Is Rosewood the Best Hotel in Beijing?

Naming a hotel as the best is always a risky proposition. After all, I haven't been to every comparable hotel in Beijing. But using the phrase, "one of the best", is too non-committal. Recently, I stayed at the Rosewood Hotel in Beijing for a few nights, and I greatly enjoyed the experience. The location in the central business district is very convenient. The design of the hotel has an understated elegance that nicely combines Chinese and Western elements. The service is on point and not overbearing. While the hotel is not perfect, I believe it is the best in the capital of China.

The 282-room Rosewood Hotel occupies the first 23 floors of of a 52-story all-glass modernist tower, Jing Guang Centre. The tower was designed in the mid-1980's by the Tokyo-based Nihon Sekkei and was the first skyscraper in Beijing. The tower is owned by the Hong Kong-based development group New World. In 2011 New World Group purchased the America-based Rosewood Hotels and Resorts. The hotel in Beijing is Rosewood Group's first property in Mainland China and opened in late 2014.

The hotel was designed by the Melbourne-based BAR Studio. I am very impressed by all the components of the hotel, especially since the project is a renovation of an old building that surely came with many limitations. I actually visited this building more than ten years ago, well before Rosewood took over. I still remember the old design with the awkward stone base. Therefore, I am just amazed by the transformation. The design feels luxurious and doesn't scream for attention. In other words, the occupants still take the center stage. The various materials are well chosen and mixed harmoniously. The spaces and circulations are well proportioned and logical. There are a lot of attentions paid to the various details. As an architect I know this level of quality relies not only on the skills of the architect, but more importantly the strong support and care of the owner.

Rosewood Hotel is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of East Third Ring Road and Chaoyangmen Outer Street. Diagonally across from the hotel is the CCTV Headquarters designed by OMA. The vehicular entry to the hotel is on the Third Ring Road. A quick bend in the driveway leads to a forecourt that puts away the hustle and bustle of the City. The space is defined by the plantings on the perimeter and a shallow reflecting pool in the center with Chinese decorative motifs. While the overall feel is modern, the manipulation of the space reminds me of the strategies employed in traditional Chinese garden design. A blue Tesla Model X is usually parked in the forecourt. The attention-grabbing electric car is an amenity for the hotel guests who have lounge access and provide rides within a three-kilometer radius.

The lobby of the hotel is a sunlit triple height space. Inside, the console table with flowers and books on top, the four-seat leather sofa with pillows, and the area rug, make the space feels more like the living room of a large apartment rather than the lobby of a fancy hotel.

On the right side of the lobby, behind the columns and the screen are the counters for check-in, porter, and concierge. On the left side of the lobby is Bistro B Lounge Bar, where an afternoon tea is served everyday. The space is nicely designed and very pleasant. The large glass facade allows abundant sunlight to filter in. Sitting inside, one also has a view of the entry garden and the Beijing skyline in the background. The counter in the back has a beautiful display of ice creams, macarons, and other pastries.

Behind the three-story mural of the lobby are the six elevators to access the guest rooms. On the typical floor of the fan-shape plan of the tower, there are 18 guest rooms of varying sizes ranging from 45 to 75 square meters. I stayed at the 15th floor in the corner Manor Suite. The room measures 65 square meters in plan and feels very large. There are exposures on two sides. The long expanse of glass facade on the curved south side provides a great view of the CCTV tower and the China Zun designed by KPF. During evening rush hours, the car lights of the traffic jam on the Third Ring Road actually make for a beautiful tableaux.

The suite is a bit like a small loft with four areas for living, working, sleeping, and bathing. The room is elegant, comfortable, and warm. The overall color palette is beige, taupe, dark wood, and white. A large walk-in closet adjacent to the bathroom is to the right of the foyer. The living area is on the left side. The space can seat four people comfortably with two single-seat sofas and a double-seat sofa. The 50-inch TV on the credenza with soundbar is large enough for watching sports. The minibar is tucked into an alcove with Nespresso coffee machine and bottles of Voss water. The middle of the room is a round wood table with leather swivel chairs; a very comfortable place for in-room dining or work. Placed on the table when I walked in was a delicious pastry and a welcoming note from the manager of the hotel.

The bedroom can be separated from the living area with a large wooden sliding door. Next to the window is a built-in tufted leather lounge chair that is a great place to enjoy the view, read a book, or watch TV. A brown headboard frames a large and very comfortable bed with Frette sheets. The controls above the bedside tables are easy to use to control the lighting and the drapes. This was expected. But I was truly surprised when I saw the hotel placed monogrammed pillow cases on our bed. I've never experienced this level of personalization at a hotel.

The bathroom is very large and can be entered from both the foyer and the bedroom. The middle of the bathroom is a white marble counter with a large mirror that partly doubles as a TV screen. On the right side of the vanity is a separate room for the electronic toilet. On the opposite side is a large bathtub and a glassed enclosed walk-in shower with Lorenzo Villoresi toiletries in large hexagon-shape bottles. My only complaint is that for a large suite, the bathroom should have two sinks instead of just one.

Artworks and decorative objects are carefully selected and placed in the room. There are paintings on three of the walls in my suite. The shelves have Chinese acupuncture model, calligraphy brushes, and Chinese vases. Just outside the door to the room is another vase on a high pedestal. The mostly Chinese decorative objects provides a nice balance to the western-style furniture and light fixtures.

