I chose this hotel from all the great reviews out there plus a lower winter rate. My stay was split into 2 visits, with 1 day in between. The first 2 nights I booked the Executive Suite. The only major complaint I have for this hotel is the size of the room. Otherwise all else was perfect.

The service there was just about the best I've experienced. The meet at the door and in-room check-in was very classy. The staff were very welcoming. In the room I found all the amenities to be above par. The 2 two plasma TV's cleanly mounted to the wall with many english speaking channels, mood lighting in every part of the room including the bathroom, bathroom TV and control panel, master bedside control panel... all GREAT. Again, just on the small side. The other minor complaints I have are the old construction of the hotel which gives it smaller windows (the newer hotels seem to have big floor to ceiling windows) and an interior design that does not blow you away.

On my 2nd stay I was put right into their Beijing Suite. Now this is just about the finest hotel room I have stayed in. There was a nice foyer an office space with luxurious desk, dining table for 4, living room with surround sound system and plasma TV, single bathroom and larger master bathroom and all the same technology. The glass enclosed chinese artifacts are a nice touch. This was one satisfied hotel snob.

Overall, this was a fabulous hotel. I visited on vacation but this hotel would also work well for business travel. I look forward to returning here.
The room was beautiful with contemporary Asian decor and the bathroom was spa-like. The pictures on the Peninsula website are very accurate, up to date depictions of the hotel.
I recommend including the breakfast buffet in your package. It was delicious.
The concierge desk was very helpful and provided excellent recommendations.

I stayed at the Peninsular with my wife and teenage son, taking advantage of a special offer on the web site to get a Beijing Suite on the club floor at a very good rate of 2500 RNB / day.

We spend most of our holidays at top end hotels, preferring Four Seasons where possible. No Four Seasons in Beijing - so we tried The Peninsular and were not disappointed. The basics - staff - decor - beds were all very good or excellent

The location is good for tourists, it is within walking distance of Wangfujing street (shops) and and 15 min walk to Tianamen Square or the Forbidden Palace. The location may not be stated as ideal for the financial district, but in truth it is only a 10 minute taxi ride away but not something that should deter anyone from staying here.

The club floor is a true club floor, quiet, well serviced, good quality snacks, free drinks during happy hour and plenty of staff to give you that extra bit of support. The staff go out of their way to make personal contact. Worth paying extra for.

There are two restaurants on site, a standard Chinese, and a Fusion restaurant. The fusion food is interesting, the Chinese, not of a greater standard than that found in any western city. Perhaps there should be a greater variety of eating places in a hotel of this standard.

The Concierge service was a little disappointing. They could not recommend any Italian restaurants outside the hotel (try the Regent across the road or the Hyatt), did not know why we could not get access to the People's Congress (Plenary Session due next week), and the Great Wall Trip was only average. Maybe you should look to find your own guide before you arrive. The club floor staff were more knowledgeable and helpful (for instance telling me the best place to see the construction on the Olympic stadium).

This is a very good hotel. Consider it strongly for business or pleasure, but bear in mind the limitations of the concierge service and try some restaurants outside the hotel.

The Peninsula is well located near the Forbidden City and the Wangfujing shopping district. It is quite safe to walk around the neighborhood, which we did several times. For times when you need to take a taxi, the Peninsula staff have it down to a science. The doormen speak English and tell the taxi driver where you are going. They hand you a small card with several common tourist destinations printed on it in both Chinese and English, and also has a note on the other side to the taxi driver who will drive you back again. It says something like "Driver--please take me to the Peninsula Hotel." The doorman will also note down on your card the taxi's identification number, in case you run into problems or lose something in the car.

Check-in at the Peninsula is a very smooth process. One of the desk clerks comes upstairs to your room with you and does the check-in from there. It's very nice, especially if you are just coming from the airport from a long international flight, which we were.

Our room was very comfortable, with a king size bed and a small sitting area with sofa and tv. The bathroom was well appointed and the walk-in closet was large.

Breakfast in the hotel is delicious with a good selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Western food choices. The only problem is that sometimes the main serving area gets too full, so they direct you downstairs to one of the other restaurants. The food is the same in both locations, but sitting downstairs you feel much less ambience. On the other hand, it's nice not to have to wait to eat. The moral of the story: get up before the main breakfast area fills up.

We had afternoon tea one day in the hotel and it was also excellent, although not particularly Chinese. If you are looking for a more authentic Chinese experience, you can skip the tea. We were just in the mood to sit and rest, so we had the tea and enjoyed it, but it is a totally western experience.

The pool at the Peninsula is fairly nice, although not luxurious. It is heated and indoors (but with doors that open onto an outdoor terrace), so you can use it even in cool weather. The locker room staff was very attentive and quick to bring towels, ponytail holders, and anything else you need.

The main drawback that I saw to the whole Peninsula experience was that it has what is basically a small shopping mall full of luxury brand stores in its lobby and basement levels. It features very high end shopping like Harry Winston diamonds. On one hand, it's cool to see all of those places. On the other hand, it is a little bit of a distraction to go down to the restaurants and pass through a mall.

Overall, I enjoyed staying at the Peninsula very much, highly recommend it, and think that the location cannot be beat.