UrCove Beijing Forbidden City by Hyatt [In-Depth Hotel Review]

Whether you’re looking to be right in the heart of Beijing’s tourist zone, want an inexpensive stay, or are just looking for a checkmark in Brand Explorer, there are several reasons you might wind up at the UrCove Beijing Forbidden City.

My wife and I spent 3 nights here in late June 2024, and there were definite positives — including a surprisingly great breakfast buffet — but maintenance and language barriers dampened the experience. Want to know what it’s like staying at this hotel? This was our experience.

Booking UrCove Beijing Forbidden City

The UrCove Beijing Forbidden City is a Category 1 property in World of Hyatt, and the hotel used standard pricing during our stay. Thus, we booked 3 nights for 5,000 points each.

If we had paid cash, our stay would’ve cost $284.06. This was a great opportunity to redeem World of Hyatt points, giving us a value of nearly 1.9 cents per point. That’s well above our average value of World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents apiece.

If you pay for a stay at this or other World of Hyatt properties, consider paying with The World of Hyatt Credit Card or World of Hyatt Business Credit Card to earn up to 9x points on spending — or maybe more, depending on your status tier.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.

Welcome Offer

Earn 5 free nights at any Category 1 - 4 Hyatt hotel or resort after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.* These nights could be worth up to 90,000 points.

5 Free Nights

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.99% - 27.99% 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

The World of Hyatt Credit Card makes your Hyatt stays more rewarding and helps you get coveted World of Hyatt elite status faster. This card is a must-have for any traveler who regularly stays at Hyatt hotels, or even for anyone who’s able to take advantage of the card’s annual free night certificate.

When you factor in all the benefits the World of Hyatt card offers, it’s easy to see why it is one of the best co-branded hotel credit cards on the market.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays – 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
• 2x points per $1 at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit, rideshares, and fitness clubs/gym memberships
• 1x point per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $95 annual fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 5 free nights at any Category 1 - 4 Hyatt hotel or resort after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.* These nights could be worth up to 90,000 points.
• Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
• Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
• Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
• Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
• Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
• Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays – 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
• Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The World of Hyatt Business card provides a solid option for business travelers that are looking to put their expenses on a small business card.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Business card provides a solid option for business travelers that are looking to put their expenses on a small business card.

Welcome Offer

60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$199

APR

20.99% - 27.99% 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

Hyatt loyalists who do their fair share of business travel have been clamoring for the addition of a co-branded Hyatt business credit card for quite some time — and now it’s finally here.

The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is now available. In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about it!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Up to 9x points total for Hyatt stays and experiences: 4 Bonus Points per $1 on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels. Plus, up to 5 Base points from Hyatt per eligible $1 spent just for being a World of Hyatt member.
• 2x points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter. Eligible categories include: Dining, Shipping, Airline tickets when purchased directly with the airline, Local transit & Commuting, Social Media & Search Engine Advertising, Car Rental Agencies, Gas stations and Internet, Cable & Phone Services.
• 2x points per $1 spent on fitness club and gym memberships.

Cons

• $199 annual fee
• Bonus categories and benefits are very similar to the personal card

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
• Up to 9 points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4 Bonus Points per $1 on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
• 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter.
• 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent on fitness club and gym memberships
• 1 Bonus Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Up to $100 in Hyatt statement credits - spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn $50 statement credits up to two times each anniversary year.
• 5 Tier-Qualifying night credits toward status and Milestone rewards for every $10,000 you spend in a calendar year.
• World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open. Plus, Discoverist status to up to five employees
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

World of Hyatt

UrCove Beijing Forbidden City Location

As the name implies, this UrCove property sits just 4 blocks from the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square — 2 of the most popular tourist attractions in Beijing. Thus, the hotel was easily reachable by bus, subway, taxi, or walking.

However, you wouldn’t know that if you search for the hotel’s location on Google. When we came out of the subway, we were quite surprised to not find the hotel anywhere near its location on Google Maps. With the help of some locals, we found the hotel’s correct location and caught a taxi — better than walking 15 minutes with our luggage.

As of yet, Google hasn’t made the updates we submitted for the hotel’s location, but you can find the UrCove property around the corner from The Imperial Mansion, Beijing Marriott Executive Apartments.

Hot Tip:

Did you know that each different hotel brand you stay at with World of Hyatt can help you earn a free night? The Brand Explorer benefit gives you a Category 1-4 free night certificate after each 5 brands, and UrCove is 1 of the eligible brands.

