any of the services, the prices seemed reasonable, especially considering we were in a 5-star luxury hotel.

Athletic Center

The hotel features a fully equipped athletic center, which boasts an aerobics studio and squash courts. The athletic center is open daily between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.

The fitness center featured many cardio machines, including treadmills, ellipticals, stair climbers, and stationary bikes.

There was also a comprehensive selection of strength training equipment, with at least 20 individual strength machines. Additionally, free weights and benches were available.

The athletic center also featured free classes for hotel guests throughout the week. These included dance, Pilates, yoga, light resistance, and Zumba.

Swimming Pool

The property also boasts a 27-yard (25-meter) heated indoor swimming pool, open daily between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. A lifeguard is also on duty during operating hours.

Butler Service

The St. Regis Beijing also offers a butler service, a staple of St. Regis hotels worldwide. The butlers offer various services, including unpacking and storing luggage, in-room coffee and tea service, garment pressing, and helping secure tickets for local attractions.

The butler service could easily be reached via the telephones in the suite. The butlers rotated, and all of them were fantastic and quick to fulfill any requests.

Meeting Rooms and Event Space

The St. Regis Beijing also has 9 event and conference rooms, the largest of which can accommodate up to 600 guests.

Parking

The property offers hourly (¥12, or $1.50) and daily (¥216, or $30) on-site parking.

Food and Beverages

As expected of a luxury hotel like the St. Regis Beijing, there were several on-site food and beverage venues, ranging from a lobby lounge to several highly-rated restaurants. Here’s a look at what you can expect at The St. Regis Beijing.

Business Center

The hotel boasts a lounge on the 18th floor, which they call a business center. The lounge is open daily between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Although the business center has a workstation and provides business services like printing documents, it offers complimentary soft drinks and light snacks throughout the day.

The lounge also offers an evening reception between 5 and 7 p.m.

During our visit, the food selection was extremely limited. Even worse, the food was not even labeled. Since my wife and I do not eat pork, we had to ask a staff member if each food item included pork. This could easily be fixed for future guests with a small sign.

The only option we had from the first station was the beef skewers, which were not that bad.

There was also a small selection of cold cuts, including turkey breast.

A salad bar had a small selection of toppings and dressings.

After grabbing beef skewers and turkey breast, my wife and I sat down to eat. We both agreed that nothing was particularly delicious, which was a shame.

Garden Court

Garden Court restaurant is directly across from the hotel’s reception desk. It features a buffet with a variety of Western and Asian cuisine and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Here are the hours for the restaurant:

• Monday through Friday: 6 to 10 a.m. (breakfast); 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch); and 6 to 9:30 p.m. (dinner)
• Saturday: 6 to 10:30 a.m. (breakfast); 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch); and 6 to 9:30 p.m. (dinner)
• Sunday: 6 to 10:30 a.m. (breakfast); 12 to 3 p.m. (lunch); and 6 to 9:30 p.m. (dinner)

Guests who book rates with breakfast included and Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite members (and higher) who select breakfast as the welcome amenity can have breakfast here.

On our visit, the buffet had an excellent selection of breakfast foods. The first of several hot food stations included bacon, hash browns, boiled eggs, and fried eggs.

Next, there were sautéed mushrooms and beef sausages.

Other hot dishes included pork with black pepper, green vegetables, and hot and sour fish slices. The fish slices were surprisingly delicious.

There was also a noodle and soup station. Since I wasn’t entirely sure which had pork, I skipped the soups.

Stir-fried rice, stir-fried noodles, and vegetable noodle soup were available.

You could add different sauces, oils, and toppings like cilantro and scallions to your noodles.

There was also smoked salmon, which is one of my favorite breakfast items.

Next, batter-based breakfast items included pancakes (regular and cranberry), raisin bread-and-butter pudding (which the sign called “butter pudding”), and waffles.

