Date of Stay: October 28 – 29,2007
Room Type: Grand King Room
Upgrade: Grand Deluxe King
Amount Paid Per Night: Gold Passport Promotional Award + 500RMB ($67.00) for upgrade
Reservation Method: Called Hyatt Gold Passport hotline in Singapore because they don’t have one in the Philippines.
Loyalty Card: Gold Passport Member

Airport/Hotel Transfer: Hotel Representative was already waiting for me when I stepped out of the gate and escorted me through immigration and customs. Had to walk to the parking building to get into the Audi A6. The 40 minute ride was smooth when we were near the hotel the driver called the hotel to informed that we were about to arrive so someone actually met me when I stepped out of the car.

Location: Located in a high end mall called Oriental Plaza, everything is within your reach. Though the hotel outlets look good you can also go out to the mall to grab a quick bite and do some shopping. The hotel is also very close to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City and is at the end of the Wangfujing Shopping Street.

Check-in: Quick check-in, everybody speaks English, I was in my room in less than 5 minutes, I think it took me longer to go up and find my room than actually checking in.

Concierge: Very knowledgeable and efficient, speaks good English.

Room: Consists of a living room, kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom. Quite old, a bit dated and stuffy. But still very good. The bedroom was a little cramped with a little under 2 feet distance between the TV table and the bed. The work table was small so I had to use the lounge chair in the bedroom to dump my stuff. Closet space is good for thick jackets and all you have to wear on the trip.

Bed: Comfortable king size bed with 4 down pillows.

Breakfast: Didn’t have breakfast because I had to move to my second hotel in Beijing to meet up with my friends and go on the tour.

Check-out: Had to wait a bit only because there were a lot of guests but the staff was very apologetic. It took a little over 10 minutes to get through everything.

Overall Evaluation: A good hotel to stay in if budget is not an issue, very luxurious and would have a taxi at all times so going around is not hard. Lobby seems always busy but not crowded.

I originally stayed here because it was close to my office in Beijing.

Great rooms and service. The pool and SPA in the basement are first rate and not all that expensive, but you can find less expensive with local knowledge.

I especially recommend a nearby foot massage place where you can get a 90 minute foot massage with beer or tea for under $10 US.

We stayed here prior to our Princess Asia cruise for only 2 nights, wished it had been longer. Firstly, there is so much to see and do in Beijing, we didn't have enough time. However this hotel is top notch. The location is fantastic - we walked from the Silk Market (about 40 min) and about 10 min to Forbidden City and Tiannamen Sq. The staff were very professional and courteous. Our room was lovely, everything was very comfortable. And for people who like more "western" style food, it's perfect, they have a wide variety of menu options in their many restaurants. Would absolutely stay here again.

We have just returned from a one week stay at the Grand Hyatt in a two bedroom Grand Deluxe suite. We are a large family and the suite was perfect for us.

The room: The small kitchen has a handy microwave and a large refrigerator which was perfect for storing milk, drinks, and snacks for our children. The bedrooms are fairly small but the living area and dining area are quite spacious. It should be noted that the second bedroom is not ensuite. The bathroom is located off of the dining area and only has a shower while the master bath is small but has a deep soaking tub that felt great after our long walks around Beijing! Our room was spotless and housekeeping was very good for the entire length of our stay. The beds were comfortable and pillows plentiful. A dvd player is located in the living room and kids videos can be checked out from the club lounge if you like. Also, our room was very quiet and peaceful. The only negatives that I can think of are that the carpet is looking a little worn, the decor of the rooms is not particularly Asian - it's quite bland, and there is an additional charge for internet service but overall a comfortable, clean, homey space.

Dining: Unlike the pp we really enjoyed Made in China. While we also ate at Huang Ting (at the Peninsula) and thought it was outstanding we thought the food at Made in China was wonderful. We did preorder our Peking duck when we made our reservation and this was a great time saver. Room service was palatable, not great, and prompt. The buffet breakfast included in our room rate was plentiful and quite good with a variety of Western and Asian food available. I wouldn't recommend asking for anything out of the ordinary or not on the buffet as this was difficult for the restaurant staff to understand and invariably sent everyone into a tizzy. A bakery and chocolate shop located in the lobby made yummy bread, croissants, and sweet treats. Also, while not in the hotel My Humble House is about a one minute walk from the hotel and was one of our favorite restaurants in Beijing.

Pool and Gym: The gym was top notch and I would highly recommend it. The pool was also huge fun. I didn't realize that it was an indoor pool so didn't bring swimsuits for the kids but found we could purchase them from the spa desk. The kids had a blast swimming at night under the "stars".

Lobby: For a hotel so full with guests the lobby, hallways, gym, and other public areas never felt crowded or uncomfortably busy. We also stayed at the Peninsula and our only major issue with the Peninsula was that the lobby area, hallways, and other public areas including the club lounge were SO busy and crowded.

Concierge: We used the concierge services a great deal. We found them very helpful but we did our research before we went to Beijing and had already made restaurant reservations and created a general touring plan.

Misc: A grocery store is located in the basement of the shopping mall attached to the hotel. The selection is limited but adaquate for creating a simple picnic and for snack supplies. Also, the location of the hotel really is terrific and is difficult to beat for proximity to the Forbidden City, restaurants, and general sights. On a different note, we used the hotel laundry service a great deal and found it to be quite prompt and reliable if pricey - as we expected.

Value: OUTSTANDING! We booked our room under the Family Grand Experience and we felt the value was exceptional. Panda bears were waiting in the room for our children when we arrived and room service came by with popcorn, ice cream, and movies on our first night - all included in our room rate. Breakfast was included in our room rate as was an upgrade to a six seater van for our airport transfers. We also stayed at the Peninsula on the club floor, the Commune at the Great Wall, and at the Red Capital Ranch, and I have to say that for value, comfort, and quality we felt the Grand Hyatt beat them all hands down.

While I wouldn't call the Grand Hyatt super luxurious it was a fantastic value and an oustanding base for a family exploring Beijing. Comfortable, clean, and convenient.