I believe many of you stayed at the Regent Hotel in Beijing. We booked into the Peninsula for our land trip next May. After hearing many of your comments, I'm wondering if we should switch to the Regent. Can anyone tell me how it compares, location wise, to the Peninsula. Any other thoughts?? Thanks!

The Peninsula is located on the same street as the Regent, walking distance one to another, which is an ideal location. Personally our Regent stay was very pleasant, staff very polite, gorgeous lobby with a water feature, a cozy lobby bar & a dessert buffet to die for. Few of the Panda's, including us were upgraded to a suite which was a nice feature. But the Peninsula is a SUPER hotel. We walked thru the lobby which is quite charming, had a drink at the lobby bar & browsed around some of the designer's stores that are on the premises. I do not think location should be your priority, but ambiance and price.

Having never stayed at a Peninsula hotel or even walked through one, not sure if I'm qualified to even comment. But if the location is similar as Doris makes it sounds, you probably couldn't go wrong picking either one. I LOVED our suite in the Regent - I was so sad that we really only got to spend a few hours and a night's sleep in it! I've got pics of the interior of our suite on my PANDA pictures if you haven't seen them.

Masaki

Ray and I spent a week at the Penisula Hotel in 2006 and loved it. Their breakfasts were awesome with so many fruits I had never even seen before. The dining room manager would explain them to me and even prepare them for me to taste.All were great now I even buy them at home.
The pool is like something out of a movie.

We used their elegant teak boats(free) to cross over to the other side of the river to catch the riverboats to get to various places.Loved the armchairs to sit in for the 2 minute ride.

First thing we did was call Marty"s who sent a car to pick us up to go to his tailoring shop.
They were excellent and had everything done in 4 days. They have a website.

Peninsula had a car to pick us up at the airport and arranged for a car and guide to take us all over to such places as the floating markets and the River Kwai,etc.

we had lunches across the river at the Oriental Hotel which was equally impressive.

If you want you can take the local boat to the Royal palace and once inside hire a local guide(registered) . Ours was so knowledgeable.

Hope this helps a bit in choosing Peninsula

Thanks, guys, for all your feedback!

Ray and Pat, I think you were talking about Bangkok. Won't be there this trip (going to Beijing and Shanghai), but I've heard that the Pen in Bangkok is awesome! How great that you were able to experience that hotel!!

Masaki, thanks for the pictures! Frankly, I had been too busy drooling over the food, and smiling at the adorable Marika, to even notice the hotel pics!

Still not certain which hotel we'll do, but either will clearly be wonderful. Staying, in Shanghai, at Le Meridien. In any case, planning and sharing these trips are half the fun!! Again, thanks! :lct:

You cannot go wrong, either way. Having just stayed at the Pen in Hong Kong, I can tell you it was fabulous (as was the Regent Beijing). I had requested early check-in, and when they couldn't accomodate us early, they upgraded us to a deluxe Harbor view suite which had to be 1800-2000 sq. feet with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the harbor-even a telescope! We paid for a limo to the airport when we left and thay even had somone at the airport to drag our luggage to the airline check-out counter. I think they were apalled when they found out we were actually flying coach! You will have a great time either way.

OK, I'm on the hunt now....I've missed the current Marika pics...an hour a day for LCT is just not working out. Masaki, have I mentioned that my daughters name (actually daughter in law, just a technicality) is MARIKO??

Bonnie - :D

Shots of the Regent Beijing that I didn't put on my web page:

view from the outside:



the lobby:



water fixture in the lobby:



even the ashtrays in front of the elevators are pretty!



And the only picture from inside the suite that I didn't post - a picture of the bath:



Cindy - the pics of Marika are interspersed in the pictures from PANDA. They're in Shanghai and in Hong Kong. :)

http://web.mac.com/amandaho/Site/asia_cruise_2007.html

And I highly approve of the name Mariko too. For all I know, Marika and Mariko might share the same characters for the first two syllables of their name!

Masaki

Thanks, Masaki! Thanks, everyone, for your help!!

DUH,did I mention I'm blonde? We stayed in Beijing 10 years ago and stayed for 2 weeks at the Palace Hotel which I believe is now the Peninsula Palace Hotel. Since we were there for so long a time (our son was working in Beijing then) we were upgraded to a Duplex Suite on the top floor. You can walk to Tiennamen Sq. from there. The hotel is beautiful and the restraunts were nice,but it was a long time ago. I don't think you will be sorry to be staying there.
Have a wonderful time.

Even the standard rooms at the Regent are very nice! I wasn't fortunate to be upgraded to a suite, but since it was only me, who cares? I have a few photos of the standard room on my photo site www.picasaweb.com/drlauric under the Beijing album.

Masaki: That picture of Marika and her cousin Emma? sooo adorable I have it on my fridge - next to my 3 granddaughters - 5 cute girls!!!

That's so sweet, Joanna! Sorry, I highjacked this thread!

Awwww, thanks Joanna! :D

Masaki

PS: now, back to your regularly scheduled thread ...

:D :D :D :lct: :D :D :D