Raffles Beijing Hotel

We would never stay at a pricey place like Raffles without a big discount, and hotels.com came through. We picked Raffles mainly because the room was so spacious, and it was an excellent choice. The room was quiet, with plenty of closet space. TV options were good but not great. The staff were helpful and eager, every employee spoke at least some English. […] Bellhops and desk clerks were the most fluent. The room came with plenty of bottled water, and you can ask for more. The in-room coffee is instant, but real milk in the fridge. And there's plenty of tea. The hotel is on a main avenue a half-block from the subway and right down the street from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. There's a fun pedestrianized street around the corner. The Oriental Plaza a block away has a huge underground mall with many restaurants, food courts, shops. Beefs: the A/C wasn't turned on until our 3rd day. It wasn't horrible before that, but it wasn't 5-star comfort. The hotel restaurants are pricey. Ask the concierge for a nearby breakfast place. Our in-room safe wasn't big enough even for my relatively small laptop. The recycled "gray water" used for the toilet had a fairly foul smell, but you can handle that by closing the door between the toilet-and-tub part of the bathroom and the sinks-and-shower part of the bathroom. My last beef is a pet peeve - the shower door had a gap at the bottom so water spewed onto the bathroom floor. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

My experience was less than good. The staff was polite and many spoke English. The food expensive was so-so. I used the Hotel Jacuzzi where there were two unsupervised kids [a boy and a girl] around the age of 10 who were diving and splashing within the Jacuzzi for over an hour .It was their own personal swimming pool along with the regular pool. The […] woman who was in charge of these two finally came for them[ the hotel staff never said a word and were there witnessing the actions] The second day I wanted to used the same Jacuzzi the ‘worker’ in charge of this turned off the hot water to save a little money, he said……. so the water was cold. Like most hotels in China the bathrooms of the lobby are smoke choked and in desperation to air out the main floor lobby bathroom they the staff left the door open to help ventilate. My hotel package was supposed to give me some perks, yet I didn’t learn about these until I was in my second nights stay, and those ‘perks’ were relayed to me by accident from one of the staff. My Bill was over $1300 for a three day stay and there is more to this story, but I’m not interested in venting here. I can say I have stayed in many Hotels in the greater Beijing area that are more accommodating than Raffles—Will I go back? Yes……… if the Hotels pays 100% for me to stay, feeds me and makes me know that I am the guest and they are the host and all the guests play by the same rules. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Both service and location are perfect. It is better if they have a shuttle service between hotel and airport as well as hotel and exhibition center in future.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The front of house staff can speak good english and is very helpful and friendly. The room services is good but do not eat at there restaurants. For the price and as a five star hotel, the breakfast should have had more variety and better quality food. Gave them a second chance with buffet dinner but food was appalling. The hotel room, front of house […] staff and housekeeping is perfectly fine. The location is great, only 2 mins from train station and 7-10mins walk to city center. So as long as you don't have your meals at the hotel then you will have an extra pleasant stay:) Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Raffles has an old world charm and excellent service. The room I was given was beautifully decorated, very comfortable and quite large though a little noisy as it looking out over Dong Chang-an. For an old hotel, it is quite well maintained but the thing that sets this hotel apart is the service. The staff here went out of their way again and again […] to make things as easy and as comfortable for me as possible, and did so with a friendliness that is uncommon in Beijing's hotels. There was none of the "I'm too busy to deal with you" brush-offs of the neighboring Grand Hotel, nor was there the forced coolness of the staff at the Opposite House. The location is excellent for many of the Party buildings, Tiannanmen, shopping on Wangfujing, the Foribidden city. Of the hotels in the area, I would recommend this one above the others I've stayed in (The Grand Hotel and the Peninsula) if only for the service. The breakfasts and lunches I had at the hotel were good. The massage was okay. I didn't try the pool or the spa. I used their transportation services twice (once to take me to a dinner a party in a hard to find location, and once for the airport) and both the drivers and the hotel staff who arranged it were nothing short of perfect. If you're happy to forgo the lavishness of the Grand Hotel's buzz, the basement grotto and shopping mall, I'd suggest you'll have a better, more relaxed, time here. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Very elegant hotel and a great deal.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Hotel was excellent, many of the staff spoke very good English, top shelf American breakfast; would definitely recommend it. The hotel was equal to any 5 star hotel in NYC.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This hotel is all-around a winner. Restaurants at the hotel are very expensive. However, the hotel is next to a major shopping area with many good restaurants. Though my local friends complained this hotel is a little bit far away from business centers and is hard to get to during peak hours. But I liked it very much and would stay there again for leisure […] trips. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The service at this hotel is top-notch. The hotel is beautiful, rooms are large and location is unbeatable. Only negative is the quite expensive and mediocre international restaurant.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

