On the basis of what we read here, we booked two nights at the Marriott Palm Springs apts for our last days in Beijing and found the accommodations to be so perfect we wanted to extend our stay for another few days. The descriptions of the room layouts, appliances and materials are as others have positively chronicled – well-appointed (except for kitchenware), comfortable and classy. The floor-to-ceiling windows allow excellent views of the city and the addition of sheers to the curtaining allows the entire apt to be bathed in light without leaving the occupants on display. Zoned heating and cooling is a definite plus!
Breakfast was a delight, with the hot items totally changing from one day to the next and fresh pastries and fruit, cereals and yogurt a constant. The coffee/espresso/cappuccino machines make truly excellent beverages and work 24/7 so you can pad down after dinner and get a freshly brewed espresso to go with your nightcap. There’s a Manager’s reception each evening at 9:00pm, but we never managed to make one.
In our one-bedroom apt there was a good desk and desk chair facing the window in the bedroom with a leather lounge chair and ottoman adjoining. Lots of electrical outlets behind a panel on one end of the desk, good lighting, feature-filled telephone and a supplied Ethernet cable (along with the great view) made it a very nice workspace. There’s also a cordless phone in the living room and phones in the baths.
The housekeeping we experienced was very good and certainly adequate. In making the bed, our housekeeper fluffed and arranged the pillows we’d actually used for sleeping and didn’t return to the bed the plethora of sleeping and decorative pillows we’d removed and placed in a corner. Some might consider this a fault, but we appreciated not having to demolish the bed covers each night to make the bed ready for sleeping. As is now the norm most everywhere, towels are replaced only if you specify. All linens are plush and plentiful, as you’d expect from Marriott. We paid $147+room tax/night and feel we got a bargain.
We were impressed with security, beginning from the gate when our taxi entered the compound and on into the elevator where one had to insert a room key to ascend to all but the first floor. As noted by others, there is a grocery just a three-minute walk away. It’s three floors of excellent shopping – quick foods/take-out, regular grocery items, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, paper products, cleaning products, OTC drugstore items and a great selection of general department store items. We bought excellent stainless steel chopsticks for 45 cents/pair and a terrific Argentine Mendoza cabernet for 99 yuan (about $14), as well as all the components for a noodle, vegetable and tofu dinner, chocolate pastry dessert, fruit and yogurt for about $3.
Directly across the street from the front door is a neat little restaurant from which we got take-out one night. Without our asking, they split all the dishes we ordered into two equal-sized containers so we each had our own servings – a nice feature when you don’t have plates at “home”
The staff at MPS is very accommodating and very professional. One reviewer found their English wanting, but those we encountered were English-savvy and eager to help. They offered suggestions, obtained cabs quickly and accurately advised us on the approximate fare to our destinations. Our departure was from Beijing Airport’s Terminal 3 (the most common international terminal) and the fare was 74 yuan (about $10.50) with a travel time of about 35 minutes (average traffic, not bumper-to-bumper). Whether for business or for pleasure, we highly recommend Marriott Palm Springs apts and intend to make this our permanent home for all future visits to Beijing.







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