Hotel Jen Beijing by Shangri-La — Hotel in Beijing

My recent two-week stay was the first with your hotel. I'm told this was the "New" Traders Hotel and I was not disappointed. I had stayed at the previous hotel and the difference is like night and day! What I liked - modern rooms and amenities and the great location. As a frequent traveler, I notice the attention to detail that was put into designing the rooms - from the stylish, chic interior deco down to the analogue alarm clock (I hate digital ones). Housekeeping was spot on too and when it comes to that, I am very finicky - some hotels do that thing where they fold every toilet roll tip/tissue paper into a triangular shape... I absolutely hate that because it means someone has handled that paper - you guys don't do that here which is great. I do notice some room for improvement with the general friendliness of your staff. They are not outwardly cheery/positive and because of that, I don't have the sense that they are happy to be there and are at the beck and call of your guests. The staff at your gym and your cooking staff (I know their main role is to cook but still...) comes to mind. Next, the attire that your staff wears tends to blend in with your guests so sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. I know this may have been done on purpose i.e. you don't want a uniform for your staff which is totally fine - I get that, and if I am not mistaken, some of them wear a brooch (I noticed the airplane) to distinguish them but perhaps you should emblazon the words "Jen Hotel" or just a big "J" on their outfit as a suggestion. Finally, the idea to have a Work area (Pro-to-type) is a bold one. I can't say that I thoroughly enjoyed it though as it is incomparable to an executive lounge. Having said that, I was able to grab some basic snacks from there between 12pm to late thanks to my membership, which I...

Our stay at the Hotel Jen Beijing was quite possibly one of the best experiences we have ever had. It says 4 stars, but it was leaps and bounds better than the Shangri-Las nearby.

We booked the Jen Club 2.0 and considered upgrading to the 180. Upon arrival, clearly we didn't need to since the 2.0 was huge, bright, open and beautifully appointed. The white marble bathroom was equipped with a huge shower, double sinks and a separate toilet room with a TOTO! If you've never sat on a TOTO, well, what are you waiting for! A+!

As stated above, we booked the Jen Club 2.0 for the added amenities we know the Jen to have at other properties in Asia. I was blown away. There was no designated Club Lounge, but they compensated with a designated area at the buffet for Club guests and full access to the buffet at San Wu Tang which was absolutely amazing! I love how authentic everything was. The buffet really gave you an opportunity to sample Beijing style cuisine and street food without having to risk it on the streets. A+!

Though the hotel doesn't have a designated gym/spa, but rather, as a Club 2.0 guest, had cart blanche access to Trainyard. The gym is top rate with yoga, cycling and boxing available. And the spa was a fantastic place to relax your muscles and legs after long days of walking and sightseeing, or if you had more energy to swim at the pool or gym. A+!

The team was also fantastic. Though at first, the language barrier was difficult, you can tell the team do try to speak English. Patience really is required of guests since their primary guests are not English-speaking. We would love to highlight Vivian from San Wu Tang and Jessica at the Concierge desk for really making our stay a delight. A+!

We look forward to staying at the Jen CBD...

Despite of heavy subscribed reservations, the staff member appears happy to serve the guests. And they are pleasantly gracefully patient, even the background noises at the reception counters were hardly bearable in a claustrophobic lobby. Due to the spatial design of the lobby was comparatively small, making check in counters awkward. The duty manager was very sharp. Having observed a queue building up he swiftly opened up a counter to "digest" the queue. The sensor of the lift was not very sensitive. Often I had to swipe the electronic key more than once before I could activate my floor number. Otherwise I would say the elevator service is very pleasantly efficient. Room service is Shangrila Standard. Every facilities was functioning. I enjoy having meals at the San Wu Tang. The choices for vegetarian are adequate for me. The quality and tastes of food met my expectations. I noted a new batch of junior catering staff. They are energetic, well groomed and tidy. So they look elegant and beautiful under the supervision of Ms Mao who has always very attentive. I am happy that Ms Gao Head Chef continues the international flavour and was seen on her game often whenever I had my meals there. The Concierge was knowledgeable and hence helpful. Temporary car spaces for friends waiting for me ha always been a chronic headache. And road signs to drive into Jen Hotel is a formidable task for visitors. In addition, the sign posts for Jen Hotel coming out of Subway were not clearly marked. There has not been any improvement over the last 2 years ! Music from the BeerSmith was rather noisy. Not my cup of tea as a suitably...