A very nicely refurbished Raffles...and located in an excellent place for a tourist.

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

A truly fabulous hotel that is well located with spacious rooms, soft beds and great service. A really nice in house restaurant with a fabulous buffet for all tastes and very well priced. Very friendly staff who speak English well, nothing is too much trouble. Concierge set up two day tours with guides and though expensive, they were truly of value. […] Tour guides spoke very good English and were very knowledgeable. I was asked to evaluate their performance after the tours. My 5 day stay at this hotel was a wonderful experience as was my overall visit to China. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We stayed at the Raffles from 18th to 23rd of may 2012. The service was impeccable and they paid attention to detail. I was particularly impressed by the knowledge and comfort of all the staff with the English language. The hotel is very close to the subway and the very touristy wangfung jing street which is a definite plus.I would recommend this highly […] to anyone who wants to see the major touristy places in Beijing and also is willing to pay for good service. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Loved everything about this hotel...location and friendliness of the staff were fabulous! The room looked like one that a princess should sleep in...very impressed with this hotel!

Genuine Expedia guest review

I had a wonderful stay at the Raffles. Everything went perfectly. The location couldn't have been better--walking distance to shopping,Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The staff was superb! They really went out of their way to help me including recommendations for where to eat, how to get places, arranging transportation (cabs & flights) for […] me. A+ Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The staff is amazing. They are so helpful, kind, and professional.The managers were the best. The staff at the concierge's are the best I have ever encountered. Beautiful breakfast buffet. All is perfect.

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We had a really good experience at this hotel. Breakfast was great...enough selection to satisfy even my kids and fill us up for most of the day. Location was central and safe, near a shopping mall and close to the Forbidden City. The hotel arranged a tour for us to the Great Wall, which worked out beautifully. The twin beds are larger than the ones […] you see in American hotels...maybe almost double size? It was better than I expected. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This hotel is not really a five star hotel, at best it could be 4 stars, my take is 3. If you stay at this place you have to eat out every day including breakfast. The restaurants are completely deserted because the food is tasteless and service is the worst I have encountered (no kidding). They even flat out refuse to get something you order. The […] housekeeper is constantly entering the rooms (up to 3 times in one morning as I witnessed) which is very bothersome and even creepy. I left the room for less than and hour to find upon returning that someone went in and yanked the card for power supply disrupting some work on my computer. Overall it seems the policy of this hotel is based on being stingy, cheap, and short change the guests were possible. This place would work better as an apartment rental than a hotel. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Fantastic hotel in ideal location close to Forbidden City and Tianneman Square. Extremely friendly, courteous and helpful staff, fantastic dinner buffet at very reasonable price.

Genuine Expedia guest review

This Hotel was the best we have stayed in, ,the Raffles was out of this world, our room was beautiful, what do I say about the service??? it was unbelievable, they arranged our tours and helped with everything, Forest, Justina, went out of there way to help me with every think. John the manager was the kindest and most helpful person. The Hotel was […] not even 10 minutes away from The Forbidden City (walking) and easy to get transportation. If I could have given this Hotel more than a 5 Iwould have. Thank you Raffles for a wonderful stay in Beijing. Thank you John, Forest and Justina. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This was our first visit to China and our stay at the Raffles was absolutely perfect. Impeccable service, the best location of any hotel in Beijing and a large and comfortable room equipped with all amenities. The hotel is just one block from the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the most important shopping street in Beijing. The French restaurant […] in the hotel is very pricey though. The buffet is on the expensive end but it is very good with an amazing amount of choices. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Raffles is physically interconnected to two other hotels, including the massive and modern Beijing Hotel, but its lobby is pure classic old world, its staff helpful and friendly, location walking distance to Tiananmen and the Forbidden City terrific.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Western comfort with an Asian/French flair.

