This was the first stop on our independent China tour. This is a fantastic hotel in every way. We had a beautiful junior suite (free upgrade) with executive floor privileges. The hotel has the biggest and most beautiful indoor pool I have ever seen. The staff is friendly and helpful. Peking duck dinner at Made in China (in the hotel) was excellent. This was our best hotel in China.

I normally don't write reviews, nor get names from websites and use them for travelling, but now will have done both. On our way to visit our daughter studying in Hong Kong, we wanted to visit Beijing. Staying at the Grand Hyatt was essential to our fantastic time there as well as hiring John as a local driver. We emailed him (johnyellowcar@hotmail.com) and he always responded to any questions we had (and I can ask alot). His ability to speak English, caring demeanor, and personal character made him a pleasure to be with. My only regret is not hiring him for more than one day! On our 3 week trip to China and Thailand we felt he was our favorite driver. His website is www.beijing-driver.com. As far as the GrandHyatt, the concierge services/location were excellent and the driver they gave us to take us to the train station was phenomenal. We would not have been able to maneuver the night train to Xian without him. Beijing and the Great Wall were great places to see in our first days to Asia. (Just be sure you have someone write in chinese where you want to go to communicate with taxi drivers.)

Room is just average, quite small, the workmanship is rather poor, bathroom is small too. The interior furnishing is certainly not as good as the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Jakarta that I frequented. Service is acceptable but nothing spectacular.

However, the location is good, right at the heart of Beijing, with a grand shopping mall below, close to Tiananmen and Wang Fujing. And the interior swimming pool is really pretty; that is the highlight of this hotel. I will also recommend the restaurant "Made in China" in the lobby.

Fantastic hotel, perfect service, great rooms, very clean, which doesn't go without saying in China. It's in walking distance of the forbidden city and when you want to go further, you simply call a cab. It comes at a price, but this is the perfect hotel if you are unfamiliar wit the local customs. e would ABSOLUTELY recommend it to anyone!