Grand Metropark Yuantong Hotel Beijing — Hotel in Beijing

I stayed at the Grand MetroPark Yuantong Hotel from Monday, April 27, 2015 to Thursday, April 30, 2015.||||BUSINESS HOTEL FOR CHINESE BUSINESS PEOPLE – If you are a tourist, this is probably NOT the hotel for you, as it is located in a business district. If you are expecting a “Western standard” five-star hotel, this is probably not the hotel for you (I would recommend the nearby Westin Beijing Financial Street). If you are a Chinese business person, this is probably a great hotel; five-stars by Chinese standards.||||NEGATIVES – Air conditioning did not work the entire stay. The room was stuffy all night. It doesn't help to open the window, as the smog makes things worse. Smoking was permitted near elevators of non-smoking floors. Room service woefully inadequate. Dingy and dated decor. Limited English speaking staff.||||POSITIVES – Acceptable to my minimum standards. Rate was half of what I am used to paying.||||LOCATION – As previously mentioned, the hotel is located in a business district. There are a number of restaurants and convenience stores located within walking distance of the hotel. Additionally, a subway station is located just outside of the hotel.||||DOORMEN – Doormen are sometimes available, but not very helpful.||||LOBBY / CHECK-IN – The lobby is an escalator ride up from ground level. It is dark, dingy and dated. Front desk staff speak very limited English. Check-in was neither welcoming nor smooth. It took me over 20 minutes to check-in and get some money exchanged. In the confusion, they almost lost USD $100.00. There is limited lounge space in the lobby.||||SMOKING VS. NON-SMOKING – While there are non-smoking rooms, smoking is permitted near the elevators on all floors.||||ROOMS – There are different quality rooms on different floors. A non-resident Chinese colleague was placed in a lower-quality room. He had to call to have his sheets changed (stains on sheets), and eventually complained enough to have his room upgraded, as he was initially placed on a smoking floor, which started to trigger his asthma. On the 18th floor, the rooms were acceptable.||||BATHROOM – The bathroom was dated but clean. Urine/rust mark on the toilet seat. Tile slightly molded (pink) in shower. Toiletries acceptable (shampoo, conditioner, body gel, toothbrushes, shaving set, combs, shower caps, sewing kit, sanitary bag). Shower featured wand and rainshower head (which leaked). Bathtub. Vanity mirror. No bar soap for shower, only bar hand soap. No lotion. Two towels, hand towels and washcloths. Rough tissues and toilet paper.||||BED – Some small holes in the sheets. Mattress and pillows were acceptable.||||IN-ROOM AMENITIES – Teapot, ice bucket, service equipment (plates, glasses, etc.). Complimentary Nescafé and green tea. Two complimentary bottles of water per day. USD $9.00 bottle of Evian, as well as mini bar and snack. Mini refrigerator. On days two and three, an apple and pear were provided. Make sure to wash them prior to eating them.||||IN-ROOM DINING – Very limited selections. Nobody could speak English well enough to discuss the menu. I ordered “wok fried flat rice noodle with vegetable and seafood”. I received a large plate of noodles, dripping in grease/oil, with three very small shrimp and a sprinkling of vegetables. It was served on a cafeteria tray with chopsticks, a small bar napkin and a toothpick. No salt and pepper, no linen-covered tray, no napkins, no soy sauce, no frills. Very disappointing.||||RESTAURANTS – Breakfast buffet was nothing to write home about. There were a lot of selections, but the food was bland and “there”. Difficult to get anyone to understand I don’t eat pork and that I didn’t want my eggs cooked along with the bacon.||||WORKOUT FACILITIES – A few treadmills and weight machines located in the stairwell of the 18th and 19th floors.||||IN-ROOM INTERNET – Easy connection, and when it worked, was decent. No charge.||||TV – Most of the channels are Chinese. HBO, CNN, Bloomberg and one or two other English channels.||||PLUGS – CAT-5 cable. Converters.||||AIR CONDITIONING – Did not work. Did not work, AT ALL. The windows do open, so you can cool the room down with smog-filled air, if you so choose. ||||CLOSET – In closet safe, two robes, two slippers, one shoe shine cloth. Evacuation kit (smoke mask plus flashlight). Two umbrellas.||||When you are travelling on business, convenience comes first. This place didn't...

