The 26 Best Luxury Hotels in Beijing

In Beijing you almost always swim indoors: most hotel pools are inside and heated, in the cold winter just as in the hot summer. For a 5-star hotel in Beijing, a pool is therefore the rule rather than the exception.China World Summit Wing Beijing · HujialouWith a view over the city: at the China World Summit Wing Beijing you check in on the 64th floor, and the heated 25-meter infinity pool looks out over the business district. The InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun has an asymmetrical pool on the fifth floor behind floor-to-ceiling windows, and at the JW Marriott Beijing Central you swim at the very top of the building under a glass roof.

Laps in style: our tip is the Bvlgari Hotel Beijing, whose 25-meter pool, lined in Vicenza volcanic stone with gold and green mosaics, recalls the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. At the Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing Beijing, daylight falls through skylights onto the 25-meter pool in the spa.

In the open air: the Rosewood Beijing has an outdoor pool of almost 25 meters on the sixth floor, right in the business district. Out in the Mentougou mountains, the heated rooftop pool of the Xitan Hotel Beijing looks out on forested peaks.

For the sporty and for families: at Kerry Sports in the Kerry Hotel Beijing you swim laps in a 35-meter pool, with a separate wading pool for children. The Regent Beijing also has a children’s pool next to its indoor pool, and at The Peninsula Beijing the 18-meter pool stays at 28 °C all year.

After a day on the Great Wall or in the Forbidden City, a spa does you good. Many guests choose their 5-star hotel in Beijing by its spa. Our tip: the Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing Beijing, with four treatment suites around a courtyard; its spa has held five stars in the Forbes Travel Guide for years, and the signature is the two-hour Emperor’s Longevity. The spa at the Bvlgari Hotel Beijing spans two floors and 1,500 m², with eleven treatment rooms and techniques from Italy and China.Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing Beijing · WangfujingChinese healing: if you want traditional Chinese medicine in the luxury hotels in Beijing, book the Mandarin Oriental Qianmen Beijing: its spa offers tuina and acupuncture, plus a space for meditation and sound therapy and its own tea house. At the Ur Spa of The PuXuan Hotel Beijing, the body rituals change with the time of day.

For night owls: at Sense spa in the Rosewood Beijing, treatments are available outside regular hours on request, and you can even stay overnight in one of five spa suites. Serenity Spa at the Regent Beijing has twelve treatment suites and is open until 1 a.m.

Spring water and mountain air: The St. Regis Beijing has a spa fed by natural spring water drawn from deep underground. At the Xitan Hotel Beijing, Qin Spa works with organic products by Lapidem, and at Commune by The Great Wall the day starts with tai chi and yoga before you head to one of 15 treatment rooms.

Prices start at 88 € at the Cordis Beijing Capital Airport, and at the top end a courtyard house at the Mandarin Oriental Qianmen Beijing costs from 1,965 €. In between, more than half of the hotels cost 150 to 300 € a night. The table shows 25 hotels from every area and price range, grouped by neighborhood. The remaining hotel appears with its current price in the hotel list below.

Always included: breakfast for two, every day and at every hotel. The benefits usually apply from the first night; at some hotels, such as the Regent Beijing or the Eclat Hotel Beijing, from two nights, and at the InterContinental Beijing Beichen from three. Early check-in and late check-out are part of the package at almost every hotel, subject to availability.

Upgrade: every hotel offers an upgrade subject to availability, usually on arrival. At The Peninsula Beijing and at Hyatt hotels such as the Park Hyatt Beijing, it is confirmed when you book.Grand Hyatt Beijing · DongdanHotel credit: most luxury hotels in Beijing add 100 US dollars, a few add 50 US dollars. Suite guests at the Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing Beijing receive 200 US dollars, split between dining and the spa. And at The Peninsula Beijing, local and international phone calls are included.

Loyalty programs: you earn with Marriott Bonvoy, for example at The St. Regis Beijing, with World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards, Shangri-La Golden Circle, Hilton Honors, ALL (Accor), Leaders Club and Brilliant by Langham. Hilton members collect double Hilton Honors points at the Waldorf Astoria Beijing and the Conrad Beijing.

Every season has its appeal: in spring and fall, mild, clear days invite walks through the hutongs and up onto the Wall. Summer brings long evenings on rooftop terraces, and in winter frost often lies on the roofs. That is when a 5-star hotel in Beijing becomes a retreat with its spa, tea lounge and Peking duck. For Golden Week in early October, it pays to reserve early.

How long to stay: three to four nights in the city are a good frame for your 5-star hotel in Beijing – for the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, an evening in the hutongs and one in Sanlitun. Add one or two nights by the Great Wall or in the mountains.