Checking In

Arriving at the hotel’s entrance, we instantly loved its combination of traditional and modern architecture.

We also found the UrCove brand mascot next to the door, and ramps to the side provided an alternative to the handful of steps leading up to the automated glass doors.

We entered a small foyer that was much nicer than we expected from a Category 1 property. It housed beautiful artwork and flowers.

The reception area to the right of the foyer had a security guard around the clock, and information signs complemented the free bottled water and iced tea on the front table. The highlight was the wall mural with bright colors, creating a fun atmosphere.

A seating area was in the rear of the lobby, after a small reception stand, and we sat there until the family in front of us finished checking in. “Check in” was the only English the staff members at the desk knew, but luckily handing over our passports and smiling was sufficient to start the process.

The employee we interacted with quickly scanned our passports and began typing a message into her phone, relaying information through the translator to welcome us and communicate the location of elevators, the restaurant, and that breakfast was included.

We later realized there was more to the hotel than she had communicated, but she stuck to the basics — likely because of the language barrier.

Elite Benefits

The staff offered us a choice of 1 of 2 rooms: a room with 1 king bed but no window or a room with 2 twin beds that had a window. We chose the latter. The employee communicated that breakfast was included for all guests and asked if we had a car, as parking would be complimentary since we were staying on points and I have Globalist status. We didn’t have a car and didn’t ask about late checkout, though we could’ve had this if needed.

Thus, there weren’t many extra benefits at this hotel from holding elite status. Most benefits are included for all guests, and the property doesn’t have suites.

Business Deluxe Twin Room

The hotel had 8 floors. Our room (6017) was on the sixth floor, and the highest floor with guest rooms was the seventh floor. Stepping out of the elevator, we found clear signage toward our room.

Hallways had mostly gray carpet with geometric patterns near room entrances. These, plus the wooden room entrances, provided the only color against the plain white walls.

Each room had a clearly illuminated sign with digital signage for do not disturb and requests for housekeeping, as well as a doorbell. Unfortunately, none of these worked — only the lights for the numbers.

The digital “do not disturb” signs weren’t working, but we had a cardboard version of the sign inside the door, as well as a chain lock.

Immediately behind the door, we found a closet and minibar.

The top shelf of the closet had a hair dryer and fire blanket. Below, we had hangers and a pair of robes.

The bottom of the closet container a small box with a laundry bag and 2 pairs of fantastic slippers — not the flimsy slippers you’re used to. There was also a small safe here.

The closet had a latch, yet there were no doors. The wrapping on the wood also was peeling off in some spots.

Next to the closet was a small minibar. On top of it, we found a Nespresso machine, kettle, bottled water, mugs, and supplies for making coffee and tea.

Below, we found a minifridge with complimentary sodas and 2 small chocolate bars.

Moving into the bedroom, the offerings were simple but had all the necessities. The far side of the room had a large window with both blackout and daylight curtains.

Above the pair of twin beds, there was a pencil-style drawing of some of Beijing’s most popular attractions.

Each side of the bed had a lamp, but only the left side of the bed had a nightstand, which felt cluttered with information pamphlets, a notepad, signs, and a tablet. Both sides of the bed, however, had light switches and outlets.

A small nook to the left of the bed had a full-length mirror.

Along this wall, we found additional light switches and a digital thermostat, though the instructions were only in Chinese.

This wall had a few issues, such as spots that hadn’t been patched smoothly.

And the wallpaper was peeling apart between sections.

A large TV was across from the beds.

The corner held a round, wooden table and an armchair.

Bathroom

Across from the closet and minibar was the bathroom. It bordered on feeling cramped with 1 person inside, and 2 people trying to use it simultaneously felt very tight.

The toilet was in the center, with a towel rack above. To the left, a circular mirror was above the sink and counter.

The counter was on the small side, holding a circular bowl sink.

We also found washcloths, drinking glasses, and a box holding 2 individually wrapped shower caps. There also was a pump bottle of soap here.

Near the door were 2 outlets.

A glass door led to the shower stall, which was to the right. We had pump bottles of toiletries on a shelf and a removable handheld shower wand. It felt larger than it looked, which was nice.

Amenities

While the UrCove didn’t have a pool or multiple dining options, it did have a few solid amenities.

Internet

The hotel offered free Wi-Fi for guests. However, the only way to connect was to receive a text message with a code using a Chinese phone number. We had to visit the front desk to receive codes using employees’ phone numbers before we could connect.

