This newish Westin is really living up to its corporate goals of offering an experience of renewal and refreshment to guests. After spending a couple hours at the airport to meet a friend, then taking a taxi through Beijing's rather slow and crowded streets, all the while inhaling dusty fumes from the car window that just wouldn't roll up, we arrived at the Westin to pleasant greetings, the absence of a line at check in, and complimentary ice cold herbal drinks free flow next to the reception desk.

Check In and Out: Check in was smooth, quick, and friendly. The counter is rather small, but the staff seem well trained and efficient. Same story for check out - it must have been a three minute process, then we were finished and on to our next stop. Don't miss the excellent herbal drinks and water next to the counter - a great place to stock up on water just before a day out on the town as well.

Rooms: I often judge hotels by their bathrooms, and in this field the Westin Beijing excelled. Bathroom was spacious with plenty of counterspace for the things we brought as well as the hotel's rather nice ammenities. The shower and bathtub were framed by a large window with a beautiful city view and electric blinds, and rather than seperate, as in most modern hotels, they were just beside each other, partitioned from the rest of the bathroom by a squeaky clean glass door. The toilet had a rather comfortable one-size-fits-all seat, and was partially enclosed in a nook between the sink and the closet. The bathroom had two entrances - one via the room, and the other via the walk in closet. Very nice to walk straight from the shower into the roomy closet for bathrobe or clothes.

The bed was comfortable, though the chair at the business desk was devine! I was temped to sleep in that.

Service: The service button on the in room phone linked us to a friendly operator who was able to meet our requests quickly - everything from extra bottles of water to the change of a funny smelling pillow case. Housekeeping staff were smiley and pleasant as well.

Club lounge staff were fabulous, and I highly recommend upgrading to club level for those who will be spending any time at the hotel. They seemed very happy to have us there, and from the moment I arrived to the day I left, they remembered our names and our preferences. I was suffering from a bit of a cold and sore throat, and 2 of the staff members went out of their way, every time they saw me, to brew a traditional Chinese medicinal tea to help with my problem.

The lounge also features complimentary juices and drinks throughout the day, as well as 2 computers with internet (free of charge), a good breakfast, and a delightful evening happy hour with excellent wine, snacks, and delightful chocolates.

Food: I was surprised by the commitment to quality this Westin showed when it came to food. From free flow chocolates in the club lounge to fresh squeezed juices at the 1st floor breakfast buffet, the food was really top notch. More than just quality though, it was fun. There were peanut butter and jelly pastries, very chocolately chocolate crossaints, and exotic fruit and dishes. Not your typical hotel food!

Location: Financial street (Jin Rong Jie), where this Westin is located, is a very quiet part of Beijing, but still rather central. Tian An Men Square is a short taxi ride away, and the subway is a 15 minute walk (Fu Xing Men Station at Parkson), where, squished by the crowds, you can get a feel for why China has instituted a one child policy. A very high end shopping mall is across the street, featuring brands like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, and a fantastic supermarket with a huge selection of imports is in the mall's basement.

Just across from the mall is a row of interesting restaurants, both western and Asian, including TGI Friday's, Pizza Hut, and a bakery or two.

Value: Go to www.westin.com to book this hotel. Rates are great and you can find some great deals in the special offers section once you get to this particular hotel's page. I booked the "Buy 2 nights get 1 free" promotion, and it ended up being a very good deal.

At this point, this is my favorite hotel in Beijing. With its combination of value, quality, dedicated service, location and modern comforts, one can't find much better in Beijing.

The Westin Beijing was perhaps the most luxurious hotel we have been in. The room was spacious, the California King-sized bed was very comfortable, the bath was decadent, and the appointments were extravagant. The bath had a large tub, a marble spa shower with a rain forest shower head. Beside the typical hair and bath gel products, they had complementary razor, tooth brushes, shower caps, combs, mouthwash, slippers and use of spa robes. The robe would have been able to wrap around the old me but now provided 1½ half overlap. The desk unit contained a refrigerator with a full compliment of juice, soft drinks and mixes. Another drawer had a Chinese tea service for one's use. The mini bar had assorted spirits and another drawer contained a bottle of wine and two glasses. Another section contained both occidental and oriental snacks.

The breakfast buffet was as varied and delicious as the 1980s Berlin Officer's Club Sunday Brunch, a high standard indeed. Our goal was to eat oriental food the entire two weeks and with minor adjustments at breakfast, we did so. We began each breakfast with fruit; enjoying new items we had never tried before. The Dragon Fruit, Dragon Eyes, and Mango were complimented with pineapple, various melons, grapes and bananas. Next came Mako and Salmon followed by vegetables and salads. Each of us enjoyed the congee [Watery rice gruel that bears a marked resemblance to porridge. The variety of seasonings used to make congee ensure that it need not ever become boring. Congee can be sweet or savory; seasoned with everything from chicken to mushrooms. Often, the meat is marinated before being added to the rice.] We both preferred the savory condiments rather than the sweet toppings. We skipped the Western cereal, eggs, bacon, meat slices, and sausage but did sample the cheese platter options.

We spent 6 nights in a two bedroom apartment in the residence side of the hotel. We had a very messy start, because we booked the apartment though www.servicedapartmentsasia.com and our reservation stated that the use of the 'bussiness lounge' was included in our rate. We arrived early in the morning from a night train trip from Xian, very tired and dying to have a nice breakfast. While we were having dinner at the 'bussiness lounge', we were told that this was not included in our rate and that we would be charged 400Y per day. After a long discussion with the manager (which wasn't completed until the following day) we were told that the website we had booked with had made a mistake and that we couldn't use the bussiness lounge unless we paid 400Y extra per day. For the 6 nights we were there, we could use the 'residents lounge' for breakfast which had a very very small selection of breakfast items, nothing to do with the bussiness lounge. I found it disappointing that our trip started that way and that we weren't offered the free use of the 'bussiness lounge' as stated in our reservation.
Apart from that, great apartment, we loved the decoration of the hotel and the atmosphere was fantastic. We had dinner a couple of times at 'senses' and found the buffet of a high standard. Ann Marie was very kind and made her best to make us feel welcome.
But I have to say that the best part was the Spa...Since my husband is a therapist, we have been to many different spas around the world, cheap and very expensive. Westin's spa definetly had the best decoration, service and atmosphere we had experienced, it was amazing, don't give it a miss!
I would definetely go back, but confirming my booking first!

We spent 4 nights at the Beijing Westin Hotel in April 2008 as part of a China Cruise/ Tour. We found the hotel staff to be exceptionally helpful. The hotel for the most part was spotless except for the carpet in our room, which was very stained. Overall the service was very good The Italian restaurant was great. The breakfast buffet was superb, however, because we were part of a tour group we were required to sit out in the "hallway" with folding tables and stackable chairs (this was a big turn off since we were treated differently than the other guests). Service in the "hallway" was lacking.....we had to "chase" the wait staff to get a cup of coffee or tea (or refills). The swimming pool was tremendous, as was the steam rooms and staff therein. Although our stay was pleasant we would probably opt for another, more luxurious hotel, when we return to Beijing. As I indicated it's a good business persons hotel.