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Hotel/Restaurant Update For Hong Kong, Shanghai & Beijing
Hotels
Comment:The top hotels in Beijing and Shanghai offer excellent service, larger rooms, more modern facilities, superior equipment and lower prices than their peers in London, New York, Paris and Rome. Why not recommend China for a private tour? For a lower daily price than a typical European hotel, your clients can enjoy an altogether superior and more exotic experience in the form of an exclusive private tour of China.
Beijing
New Hotel Properties On Financial Street
The hotels reviewed below have raised the bar still higher for five star hotels in China. A flat screen TV, sound system, DVD player, broadband internet access, quality bath products and spa are now taken for granted. The newly extended characteristic is the room size.
Ritz Carlton Hotel
The first to be built of two new Ritz Carltons in Beijing, one on each side of the city, this property is housed within a curved glass and chrome tower, whose floor to ceiling windows bathe each guest room in a bright and even light. At 500 square feet (50 square meters) for the entry-level Deluxe Room, there is no shortage of space in the tastefully furnished guest rooms with their appealing tan leather cupboards, so reminiscent of Louis Vuitton luggage. Of the three new hotels in Financial Street, in keeping with its brand positioning, this property is the one most suitable for high end clients on the western side of Beijing. Its forthcoming Italian restaurant with its mushroom-growing cupboard and 250 label wine list looked highly appealing. Can’t wait.
Intercontinental Hotel
Already open a year, the Intercontinental is a lower tier five star hotel which is reaping the benefits of early opening in this up and coming area. When we visited, the hotel was full to bursting: we were relegated to a bar area for lunch. This is great news for the property and offers it great potential at the lower end of the price scale. We view the public areas as disappointing and the spacious guest rooms, starting at 450 square feet (45 square meters), as insipid for the upper high end.
Westin Hotel
Forever curious when it comes to new hotels, my partner Nancy Kim, four months pregnant, tottered after the Westin’s energetic Jason Coker around a pre-opening building site that Jason promised would be a marvelously functioning five star hotel. Through the dusty halls, corridors and 450 square foot (45 square meter) entry level “mock up” rooms we made out a high quality hotel that will fall between the Ritz Carlton and the Intercontinental. The Westin “Renewal” Rooms at 600 square feet (60 square meters), whose price includes an herbal bath drawn by the hotel bathologist, make for a tempting upgrade. Our interpretation of the brand values lead us to presume that this is more a corporate than a leisure brand, and we welcome your feedback on what the Westin brand means to you.
Update – Since its opening, travel agents have complained to me about the Westin’s service. This is not unexpected. Hotel’s are opening at an unbelievable pace in China’s main cities, and their human resource departments find it hard to get up to speed. New properties in China often have excellent hardware, but their service levels should be expected to be erratic in the first weeks, months and even years of operation.
One To Watch – Raffles Hotel
As mentioned in our last broadcast, Raffles Hotel is the only heritage hotel in Beijing. This building, dating from the 1900’s, has witnessed colonialism, nationalism, communism and the current era of “socialism with Chinese characteristics”. We have been back to view the finely restored Landmark Rooms (450 square feet or 45 square meters), the Landmark, Personality & Grand Hotel Suites for a second and a third look, and underline that because of its unique architecture, heritage and history, this property has the potential to become the jewel of Beijing’s hospitality industry. At this early moment in its transformation from a state-owned hotel to Raffles management I should reiterate that its future success will be conditional on its meeting service standards and on its finessing the handling of the public spaces it shares with the state-owned Beijing Hotel next door.
Commune By The Great Wall – Phase 2
Commune By The Wall has already received much press internationally. As you have no doubt heard, it was founded by the darlings of Chinese real estate, the husband and wife team of Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, both formerly of Goldman Sachs, who invited the best architects in East Asia to build contemporary homes in the shadow of the Great Wall. The resulting complex won first prize at the 2002 Venice Bienniale.
When Imperial Tours went to inspect the properties shortly thereafter we discovered that many of the bedrooms did not have en-suite bathrooms and many of the room fixtures fell short of expectations. For this reason, we used its excellent restaurant and banquet facilities but never booked its rooms.
On Saturday September 24th, 2006, the second phase was opened. In all there are 12 buildings based on modifications of 4 designs from the first phase. Now managed by Kempinski, the mid-level five star German hotel operator, all bedrooms come with en-suite bathrooms, and while fixtures are not first class, they are serviceable. The in situ Six Senses Spa is well done, and I can foresee many Friday afternoons when my office-numbed mind will race one hour out of the city ahead of me in quest of reinvigoration.
Commune By the Great Wall is a design phenomenon nestled in a valley running by the Great Wall of China about one hour’s drive north of the city center. As a design concept, it delivers. However, the challenge of successfully delivering a range of high quality services to demanding guests in approximately 60 rooms in 12 separate buildings, is likely to stretch the capabilities of the local staff. Notwithstanding that it would be wise to forewarn guests of the likelihood of service issues, visitors will be pleased by the architectural journey that this property offers.