All the public spaces of the hotel are decorated with artworks. The installation is done in a tasteful manner in just the right amount. There is a nice mix of Chinese and Western art. I was happy to see artwork even in the fitness room.

The spa and the swimming pool are on the 6th floor of the hotel. I never go to a spa and didn't have time for a yoga class, so I cannot vouch for the service. However, the swimming pool is wonderful. The heated pool is 22 meters long. On the opposite side of the entrance, there are five cabana-like spaces. On the side of the pool is the jacuzzi. While the pool is indoor, the spaces feel like the outdoor since the roof is almost entirely in glass. The space is serene and detached from the rest of the city. The vertical green walls and the tropical-like planting make for a lush ambiance.

Staying at the Manor Suite comes with access to the Manor Club, Rosewood name for its executive lounge. The Club is on the 7th floor of the building and is open 24 hours a day. At over 800 square meters, it is one of the largest lounges I have ever encountered at a hotel. The Club is divided spatially into different parts. At the front are conference rooms for business meetings and a space with low sofas suited for casual meetings. The middle area is more for eating and drinking with an open kitchen, serving tables, and dining tables at different sizes and heights. At the back is a few cigar room-like spaces with leather couches, fireplaces and a red billiard table. One can easily imagine having a nightcap there or in my case, watching the World Cup matches.

The Club serves a breakfast buffet from 6:30 am. While the selection is not as large as the restaurant downstairs, it was more than sufficient for me. In addition to the buffet, I had an omelet cooked to order. I really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere in the morning with daylight filtered through the window shades. A few good Viennoiseries, good coffee, and a paper New York Times in hand, I am a happy man. The service at the Club is very attentive and they are very good at remembering the guests. In my few days at the Club, the servers remember my preferences for juice and coffee in the morning.

Throughout the day, the Club serves a light meal. Everyday from 5:30pm to 8:00pm is cocktail hours. The ambiance of the room changes and even the servers' uniforms switch from beige to black. Three types of sparkling wines are available by the glass. There are a variety of canapes and a different cake everyday. The desserts at the Manor Club are always excellent.

The Manor Club is really an extension of the guest room. The large size of the Club ensures that atmosphere never feels crowded. The variety of furniture setup and spaces allows for different functional requirements at different times of the day to be met. While a stay at Rosewood Beijing would be very nice without access to the Club, it really enhances the experience, especially if one doesn't plan to venture outside of the hotel for the whole day.

Besides dining and camping out at the Manor Club, there are 4 restaurants in the hotel, Bistrot B for French Bistro cuisine, Red Bowl for Chinese hot pot, the House of Dynasties for Cantonese cuisine, and Country Kitchen for northern Chinese food.

In my short stay, I only tried Country Kitchen. Since I was in Beijing I wanted Northern Chinese food. My dinner was on a Saturday night and the restaurant was completely full. Just like the other spaces of the hotel, the restaurant is nicely designed with a mixture materials, granite, wood of different shades, metal screens, and terracotta. The lighting is a little on the dark side for a Chinese restaurant, but comfortable and intimate. Before getting to the tables, all the guests walk through the main corridor with open kitchens on either sides.

The wood tables are mostly in round shape with a lazy susan in the middle; this feel like a dining table at a large country home. However, the table setting with the custom design logo napkin, the copper-plated water jug, and the two-tone soup spoon, shows a lot of care has gone into the various details of the restaurant.

The food was pretty good. Many of the staples of Northern Chinese cuisine, such as dumplings and noodles were excellent. The only downside was the prices were on the high side. A bowl of the very good Zha Jiang Mian was RMB 75. For a traveler from New York City, the price is probably a bargain. But a similarly good bowl of Zha Jiang Mian at Da Dong can be had for just RMB18.

The stir-fried vegetables were simple, vibrant in color, and fresh. The grilled skewers of lamb were well-seasoned and perfectly cooked. The scallion pancakes were also very good. The only disappointing dish was actually the Peking Duck, a signature dish of the restaurant. The duck was carved table side with a task light. Some of the skins were served first and they were wonderful. But the rest of the duck was a bit dry and not as flavorful as I would like. The Duck at Country Kitchen is not significantly more expensive that the other restaurants in Beijing, but I prefer the Peking Duck at Da Dong. The service at the restaurant was pleasant, more so than most restaurants in the City, such as Da Dong, but there is still room for improvement.

The Chinese restaurant Country Kitchen is the only part of my stay at the Rosewood that I feel can be better. Overall, the guest room is really excellent and one would be hard pressed to find faults. I just have two minor criticisms. First, since I still prefer to read newspapers in physical form, I wish the hotel would deliver newspapers to my door in the morning. Second, while the "Do Not Disturb" sign is electric and turned on via a button, the "Please Make Up Room" is not. I still need to put a tag outside the door when I step outside. I would think an electronic system will improve the efficiency of the room-cleaning staff.

The hotel industry in Beijing is not only competitive but constantly growing and changing just like the city itself. I am sure every few years will bring newly-designed and fancier hotels. However, the design and the physical environment of Rosewood are excellent and will withstand the fashion and the trends. As the city of Beijing grows more sophisticated, I suspect the service and operation will actually get better. For the moment and the foreseeable future, Rosewood is the best hotel in the Beijing.