The Ritz-Carlton Beijing

Beijing
China

The Experience

The Summer Olympics may be over, but Beijing's red carpet is still out—and nowhere more so than the Ritz-Carlton, a surprisingly spacious high rise at the heart of one of Beijing's boomingest neighborhoods. Integrated into China Central Place, one of the capital's most prestigious business and shopping complexes, the Ritz-Carlton was the preferred choice of many international media personnel during the 2008 games—and it might just be your top choice, too.

The Rooms

The biggest in the city; even the smallest is more than 500 square feet, with a contemporary decor with tasteful touches of chinoiserie. Executive suites are larger one-bedroom apartments, positioned on the building's corners to maximize the view. The work areas range from above average to excellent, with broadband internet access. Living area TVs are 42-inch flatscreens; you'll also find a 15-inch screen in the marble bath. For sleeping, the featherbeds are soft, the linen is plush and the robes are downright snuggly. The very top end here is simply called the Ritz-Carlton Suite, a two-bedroom unit with a separate study, dining room, huge walk-in closets and a commanding view of the gardens of China Central Place.

The Service

Super-courteous and attentive. The spa is huge for a property in such a busy location—27,000 square feet with a heated indoor lap pool, steam and sauna rooms, and a Jacuzzi; the nicely equipped fitness center is open 24/7. Five dining options are on offer; top picks are Barolo, an Italian restaurant with a wine list dominated by its namesake vintner; and Aroma, where five open kitchens prepare dishes from India, Japan, China, Southeast Asia and the West. The Ritz Carlton also has the Beijing's first on-site wedding chapel, an elegant facility facing a colorful flower garden and conveniently placed near a fine ballroom for post-nuptial dining and dancing.

The Highlights

For all its luxury and charms—and it has many—the Ritz-Carlton is located in the large, vibrant Chaoyang quarter, home to numerous embassies, shopping facilities and the city's Central Business District. From here, a short stroll in any direction places you face-to-face with a great world capital undergoing a light-speed transition. Elderly men wearing Mao tunics share sidewalks with teenagers wearing iPods, as limos and buses and hundreds of bicycles zip by—it's the past and future intermingling at every turn. The Ritz-Carlton, with its state-of-the-art tech specs and multilingual staff, is firmly rooted in the future; but the remnants of the past all around only enhance your appreciation of how fast this country has come so far.

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