Review: Kerry Hotel, Beijing

First impressions

One of Beijing's many gleaming skyscrapers, Kerry has a welcoming feel as soon as you enter. Our bags are grabbed by porters when we get out of the cab, staff are friendly and check-in is efficient. They also have self check-in options for busy types. White marble and chandeliers signal the luxury of the Shangri-La chain while imposing gold-plated modern art pieces hint at the spin-off's more contemporary values.

Ideal for…

People travelling on business whose time is at a premium: everything here is designed to be as quick and easy as possible. We found the business centre very helpful when we needed to print out a boarding pass, for example. Tourists who enjoy comfort and modern style should also appreciate Kerry's stylish but unpretentious vibe.

The room

All 486 guest rooms and suites sport stylish silver textured wallpaper and cushioned and light wood wall panels. You can expect a 40'' flatscreen TV, and a well-designed multi-socket electronic panel for iPads, laptops and phones etc. The bathroom has a digital clock to make sure you're on time for your meetings. Our Club room also has a TV in the bathroom mirror so we can catch up on the news while brushing our teeth.

Kerry pride themselves on listening to feedback: customer-suggested additions include a shaving mirror in the shower area and a phone-sized shelf by the toilet. Club rooms have a Bose SoundDock Series II iPod dock as well as a work desk. Another nice touch is the free minibar, updated daily with soft drinks, snacks and beer.

Best room?

All Kerry's deluxe rooms are of a high quality, very comfortable and a decent size at 34 sq m. For a room with a view, ask for a room on the top floor.

Eating and drinking

When it comes to eating, we're spoilt for choice at Kerry. Kerry's Kitchen serves a buffet for breakfast and lunch and an à la carte dinner, with chefs working in full view of guests while Kerry's Cold Kitchen plays host to local workers after a quick and tasty lunch. Kerry's Grill Kitchen has both a Western Grill and the Asian Grill. You can grab dim sum and other Asian specialities in Kerry's Asian Kitchen and sweet treats in the next door Kerry's Pantry.

For dinner, we plump for The Horizon Chinese Restaurant, a grand restaurant with a busy main dining hall and various private rooms, overseen by the renowned chef Yuan Chao Ying. The trademark Ya Yuan Peking duck with Chinese pancakes and the Horizon homemade duck sauce is fantastic, as is another speciality, the clay pot dishes, and like the rest of the hotel, service is excellent. Club room occupants can enjoy a buffet and cooked breakfast with stunning views of Beijing, as well as a happy hour early evening. The ground floor bar and club Centro gets lively in the evenings.

Extras

Kerry is big on fitness – and when we say big, we mean 7,000 sq m and spread out across three levels. Kerry Sports attracts both local members and jet-setting regulars, with a 90-piece gym and a five-lane heated pool. Coming soon are a basketball court, an outdoor running track, four badminton courts and a kids' zone. There are also banqueting halls and a rooftop garden for private events, and Kerry has its own shopping centre next door.

Room for improvement

It's hard to fault Kerry – the only snag might be getting lost while wandering around this huge hotel, but staff are always on hand to help!
 
Out and about

Kerry is located in the business district with a few interesting buildings of note in view, such as the HQ of the famous Chinese TV channel CCTV. A half-hour walk will take you to Yashow Market, an enjoyable if hectic experience where you can haggle hard with the teenage girls selling clothing, souvenirs and handbags (aim to settle at around 10% of what they originally quote).

There are also high-end designer stores near here and a number of pleasant cafés and pubs attracting expats: we particularly liked the bookstore and café called The Bookworm (http://beijingbookworm.com), where customers read, relax and mingle. The must-see Tiananmen Square is around 15 minutes away by cab (in good traffic, which is by no means a given). Make sure you print out the address of the hotel in Chinese for the driver.

Details

Kerry Hotel, Beijing 1, Guang Hua Road, Beijing, 100020, China
Tel: +86 (010) 8565 2664
Website: www.thekerryhotels.com
Prices start from RMB1,500 for a deluxe room.