Shanghai
Le Royal Meridien
Starwood is quickly increasing its exposure to China – this is the second Meridien in as many years in the Shanghai area. (Last year, a Meridien opened in Sheshan – a one hour drive out of town.) While it can be hard to differentiate between the Starwood-owned five star brands, the Shanghai Meridien does stand out. Given that its 66 floors contain nearly 770 rooms, it would be hard for it not to. Provided that its conference facilities live up to expectations, this Meridien seems to tilt towards MICE business. It is conveniently located in Renmin Square, and the highly contemporary 380 square foot (38 meter) guest rooms and public spaces do justice to its five star-rating, though not in such a way as to directly compete with the very top of Shanghai’s hotel market. With 770 rooms to fill on a nightly basis, maintenance and service will be key performance areas to watch.
Other Destinations
Sofitel Xi’an at Renmin Square
My first inspection of this five star property was in September 2005. At the time, the contemporary design of this hotel involved a transparent glass-walled bathroom and latrine adjoining the “Superior” or standard bedroom. The public display of one’s bathroom activities in a two person room seemed impractical. The hotel owner clearly concurred; as of this year all twin-bedded Superior rooms now have a wooden wall with frosted glass separating the bedroom from the bathroom. The King-sized Superior room still has the transparent wall however. The Premier room unfortunately offers a view through transparent glass of the latrine from the lounge area – surely one of the worst decisions in the history of design. However, the Deluxe room appears to offer a room where one’s private business remains…private. Other than this, the hardware of this property leads the way in Xi’an. If the service lives up to the boldness of vision of its design, then the Sofitel will soon be considered the premier hotel in Xi’an. For the moment, it is still early days.
Four Seasons, Hangzhou
An interesting tidbit is that Four Seasons Hotels are developing a lake-side property in Hangzhou. When it opens in 2009, this will be the place to stay.
Restaurants
Comment: Over the past year, Shanghai’s restaurant scene has become so much hotter than Beijing’s that we Beijing-based expats have been scratching our heads in wonder at the widening gap. The capital’s restaurant scene is now responding. In this broadcast, we report on four new restaurants in the city, of which three would meet our customers’ high expectations. Meanwhile, Shanghai has not been idle. Bund 6 is a new lifestyle center that has opened to challenge Three on the Bund and Bund 18. And Bund 5 is repositioning itself to join the three other buildings as a lifestyle center.
Beijing
Garden of Delights – At long last, Beijing has an independent western restaurant to challenge the complacent Courtyard. Long time Beijing resident and award-winning Venezuelan architect, Antonio Ochoa-Piccardo has teamed up with star chefs Mariano Montero and Edgar Leal of “Cacao” in Coral Gables, FL to open this wonderful South American restaurant. “Garden of Earthly Delights”, the painting by Hieronymus Bosch, images of which appear throughout the restaurant, is a fitting metaphor for this stage of epicurean adventure. Our journey through the garden began with delicious black bean foam and ended with a hot chocolate so creamy that three of us duelled over it with our spoons. Between the beginning and end of the satiating repast, we dined on finely prepared ceviche, seared foie gras, seafood tamale and an Argentinean Matambre steak, all of which are to be recommended. The restaurant’s surroundings are as warm and inventive as its cuisine. And the Chinese wait staff, under the watchful direction of the charming restaurant manager Alex and executive chef Daniel, were inspired with the charm of the Latin skies.
Lan by South Beauty – Beijing joins the ranks of metropolises boasting a Philippe Starck-designed restaurant. South Beauty, a fast-expanding Sichuanese restaurant chain in China, is moving into the high end segement. Having opened South Beauty 881 in Shanghai (featured in a previous broadcast), Philippe Starck was commissoined to design a huge restaurant space in the LG Tower on Jianguomenwai Road. South Beauty’s culinary success is attibutable to their embellishment of Sichuanese food. Well-loved classics such as chilli-spiced chicken and “Lion head” meat balls sit on a menu together with Indian lettuce with sesame sauce and delicate bamboo and squid appetizers. Although the food is good not sublime, it meets the expecations created by the avant-garde decor. My criticism of this space is that it bears no relation to its context. You could be anywhere in the world; Chinese themes and materials are absent as though the owner, Zhang Lan, wished to create an entirely western locale in the midst of the ancient Chinese capital. Imperial Tours will use this restaurant because Philippe Starck’s is a fascinating statement. However, it is a shame that this opportunity to benefit from the talents of a world-class designer was not used to innovate a Chinese aesthetic.