This hotel rates itself a 5 star hotel... I hate to say this but not a chance... The 3.5 rating users have given it is more accurate.

Where to begin. Day one: room is dark, even with all of the lights on! I tend to question dark rooms because it usually means they are trying to hide something. True to the dark room theroy... dust on shelves, build up of dirt all along the walls, like they have never had a vacuum that will reach it. Window sills weren't just dirty, they were streaked with a black grit that honestly just wiped off... The bed was good but on an 8 day stay we had to ask them to CHANGE the sheets, not just make the bed. Basically, there did not have the "Clean every inch, all the time" that 5 Star hotels are known for.

The shower had 2 heads, one rain head and one hand held... This was good, but the rain head was broken it was spraying water out the top of the shower head... We didn't use it for the whole trip. On top of that the door on the shower didn't seal correctly so every shower resulted in a lake of water on the floor of the bathroom WE cleaned up. I do not even want to think about what the floor under that bathroom looks like from a mold standpoint.

As for the free breakfast bar on the 3rd floor... Bacon good. Hasbrowns, not sure they were even pototoes. Scrambled eggs, tasted like plastic. Fruit, skip it. Rolls... Tasted oily.

Ate here one the time and went elsewhere the rest of the trip.

This said, the Restaurant on the 4th floor was phenomenal... Even had Puffer fish, if you are into risking the Chef's skill over your life... After the rest of the hotel, I was not. But, the rest of the meal was top notch!

And my final complaint, exchange of US dollars. In a country where you have all kinds of issues with either use of Credit Cards (I'll get to that) or pulling out additional money, due to China's closed banking system, you would expect a "5 Star" International Hotel to have good exchange volumes on hand... Nope $200 a day... We finally got the manager to give us $300 a day but that was it. But if you do not have Cash, no way to get more unless you go to Bank of China on the same block.

This brings me to a problem I had with the hotel that seems to not just be a hotel problem... When we checked in they charged my Credit card for the room cost for the whole time we were there... No problem, until I looked at the receipt... Full credit card number showing with expiration... I almost died. In the modern day problems of credit fraud. This should never happen anywhere. On our trip we saw this in 2 locations. While others at least blanked out the center 8. This is a general banking problem with China but a hotel more than anywhere else should know better.

If you do not have physical Yuan you risk exposing your credit card, big time. This the problem with a "5 star" hotel only exchanging only $200 a day. If you can afford a "5 star" now a days you spend more than $200 a day just doing things and shopping.

So after all of that, the Grand Metropark Yuantong calling themselves a "5 Star" is...

I recently stayed at this hotel and had an exceptional experience. From the moment I arrived, the location was perfect, situated in a vibrant part of the city that made it easy to explore everything. Whether you’re looking for shopping, dining, or attractions, everything is just a short walk away. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to stay.The hotel facilities were top-notch, offering a wide range of amenities that made my stay even more comfortable. The staff was friendly and welcoming, always ready to assist with any requests. The common areas were well-maintained, creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.My room was another highlight of the stay. It was spacious, modern, and well-designed with all the comforts I could ask for. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and the room was equipped with all the necessary amenities, including a minibar and a smart TV. I loved the attention to detail, from the sleek furniture to the high-quality toiletries provided in the bathroom.Cleanliness was a priority, and it showed throughout the hotel. My room was spotless when I checked in and was maintained perfectly throughout my stay. The housekeeping team did an excellent job, and the public spaces were just as immaculate.Breakfast was a wonderful way to start the day. The spread was diverse, with something for everyone—fresh fruit, a variety of pastries, hot dishes, and delicious coffee. It was clear that quality ingredients were used, and everything was prepared with care.Overall, I had a fantastic stay at this hotel. Great location, excellent facilities, impeccable cleanliness, and delicious breakfast—everything exceeded my expectations. I’ll definitely be returning next time...