Review of Shangri-La Beijing, by Brian Johnston

The minute you pull up at the Shangri-La Beijing your taxi door is opened, a greeting floats down, and a gloved hand protects your head from bumping as you clamber out - setting the tone for the flawless service throughout this luxury hotel from staff in immaculate uniforms.

The facilities

Shining marble floors in tan and white lead through to a lovely lounge, where guests relax on gold-coloured armchairs, take in the understated Chinese elements in the sophisticated décor, and admire the displays of orchids on every occasional table. Decorative bands of gold on the walls represent the stylised clouds of Chinese paintings, adding to the airy and elegant feel. Unusually for Beijing, the luxury hotel even manages space for a garden: a well-tended landscape of flowerbeds, fountains and Chinese pavilions. Standing some distance outside the city centre, the Shangri-La is nevertheless on a major intersection, and particularly handy for those doing business in booming northwest Beijing.

The rooms

Guestrooms at this luxury hotel are very large, with an attractive gold and cream décor, although windows only stretch across half the wall. (Rooms at the rear have views over the garden, and are quieter.) Each room has a large sofa that positively invites you to put up your feet. The many business customers might prefer the complimentary broadband internet access and prominent executive desk, which sits out in the middle of the room facing the door - holidaymakers might feel they're walking into the headmaster's office.

The feeling won't last; guestrooms are very pleasant and inviting, and their size is unusual for more centrally-located hotels. Bathrooms, in contrast, are rather compact, and have only a shower/tub combination that is probably a little cramped for a luxury hotel of this calibre.