Genuine Expedia guest review

This hotel is exceptional...we travel a lot and found this hotel fabulous....the staff is very attentive and able to direct and help with language and tour issues. The rooms are lovely and the breakfast buffet exceptional one of the best hotels we have stayed at.......

Genuine Expedia guest review

Raffles is in a great location, within walking distance to the forbidden city, and a great shopping district a block in the other direction. The staff at the hotel spoke great English and were extremely helpful. The room quality was excellent and a bargain for the price.

Genuine Expedia guest review

a historical hotel renovated to the highest standards of comfort and convenience in a wonderful location. Beautiful decor and enormous bedrooms and very comfortable public areas. The staff were outstanding - helpful, informative and all with a friendly smile. The whole experience could not have been better. I would visit Beijing just to repeat a visit […] Raffles. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Our stay at the Raffles was wonderful, we were upgraded to the concierge floor without asking and were delighted with the room and guest facilities. The food was excellent both at the breakfast buffet and the dinner buffet. Location was also very convenient to the Forbidden City and other sights. The only negative is that the gym while spacious did […] not have enough equipment for a hotel of this calibre.We would definitely stay here again and recommend it to anyone who is visiting Beijing. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

A most comfortable heritage hotel with excellent modern facilities. Service from all staff could not be faulted. Concierge service, so important in China, was fantastic. Rooms in the executive wing are essentially suites with a separate sitting room and two large screen televisions. Internet and WiFi throughout the hotels fast and better than most hotels […] we have stayed in. Executive management including the Raffles Ambassador, take a close interest in guest comfort. Definitely one of the best. Thank you, Raffles. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Better than I expected. We have stayed at best hotels around the world but at Raffles John, the Ambassador, took this hotel ahead of most others in service. At check-in he sat down with us, over a cup of tea, and answered whatever question we had openly. Then throughout our stay he was always there to help with anything - and in China you will need […] this help/advice. Thanks John. Hotel's location is perfect, you cannot do any better than that. Close to subway, Forbidden City, and Tian'an Men square. You will probably have "duck" the first nigt, the second night, etc. Many good duck restaurants, but do not expect the kind of Chienese food you are accustomed to in the US. Take two day-tours: one to Xi'an (terracota warriors), and another to the Great Wall. Then plan to stay 2-3 full days in Beijing - and you are done. Enjoy this wondeful city and country. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The location makes it difficult to get a taxi.

Genuine Expedia guest review

We had an amazing stay at the Raffles Beijing. Service and food was top notch, and the staff was incredibly caring. The location is very convenient, at walking distance from the main historical sites while also next to shopping malls and western restos for when you need a break. Do make sure to upgrade your room to the business lounge, which not only […] is a great place to chill but also makes you save a good bit on breakfast, soft drinks and light bites. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Raffles is a terrific hotel with excellent service and a great location. This was our first trip to Beijing. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful. The room was beautiful. Only downside was the overpriced restaurants. Thankfully, the concierge sent us to several excellent restaurants in the Beijing area. I would stay at the Raffles again in […] a heartbeat. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Really a 5 star hotel. Rooms have separate sitting room area. Luxurious bathrooms. Staff very welcoming and attentive. Located between Forbidden City and major food & shopping areas all just steps away. Highly recommend you stay here. Hotel food pricey but you can walk to many other eating areas right out on the major shopping mall. You cannot find […] anything more ideal! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Exceptional service, best location for historic Beijing, lovely room....the perfect touring base. Lots within walking distance, also very close to subways. Taxis are always easy to use in Beijing...just have the destination written in Chinese which Raffles also makes sure you have. Raffles was also very welcoming and accommodating to my son and friends […] studying in Beijing even though they were not guests at the hotel. Staff is very friendly, personable, and knowledgeable. August 2010 Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I cannot say enough good things about this hotel, the location, staff, ammentiies, dining. All top notch, I highly recommend upgrading to the "Executive Club Package" This includes the club lounge, tea, some great discounts in the hotel and an amazing breakfast every day, a really good value in my opinion. The only small compaint I might have is our […] wireless internet was a little weak in our room, but it worked great in the club lounge and gorgeous lobby. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Just what we hoped for - an excellent hotel !