Jaan – As promised in our last broadcast, we dined at Jaan, Raffles’ new French restaurant. Guillaume Galliot, the Chef de Cuisine, hails from Michelin three star “Le Jardin Des Sens” in Montpellier, France, whose sister restaurant, Sens & Bund in Shanghai, regularly features on our private tours. For this reason, our expectations of Chef Galliot were high. The lightness of touch of the salmon carpaccio, seared tuna, lobster capuccino, seafood salad, steamed sea bass and baked cod were a delicious tonic. Jaan is clearly one of the best western restaurants in the city.
Nhu – This is a recently-opened western restaurant – bar – club opened by a few veteran Beijing restaurateurs. This venue has already become the darling of PR companies for multimedia events using its panoply of multi-functional spaces. Although Nhu is a welcome addition to expat life, judged on the quality of its food, its appeal is limited to a local rather than international clientele.
Shanghai
The Chinoise Story – Various restaurants of Andrew Tjoe, the Singaporean restaurateur, have been previously reviewed in our past broadcasts. One of the first, “Humble House” in Chengdu, was featured in “Departures” as part of our Culinary Tour, and his “Humble House” in Beijing has been reviewed here long ago, and has now appeared in many international magazines. “The Chinoise Story” is his new venture in Shanghai, in which he is partnered by the Old Jinjiang Hotel, an Art Deco structure in which the restaurant is located. The food is good and the design of the restaurant is suitably nostalgic whilst remaining contemporary. White leather banquette seats allude to the glamour of the interwar period, whilst articulated white lacquer panels and geometric pendant lighting reflect the aspirations of modern times.
T Sens – Since Sens & Bund is our favorite western restaurant in Shanghai, it is hardly surprising that their recently opened casual dining venue on Suzhou Creek wins my plaudits. While many will question the interior design of this waterfront space both for function (the glass building may be hot in summer and cold in winter) and form (a cross between a wedding cake and a doll’s house), the service and food are in line with the pricing. Since Sens & Bund is only a short walk away, the menu has been designed around lower cost items to encourage market segmentation rather than risk having this venue cannibalize sales at Sens & Bund. T Sens is more appropriate for lunch than dinner and should be judged on that basis.
Hugo’s – This Chinese – Dutch joint venture is located across the street from the Four Seasons in a period building that was formerly the Spanish Consulate. The ground floor and garden make a pleasant brasserie and the upper two floors with their terrace spaces are for fine dining. The restaurant manager and chef hail from De Hoefslag, the Michelin rated restaurant outside Utrecht in Holland. Having eaten my way through four restaurants in a two day period, I had little appetite by the time I arrived at this establishment. The restaurant had not even officially opened when I visited for a bowl of soup, so there is time for me to go back to make a more informed judgement.
Shanghai Club – The decor at this restaurant at the north-west corner of the Music Conservatory on Renmin Square is known to be gaudy, so I was pleasantly surprised when the decor was not quite as tacky as I had been warned. Although the chef comes from a Michelin-rated restaurant, the dishes were as disappointing as the service.
A Future Perfect – Perfection is a laudable aim. This newly opened restaurant in Shanghai offers easy and light western food. Whilst it is a welcome addition to the expat dining scene in Shanghai, as an alternative to such restaurants as “Mesa”, “A Future Perfect” does not make it for the international traveler.
Elements Fresh – There are now 5 casual western restaurants in Shanghai offering light salads, soups, pasta and easy western food. For independent travelers who are looking for a break from Chinese food, these casual eateries might be an option. None of these restaurants belong in the luxury bracket. For luxury travelers seeking a more casual dining option in Shanghai, we would recommend “New Heights” on the top floor of “Three on the Bund”. The array of newly wealthy Chinese and newly arrived expats taking coffee or a hamburger on the balcony of this historic building recaptures the spirit of Shanghai past.
Bund 5 & Bund 6 – So many foreign companies are investing in buildings on Shanghai’s Bund these days that at the last People’s Congress a Chinese representative complained about the prospect of a second colonization of the Chinese city. As a result, there is some sensitivity to development here. Nonetheless, the current spate of development projects are coming to fruition. Bund 6 offers Dolce & Gabbana’s stylish new store on the ground floor. Refreshment is provided at an eponymously named “Martini” bar next door. On the second floor, the Suntori owned and beautifully crafted “Sun” Japanese restaurant is already open, together with Aqua, its accompanying bar. We look forward to the exciting prospect of Tiandiyijia opening on the third floor.
Bund 5, which houses the newly enlarged “M on the Bund”, is also now upgrading itself to a lifestyle center. The designer furniture store on the ground floor is of interest. However, the spa does not compare to the Evian Spa at Three on the Bund.
Attica Shanghai – The dome of a stately Victorian building further south along the Bund, as of last month, played host to the hottest new dance club in Shanghai. Boasting three roof top restaurants looking straight onto Shanghai harbor, it seems that for the next few months this is the place to be seen.
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