Once connected, internet speeds were solid: over 85 Mbps downloads on average.

Elevators

The hotel had 2 elevators past the reception area and near the entrance to the restaurant. Only 1 of the elevators went to the rooftop.

The interior had multiple mirrors that made them look larger than they were. Only 3 to 4 adults could comfortably fit in here.

A brass panel with buttons clearly indicated which floors had which amenities.

This information also was available on a sign between the elevators in the waiting area.

Laundry

In the basement, free laundry was available for guests 24 hours a day, courtesy of 2 washing machines and 2 dryers. Soap was dispensed automatically into the machines, meaning you didn’t need to bring anything.

We waited over 30 minutes for our turn to do laundry on the second night, as this was a popular amenity at the hotel. The laundry room also had a steam press and baskets for keeping laundry organized, as well as instructions in English on the wall for how to use the equipment.

Gym

Between the elevator and the laundry room, the basement had a small gym with a few hand weights, multifunctional weight machines, and a pair of treadmills. The gym was available around the clock.

Delivery Robot

This was a unique amenity, but the hotel had a delivery robot that visited your room with toiletries requested from the front desk or food that arrived after ordering from an app.

Food and Beverage

Restaurant

The UrCove Beijing Forbidden City has just 1 restaurant, on the ground floor to the left when exiting the elevators (the opposite direction of the lobby). While the restaurant was open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, we only visited during breakfast each day. Breakfast ended at 10 a.m. on weekdays but stayed open until 11 a.m. on weekends.

A sign near the restaurant’s entrance indicated estimated wait times during breakfast hours and told guests they were welcome to dine in their guest robes. When we arrived at the restaurant, staff scanned our key cards to verify that we were current guests; after that, we could sit wherever we wanted and serve ourselves at the buffet.

To put it simply, we were really impressed by the breakfast buffet during our stay. The spread was large — especially when considering the hotel was in Category 1. Plus, there was a small stand for made-to-order eggs in the far corner.

The buffet had numerous Chinese dishes, such as fried rice, noodles, and steamed buns.

Other hot dishes were Western, such as baked beans, hash browns, and scrambled eggs.

Hot dishes were clearly labeled, which we liked. However, other items weren’t labeled, such as the miniature desserts in the corner.

Another section of the buffet had numerous fruits, jellies, olives, salads, and cold cuts. We also found yogurt, cereals, and granola.

The buffet also had several types of milk near an espresso machine, and we loved the rotating dishes during our 3 breakfasts.

UrGRDN Rooftop Bar

On the eight floor, UrGRDN was the hotel’s rooftop bar.

Hours for the bar were difficult to understand, as we found it randomly locked at times and then saw people entering the bar just a few minutes later. Given the language barrier, we couldn’t get a clear explanation from employees for the hours, either.

However, there was more than just a bar, as you could also get coffee, pie, cake, and prepackaged sandwiches and salads.

Service

Service was inconsistent during our stay. First, there was the inability to communicate directly with staff, despite their willingness to help after some back and forth with translator apps. For example, they helped us reserve a time to visit Tiananmen Square, which is only possible in Chinese within WeChat.

Moreover, instructions for the thermostat were only in Chinese, as was a letter that staff slid under our door one morning. Scanning it with Google Translate, we understood that there would be a power outage, though it luckily would occur while we were at the Great Wall, not affecting us at all.

We also had a light in the bathroom that burned out. We decided not to ask for it to be changed, given the language barriers. We just didn’t feel like dealing with it.

Our room also had the patching and wallpaper issues, plus the nonfunctional controls at the room’s entrance. When we put all of these together, it was clear the hotel needed to pay more attention to facilities and someone who could interact with foreign guests.

We essentially treated our stay as self-service, enjoying what we could from the hotel. Being able to communicate with staff would’ve provided a better experience.

Final Thoughts

When it was time to check out, we had no bill to settle, which made the process simple. We returned our key cards and told the employee about the light in the bathroom. We asked to see the screen confirming a $0 balance, and despite a few requests, I still haven’t received stay credit in my World of Hyatt account.

The security guard helped lift our suitcases into the taxi and then waved as we left. The UrCove Beijing Forbidden City had a fantastic location and standout complimentary breakfast. The facilities had a few issues, and we had several struggles with a language barrier. This created a mix of positives and negatives, but I’m happy with what we got for the number of points required.