A massive bakery selection included croissants (almond, chocolate, and plain), Danishes (which a sign said came in fruit and pineapple), and raisin almond rolls. There were also various types of rolls and breads, including an entire gluten-free bread station.

A nice display featured a selection of orange, cinnamon sugar, chocolate, pistachio, and strawberry doughnuts.

A massive salad station had an endless selection of toppings and dressings.

A fruit section included a variety of fruits, such as pineapple, grapefruit, dragonfruit, cantaloupe, watermelon, and oranges. 

After grabbing several plates of food, my wife and I sat down for breakfast. While the breakfast was delicious, unfortunately, the service was relatively poor. When we sat down, we requested beverages, which took more than 15 minutes to arrive. I had to get up to ask if they had forgotten our drinks or if the order was lost.

Lastly, my wife and I also partook in the ice cream station. I had scoops of tiramisu and coffee, and my wife chose vanilla and chocolate.

Bottom Line:

The breakfast buffet featured an extensive selection of Asian and Western foods. It was one of the best hotel breakfasts I have ever had.

The service at the restaurant was quite poor, with the staff being incredibly slow to respond to any requests. However, they did a good job replenishing food items.

Danieli’s

The hotel has an Italian restaurant, Danieli’s, on the second floor. The restaurant is easily accessible through the lobby staircase.

The restaurant is open for lunch on weekdays between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and dinner between 6 and 10 p.m.; it is only open for dinner on weekends between 6 and 10 p.m.

Danieli’s features an excellent selection of moderately priced Italian cuisine.

Celestial Court

The hotel also features Celestial Court, which serves traditional Cantonese food and specialty dishes from other regions around China.

The restaurant is located on the second floor and is open daily between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner.

Celestial Court featured some interesting art pieces and decor that were reflective of traditional Chinese culture.

Garden Lounge

The hotel also features Garden Lounge, located in the massive lobby. It is open on Mondays and Tuesdays between 9 a.m. and midnight and Wednesday through Sunday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The lounge offers various seating options, including many divided seating sections. The high ceilings and chandeliers make the lounge luxurious and grand.

It also features a massive bar with an excellent selection of alcoholic beverages.

Press Club Bar

Press Club Bar features an extensive cocktail menu, including a Great Wall Bloody Mary, which, according to the menu, substitutes Chinese pilsner for vodka.

Press Club Bar also offers live music. It is open between 5 p.m. and 1 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Service

Generally speaking, I found the service at the St. Regis Beijing average at best. At no point did I think to myself, “This service is fantastic,” which is what I expect from the St. Regis brand. However, this sentiment should be taken with a grain of salt. Before arriving in China, my wife and I spent 3 weeks in Japan, a country known for its excellent service and hospitality.

Still, I found the service lacking, particularly with the front desk and the restaurant staff. We experienced a language barrier with nearly every single employee, which made everything more challenging. Some requests were met with confusion, to the point that it began to feel like we were being a nuisance for requesting the smallest things.

However, I cannot say the same about the concierge (particularly Neil) and the butler service. They offered fantastic, quick service and were always willing to help. We ordered hot chocolate and lattes 3 times throughout the stay —–including a late-night order — and the butler quickly met our requests.

Final Thoughts

The St. Regis Beijing is a fantastic property in a prime location worth considering when visiting Beijing. It can routinely be booked using a 35,000-point free night award.

I was upgraded to an incredible suite thanks to a Nightly Upgrade Award. The 1-bedroom suite was fantastic, boasting ample space — larger than my own apartment. I loved the layout and how everything had a set purpose. I would place it among the best of any hotel I have ever stayed at.

The concierge and butler service at the hotel were also helpful and a pleasure to meet. However, I cannot say the same about the hotel staff as a whole, which was a major letdown. There was a language barrier with nearly every staff member (aside from the concierge), which I did not expect at an international 5-star hotel.

Still, I would consider staying at the St. Regis Beijing again the next time I visit Beijing. Although we had some issues, this property is one of the best hotels I have ever booked using a 35,000-point free night award.