Genuine Expedia guest review

I've stayed in a lot of luxury hotels over the years, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, etc. Raffles Hotel in Beijing is a total class act and exceeds the standards of the two chains I mentioned. The first room they gave us was adjacent to some daytime construction noise. As we arrived at 5:30 AM after a red eye flight from Los Angeles, we had trouble sleeping […] that morning. However the front desk prompted moved us to a highly upgraded room on the front of the hotel complete with a balcony! Other than the noise there was nothing wrong with the first room, in fact it was so spacious with a separate bedroom I would call it a suite. Vastly larger than the typical room in Asia. The lobby is gorgeous, the staff friendly and efficient. One small beef is that the room service and mini charges are outrageously expensive. Also the restaurants in Raffles, plus next door at the Hotel Beijing (especially Outback Steakhouse) are pricey too. We did really enjoy the afternoon tea in the Writer's Bar, and they have a 50% off happy hour there. Unfortunately we were always out and about at that time and did not take advantage of that. Just a beautiful lobby that is very pleasant to hang out in. The location is superb for the first time Beijing visitor, as we were. Just a few blocks from the Forbidden City and Tianamen Square and right next to the Wangfujing shopping precinct. A subway stop for the #1 line is right outside the hotel. I would highly recommend Raffles Hotel. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great area, great hotel, very clean

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Classic hotel, great ambassador. The rooms are a good size very comfortable. Location is terrific with the Line 1 subway being right outside the door. Tienanmen, Forbidden city, new Opera house all in walking distance.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The positives were a clean hotel, good service most of the time and beautiful. The food was fair. One day it was very good and the next day we had to send it back and not just one of us but the entire group. Then they would not take it back until the chef or some one tasted it first. Outrageous for a 5 star hotel. Would not recommend for the price.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Pretty good hotel but nowhere near a five star rating.....I would rate it about a 3.5. Rooms are in need of some renovation and there was a distinct musty smell each time we entered the room. I believe they have some newer rooms but our stay did not include one. The location is good in that it is near some key sites. Staff tries very hard.....their […] English is pretty limited. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We had a terrific stay. Walked to Forbidden City & Tianamin Square , short undergroud ride to Silk Market - this hotel was beautiful, comfy and elegant. The staff were top notch and we loved our visit. We spent a great deal of our time right in the Hotel in the business lounge because we enjoyed the staff so much. They were so helpful with any sights […] we wanted to see and also organized a driver to take us to the Olympic village and the Great Wall on our way to the airport...Can't say enough about how wonderful this visit was. We would stay here again in a heartbeat and will recommend it to everyone we know. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The Raffles is a high end hotel, I don't stay in these too often so I'm probably not the best person to listen to. Our room was a showing a little bit of wear and tear, but nothing significant. The service was great, without being overly in your face. It did take them a while to check us in, which was annoying after a long day of travel. The location […] is great, about 100m from a train stop. Essential for this most un-walkable city. The buffet breakfast was overpriced, but the quality was ok. The deserts at the hotel bar were atrocious, though my cocktails were pretty good. They do include free wifi which is a nice touch. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This is truly an exceptional hotel with a lot of fascinating history- great location, beautiful rooms and great staff.

Genuine Expedia guest review

A superb location, spacious and stylish rooms and first rate staff.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I loved staying at the Beijing Raffles Hotel. It is a charming hotel with attentive staff, old fashioned charm and spacious rooms. There is only one area which needs urgent attention. The coffee is terrible. Some barista training and the use of high quality coffee beans with a good expresso machine is highly recommended. I will definitely stay at the […] Beijing Raffles Hotel again. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review