古北水镇大酒店 — Hotel in Beijing

Gubei is in the mountainous suburbs of Beijing and therefore it was a pleasant surprise to find a luxury hotel there. It was a special occasion so we didn't mind splurging. The room was nearly 200USD/night, which is quite pricey for a suburb, but considering its location (right at the touristy water town gate and Simatai Great Wall) and it's opulent indoors, it's understandable.||Staff were very polite, helpful and friendly. Room was great - loved the balcony. Lots and lots of plug points for charging devices. Spacious bathroom but typical Chinese concept of 'luxury' to have a glass wall looking into the bathroom. Luckily this hotel had an automatic screen one could pull down. Even though the hotel is a no-smoking building, the room smelled of cigarette. The housekeeping staff was very kind to spray natural air fresheners. Keeping the balcony door open for an hour also helped. I think the hotel needs a staff member with a keen sense of smell to check rooms at the time of checking out and fine guests if any smell of cigarette is found. This should be told to the guests at the time of checking in.||Parking was tricky - there were no spots available at the basement parking lot. Parallel parking outdoors in regular size spaces along the very steep slopes with a car behind and in front was challenging for us city folks. ||Breakfast was disappointing for a 5 star hotel. The staff seemed exhausted by the time we arrived and we had to ask a few times to have the table cleaned and be given cutlery. Food was mostly Chinese options which is fine but the main courses were very greasy and didn't taste that great. Many dishes and breads contained pork, so our choices were also limited. Having labels for food containing pork or meat ingredients will make it easier for guests on restricted diet. The western cheese and salad section was good. I also enjoyed their Danish pastries. They had run out of juice when we arrived at 9:45am so we asked for water. They don't have the concept of cold water in smaller hotels/restaurants in China. Didn't expect that from a 5 star hotel... they served us warm water in a teacup. Still, we had enough to eat and drink and there was a Starbucks right outside the gate, so it's not a big deal.||So, why did I give such a high rating despite the issues? As I mentioned, for the lovely service by the reception and room staff and for the location, cleanliness, comfort, etc. Each time we walked back to the hotel after our water town exploration, it felt warm and welcoming.||The hotel is grand and spotlessly clean. The huge lobby, staircases and halls with beautiful carpets, etc. give it a very "Shangri La" feel. But best of all, we loved the ease of visiting water town. Sure there are many hotels inside the water town but one can not take their car into the water town. ||If they can improve a few things guests have mentioned on this site, this hotel has the potential to be a...

Gubei is in the mountainous suburbs of Beijing and therefore it was a pleasant surprise to find a luxury hotel there. It was a special occasion so we didn't mind splurging. The room was nearly 200USD/night, which is quite pricey for a suburb, but considering its location (right at the touristy water town gate and Simatai Great Wall) and it's opulent indoors, it's understandable.||Staff were very polite, helpful and friendly. Room was great - loved the balcony. Lots and lots of plug points for charging devices. Spacious bathroom but typical Chinese concept of 'luxury' to have a glass wall looking into the bathroom. Luckily this hotel had an automatic screen one could pull down. Even though the hotel is a no-smoking building, the room smelled of cigarette. The housekeeping staff was very kind to spray natural air fresheners. Keeping the balcony door open for an hour also helped. I think the hotel needs a staff member with a keen sense of smell to check rooms at the time of checking out and fine guests if any smell of cigarette is found. This should be told to the guests at the time of checking in.||Parking was tricky - there were no spots available at the basement parking lot. Parallel parking outdoors in regular size spaces along the very steep slopes with a car behind and in front was challenging for us city folks. ||Breakfast was disappointing for a 5 star hotel. The staff seemed exhausted by the time we arrived and we had to ask a few times to have the table cleaned and be given cutlery. Food was mostly Chinese options which is fine but the main courses were very greasy and didn't taste that great. Many dishes and breads contained pork, so our choices were also limited. Having labels for food containing pork or meat ingredients will make it easier for guests on restricted diet. The western cheese and salad section was good. I also enjoyed their Danish pastries. They had run out of juice when we arrived at 9:45am so we asked for water. They don't have the concept of cold water in smaller hotels/restaurants in China. Didn't expect that from a 5 star hotel... they served us warm water in a teacup. Still, we had enough to eat and drink and there was a Starbucks right outside the gate, so it's not a big deal.||So, why did I give such a high rating despite the issues? As I mentioned, for the lovely service by the reception and room staff and for the location, cleanliness, comfort, etc. Each time we walked back to the hotel after our water town exploration, it felt warm and welcoming.||The hotel is grand and spotlessly clean. The huge lobby, staircases and halls with beautiful carpets, etc. give it a very "Shangri La" feel. But best of all, we loved the ease of visiting water town. Sure there are many hotels inside the water town but one can not take their car into the water town. ||If they can improve a few things guests have mentioned on this site, this hotel has the potential to be a...

Booked for us by our guide I was expecting a small boutique hotel in a water town. We had to check through the ticket hall to enter the Water Town before catching an electric bus to the hotel. It is quite new. The entrance foyer is a grand space. ||Our room was one of the most attractive hotel rooms I have stayed in with tasteful wood decor augmented by red hangings and red flashes in the bathroom surfaces. Glass shower cubicle but no bath tub. Separate toilet away from the main living area. Bench seat in the bathroom area and a built in lounge in the bedroom. The whole room had a refreshingly different feel to it. ||The bed was very large and comfortable. Air con silent. Wifi free and connects easily but suffers the regular China Internet syndrome. ||A corner window view of Gubei but on the wrong side to see the Wall, which is lighted up at night, or the light-shows in the town. ||We didn't get a chance to try the hot springs pool. ||While the room was magical, the dining/breakfast array was just not quite as spectacular as other places we had been to at this stage.||Our guide helped with check-in/out. ||Would love to have spent...