Hotel stay Hyatt Regency, Wangjing, Beijing.

The Hyatt brand has always held a special place in my heart ever since my first stay in a Hyatt property many years ago at the fabulous Park Hyatt in Tokyo. I have come to appreciate the smart branding of their different concepts, be that  a Grand Hyatt or indeed said Park Hyatt or, as was the case on my most recent stay, a Hyatt Regency. I had the pleasure of staying at Beijing's first Regency branded property in the Wangjing district, and after my stay, a  few thoughts emerged. With the hotel's recreational facilities like pool, gym and spa closed, it would be a chance to focus on its Food and Beverage offerings.


Rooms

They are classic regency rooms with all the conveniences you need. At 39SQM, they are just about a decent size, with a separate bath and shower a definite bonus - I recently stayed at a  high end hotel where the bath and shower were not separate; I found it so annoying. One of my indulgences is a deep soaking tub, and the one at here did not disappoint.  With regards to bathroom amenities, I noticed that the hotel still keeps a selection of small items like toothbrushes, razor, etc in the bathroom. I would prefer if these were available on request. I feel guests simply take these with them because they are there, and it is an unnecessary waste. I prefer the idea that if a guest needs it, it will be provided. 


Finally, there was a very generous spread of luxury magazines, but sadly not a single magazine was in English. I understand these magazines are driven by advertising and the local Chinese market,  but one English magazine is not too much to ask for, is it? 



I am a bit old fashioned and I like the turn down service. I love coming back to my room and the curtains have been closed, a bottle of water next to my bed and my slippers are at my bedside. I do think this is on request, rightly so, so take note. 


2. Dining *

The Lounge

The Lounge is a spacious area that offers a bit of an oasis of peace and calm, with greenery a key feature around the the lounge. It is a favourite with walk-in guests and was full on the day I was there. While The Lounge offers Afternoon tea, I was quite happy to try some items from the a la carte menu. 



Market Cafe

Hyatt Regency Wangjing is home to my one of my 3 favourite brunches in the city and has become my go-to place. Market Cafe, which hosts the brunch, is my favourite all day dining restaurant with its earthy mix of aesthetics where high floor to ceiling windows, palms, greenery and wood and take me back to nature.You can read about my earlier brunch experience here: Sunday Brunch at Market Cafe.  


However, because I visited the hotel during the COVID-19 period, Market Cafe served only its a la carte menu. It was also the venue where Club guests were served their Evening Cocktails and Canapes. With all club lounges closed in the city, I like the way the hotel accommodated us in Market cafe, offering us a menu - Canapes became dishes. 








The Music Bar

I was so surprised when I walked into this venue. It is warm and cosy while at the same time accommodating a decent number of guests. The venue offers a rather small choice of bar snacks but makes up for it with a  fantastic range of drinks. The only thin more impressive than the selection is the pricing. The obvious highlight for me is the Billecart-Salmon NV Champagne - the lowest price in the city for this superb champagne is enough reason to go back. During Happy Hour it got even better! During the latter I was able to snap up two glasses of Billecart-Salmon for 158RMB! Unreal, right? 
Breakfast at Market Cafe

I chose to highlight this because it was another highlight of my club experience. With the club lounge close, breakfast too was served in market cafe, with an a la carte menu doing the rounds. Of course I would need to go back to the hotel when the Club lounge has reopened to make  a fair comparison, but  I have to say breakfast was simply wonderful. I recommend ordering a bottle of bubbly  to enhance your breakfast experience - bubbles and mimosas - now that is the way to start a day! How many sad people have you seen with a  mimosa in hand? But it is more than the food and drinks here. 

 Staff genuinely go out of their way to ensure that the guest has a memorable dining experience - the hotel places a premium on guest relations here. The Market Cafe team adds so much to my joy at this hotel!





3. Service

I want to single out the front desk staff whose service ethic was not only evident on the floor, but actually in advance of my booking. When I was toying with which hotel to stay, I emailed a couple of properties with questions. The staff here responded to my email, in detail, within three hours while the other hotel responded the next day. I also received a personalized, timely reminder about my upcoming stay as well as follow up emails replying to subsequent questions. That is my idea of service - service that extends beyond typical 9 to 5 reservation staff hours. Do not discard the power of the human factor!

Secondly, the staff who are in the service centre, taking guest requests from ice to extra shower gel, also deserve special mention. Now, I love calling the service centre, often just to see how they respond to calls. Of 6 calls I made, not a single one was answered beyond two rings - that is pretty impressive. I would, however, like to try this out when the hotel's occupancy is close to 90% post-Covid19. 

Finally, the unsung heroes of hotel rooms, housekeeping. I found this note in my room with my pair of socks from my last stay. That is service! 



4. Verdict

Hyatt Regency Wangjing has the key elements if a 5 star experience while making you feel relaxed and comfortable. It is a fine balance, isn't it, giving that feeling of being pampered but making your stay resonate with homeliness. In other words, you want that hotel and home feeling all in one. I also thunk the hotel's food and beverage product is a very good one, accentuated by great value and an excellent culinary team on the floor. I am already looking forward to my next stay. 

* The hotel also offers two more dining options. For Japanese, there is Shunpachi and at Cang Yue, you can enjoy Northern Chinese cuisine, Cantonese Dim Sum and Shanghainese dishes - Cang Yue

 Essentials: 
Hyatt Regency Wangjing, 
Beijing. 
86 -10 - 8630 1234

Subway
Futong Station, Line 14, Exit C
About a 7 minute walk. 



Brandon Stoltenkamp
https://instagram.com/bmstoltenkamp/


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